Opening the Door: South East of North Community ISMAPNG

Spirits were high and hearts full of joy as we, the South East of North Community, gathered for our final monthly coming together for the year.

We celebrated first inside the Parish Church at Banyo Brisbane as some very welcome rain prevented us from opening any door from the outside!

We used the prayer for the Opening of Local Doors of Mercy, adapted from the Ritual prepared by Sheila Carney rsm (Americas), and with permission used pictures of the open door at Baggot Street, as well as a photo from the Australian outback depicted in the leaflet; with very little preparation we also managed to sing “What Mercy yet may be” by Cynthia Serjak, with an added local verse.

The 12th December also happened to be Foundation Day. The church verandah provided a perfect venue for a continuation of the celebrations. Sisters made generous donations for our outback brothers and sisters in Queensland who are suffering terribly from the drought.

And so, after much laughter and ‘catching up’ we departed the venue in with the words of Pope Francis, 2013, in our hearts and minds –

              'Let us be renewed by God’s Mercy
              And let us become agents of this mercy
              Channels through which God can water the earth
              And make justice and peace flourish.'

Messages to: Helen White rsm