We are reminded by the words of Catherine McAuley to pray always. In this time of Holy Week and in promise of the Resurrection, MIA recalls Catherine's words of encouragement: and invites you to join us to  "Pray for your portion of Easter Grace before the extra Treasury is closed. Pray fervently and constantly. Do not give up until all is given you."

Messages to: Mary Reynolds rsm - Executive Director MIA

A final reminder that registration  for the 2013 Pilgrimage of Young Mercy Leaders closes at the end of this week.
An excellent programme has been organised with Keynote presentations, workshops, discussions, rituals, socials, and the sharing of gifts and talents in an evening talent show.

Details can be accessed here.

Visit the Young Mercy leaders Facebook page here

Messages to: Mary Kay Dobrovolny rsm - Assistant Director Heritage & Spirituality

With Catherine McAuley's vision as our shared inheritance, MIA is called at this time to promote the vision in ways that are creative, life-giving, appropriate to the times and sufficiently compelling to claim Catherine as a canonised saint.
- Brenda Dolphin rsm - Postulator

Prayers with the intercession of Venerable Catherine McAuley are asked for all whose names are in our hearts and on our prayer list.

Anne Hannon rsm - Vice postulator Europe and Africa
Sheila Carney rsm - Vice postulator Americas
Caroline Ryan rsm - Vice postulator Australia & PNG, Aotearoa New Zealand, Philippines

The final Soup and Substance Lenten gathering for 2013 featured Nellie McLaughlin rsm (Northern Province) who presented on the topic "The Universe Story and the ONENESS of all life". Nellie spoke about the 3 principles of the Universe - differentiation or Diversity, Interiority and Communion.

Download the flyer here

Presentation: Heart of Mother (pdf)
Presentation: Universe Story  (pdf)

Nellie is the author of "Out of Wonder: The Evolving Story of the Universe. Details can be found here

Messages to: Mary Purcell - Assistant Director Mercy Global Action

The Institute Chapter commences Easter Monday, 1 April until 12 April.

We ask you to remember all members of our Institute in your prayers during this important time. You might like to post your intention in our online prayer space here.

Messages to: Cathy Edge rsm - Institute IT Support and Web Co-ordinator

International Women’s Day this year became particularly memorable for ACRATH (the Australian Catholic Religious Against Traffiking in Humans) with two significant victories in the lead up to this celebration.

The Australian Senate passed the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Slavery, Slavery-like Conditions and People Trafficking) Bill 2012, in which ACRATH and other NGOS such as Anti-Slavery Australia, Project Respect, Salvation Army and Stop the Traffik took part in consultations that led to the drafting of this bill...

And in gearing up on their advocacy work, ACRATH also launched Australia's first multi-language anti-trafficking information campaign on radio, The RAP, to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March...

Read more about both of these intiatives: the Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 and The RAP.

Messages to: Carole McDonald rsm - ACRATH Co-ordinator – Victoria

Ailsa McKinnon rsm was among the religious interviewed by the SBS Television channel in a report "From hardship to hope, nuns keep the faith" on the numbers of women living and choosing to enter religious life in Australia.

The report was aired on 17 March, timed to coincide with the heightened interest around the election of Pope Francis. While "the number of Catholic nuns in Australia has hit a hundred-year low, but of those choosing to enter religious life, a growing number are from multi-ethnic backgrounds..." reported SBS.

Messages to: Ailsa McKinnon rsm

 Ilia Delio O.S.F., a senior fellow at Woodstock Theological Centre Georgetown University, will visit Aotearoa New Zealand in December 2013 at the invitation of Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand.

She will give a series of public lectures in her field of Science and Technology in Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington.

Details of lectures, venues and registration will be posted on the Mercy ANZ website and in Mercy e-news once available.

Messages to: Katrina Fabish rsm - Communications Contact Leadership Team

On the 19 March, Sr Angela from St Anne’s Convent, Newcastle was commissioned, along with several other lay people, as a Funeral Assistant for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

We have been training since October, covering theory, canon law, catechism and of course 'The Green Book' as we've all grown to call the official book used by the clergy for Funeral Services. We can assist in any way that is needed eg from the very simple giving out of hymn books to taking a full service; vigil service, that is the reception of the body; crematorium full service; grave side service and the burial of Ashes...

Messages to: Cathy Edge rsm - Institute Web & IT Co-ordinator

"An inspiring hymn written in the 1800s opens with these candid words: We walk by faith and not by sight.

Such pilgrimages of faith are, at once, both the most difficult and the most rewarding of our lives. We make only a few great ones in the span of a lifetime. They are the rare journeys which lead us out of self-centeredness to love..."

Messages to: Renee Y rsm c/- Pat Kenny rsm - Institute Communications Office.

1922: Amalgamation of New Mexico/Arizona, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco to form Burlingame community

1957: Foundation to Phillipines from Buffalo - M Vincent Vossler

Mercy Centre Burlingame, itself a wonderful resource for conferences and retreats, provides a selection of online videos and audio MP3s, with new talks and video segments added on a regular basis.

Take time this Easter to be nourished by a selection from their online videos and talks which are linked to this item.

The Academy of Mary Immaculate, founded in 1857, is the oldest girls’ secondary College in Victoria and is still conducted on the original site of its foundation.

The Academy of Mary Immaculate educates young women to develop knowledge, skills and attributes that will empower them as global citizens of the 21st Century. The College is faithful to the teachings of Jesus, the mission of the Catholic Church and the spiritual tradition of the Sisters of Mercy. We strive to form centered women who are resilient and who have a sense of social responsibility in the tradition of Mercy.

Four aspects are treated: Learn to love the light, Change your perspective, Stay focused, The Rule of Thirds

Source: Inkling