Ritual for Opening Local Doors of Mercy Now Available in English & Spanish; Full Colour & Black and White

Editor: On Sunday, 13 December, the Third Sunday of Advent and the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pope Francis will open the the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Rome –  the Basilica of Saint John Lateran (Misericordiae Vultus, 3, 4).  In Dublin that same Day, Foundation Day celebrations which are normally held on 12 December will be linked with the opening of the Door of 64A Lower Baggot Street – Mercy International Centre, the first House of Mercy.

Across the Mercy world, planning is well underway to open local doors of Mercy on or around 13 December. At the request of MIA, a ritual has been prepared by Sheila Carney rsm (Americas) to use at Baggot Street and is made available here for us all to use locally. The ritual, in incorporating the two songs from the Vigil prayer that commenced the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Baggot Street last year, draws on that newfound sense of global connection as it introduces this third year in a rich three-year cycle of global Mercy reflection: 20th Anniversary (2014), Year of Consecrated Life (2015) and Year of Mercy (2016).

More will be shared over the coming weeks about the Year of Mercy. As you welcome in the Year of Mercy locally, we invite and encourage you to share your Images and Stories with the Mercy world through Mercy eNews.

Download the Ritual in ENGLISH:

• Leader Copy Colour: [A4 Paper Size] ; [US Letter Size]
• Leader Copy Black & white [A4 Paper Size]; [US Letter Size]
• Participants Copy Colour: [A4 Paper Size] ; [US Letter Size]
• Participants Copy Black & White: [A4 Paper Size]; [US Letter Size]
• Practise your singing: Words and music are online here
• VIDEO: 'Doorkeepers of Mercy' by Elizabeth Davis rsm is online here

Download the Ritual in SPANISH

• Leader Copy Colour [A4 Paper Size]; [US Letter Size]
  
• Leader Copy Black & White [A4 Paper Size]; [US Letter Size]
• Participants Copy Colour: [A4 Paper Size]; [US Letter Size]
• Participants Copy Black & White: [A4 Paper Size]; [US Letter Size]

Messages to: 
Sheila Carney rsm (Americas) - Creator of the Ritual
Mercy International Reflection Process Guiding Team

Image: Invitation to Ritual.Any Mercy Congregation or Institute, community or ministry wishing to use this image, available in both English and Spanish,to promote their local ritual is most welcome to do so.
Please email Anne Walsh for a print quality copy of the image.