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Mercy Heritage Preservica Portal now open
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Mercy International Association (MIA) has many primary sources relating to Catherine McAuley and the foundation of the Sisters of Mercy. This archive consists of treasures such as a collection of Catherine McAuley's letters, her writings as well as documents relating to the first House of Mercy. There are also letters written by the early foundresses.
Central to our archival treasures are the illuminated works of Sr. Clare Augustine Moore rsm and Sr. Cecelia Marmion rsm.
Preservica is an online tool to store, preserve and make available archival material.
Our Mercy Heritage Portal went live on Foundation Day, 12 December as part of an updated Heritage and Spirituality section of our website.
This heritage portal is provided for the inspiration of the Mercy World. It contains a curated selection of digital images of items from our archive which will be updated monthly.
Mercy In Action
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Reflections from Fozia Gulab, current MGA Emerging Leaders Fellow
Reflections from Fozia Gulab, current MGA Emerging Leaders Fellow
Dr. Fozia Gulab is a current MELF Fellow (Cohort 4) from Karachi, Pakistan. She is Deputy Director and a faculty member at the Notre Dame Institute of Education (NDIE). In this article, Fozia reflects on the history of Mercy in Pakistan, her experience of learning more about the Mercy charism through the MELF program, and her efforts to share Catherine McAuley’s story with her community.
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Mercy Global Action
Applications open for MGA Emerging Leaders Fellowship
Mercy Global Action
Applications open for MGA Emerging Leaders Fellowship
Our Mercy Global Action Office is now seeking expressions of interest for Cohort 5 of the MGA Emerging Leaders Fellowship (2025-2026). This fully funded international leadership program offers a unique opportunity for ten women to advance justice in their communities and forge meaningful connections across the Mercy World.
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Mercy Global Action
Updates from COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan
Mercy Global Action
Updates from COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan
In November, governments, UN agencies, and various stakeholders—including civil society, private sector, academics, and grassroots communities—gathered for the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, was a pivotal yet contentious moment in global climate negotiations.
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A Face of Hope on Christmas Island
A Face of Hope on Christmas Island
Sister Joan Kelleher, who lives in Perth, Australia, was one the first religious sisters who provided full time pastoral care to people in detention on Christmas Island having arrived there in 2010. More than a decade on she maintains a wonderful bond with some of the asylum seekers who were detained there. This is a wonderful article from the latest newsletter of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (ISMAPNG)
Mercy Matters
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Fact
On This Day
December 17
1939
Opening of Convent of Mercy at Sans Souci New South Wales.
December 18
1883
Foundation to Clonmel from Cahir, Co Tipperary.
December 21
1843
Foundation to Pittsburgh from Carlow.
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Bermondsey, London marks 185th anniversary
On 25th November last a very special celebration was held in Bermondsey, London to commemorate the 185th anniversary of the first Mercy foundation outside of Ireland.
It was a most joyful occasion with Sisters of Mercy from across the United Kingdom in attendance to celebrate with the Bermondsey community.
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Spirituality
Advent Through the Lens of Mercy
As we move through the days of Advent we continue to share our reflections on 'Advent Through The Lens of Mercy'.
We have now shared three of our four reflections and these are available to watch on our website and on our social media pages.
Our fourth and final reflection will be available later this week in time for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
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Heritage
Opening Doors Update
Opening Doors is part of our response to the challenges facing Mercy today. After wide-ranging consultation, five themes have emerged as significant to our Mercy companions: Action for Justice, Communications, Formation, Structures and Youth Engagement.
In early 2025 we will be bringing together our committee on Youth Engagement and look forward to updating you then. In the meantime please check out our suite of resources.
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Heritage
Young Mercy Leaders' Pilgrimage 2025
Our Young Mercy Leaders' Pilgrimage for 2025, which will focus on secondary school (high school) students, will take place from 1st to 4th of July 2025.
The Young Mercy Leaders’ Pilgrimage is an opportunity for second level students to gather together in Mercy International Centre in Dublin for a journey of empowerment and leadership.
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Communications
Register now for our first Mercy Communications Café
We are delighted to announce a new gathering opportunity for those working in communications across the Mercy World. Our new Mercy Communications Café will be an online space for us to come together to connect, to hear from guest speakers and to look at various communications topics and themes such as social media, websites, storytelling, best practice, AI, newsletters and more.
Further Resources
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Worth Reading
Mercy Moment
We invite you to check out our #MercyMoment which is a pause for thought we share each day on our Instagram and Facebook pages.
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Worth Reading
Advent Prayers and Reflections
We invite you to dip into our Advent Resources in the Opening Doors section of our website where you will find prayers and reflections for the Season of Advent from ourselves and from across the Mercy World.
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Worth Reading
Reflections from a pilgrimage to Baggot Street
We were delighted to host a pilgrimage of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas last October. Sisters Phuong Dong, Anna Regina Gakuhi, Elizabeth Mwangi and Elizabeth Small were accompanied by Sister Mary Kay Dobrovolny, the coordinator of New Membership Ministry. Sister Elizabeth captured their experience
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Worth Watching
Highlights from our Carol Service
Watch some of the highlights from our Carol Service which took place on Foundation Day, 12 December. We are grateful to all our musicians, singers and readers as well as our captive audience.
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Worth Watching
Christmas Blessings from Mercy International Association
Wishing each of you in our Mercy family a Happy and Holy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year. As Catherine herself said in a letter she wrote to Frances Ward in December 1837:
“May God preserve and bless you and grant you all the graces and precious gifts reserved for this holy season.”
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Worth Watching
Message for Foundation Day 2024
Foundation Day was marked across the Mercy World on 12 December. We were delighted to share a message from our CEO Sr. Patricia O'Donovan rsm, which you can watch here.
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Worth Knowing
Getting ready for the Jubilee Year
The Jubilee Year begins in just a few days. The official website is full of information and resources. Event registration is also open for the Jubilee gatherings taking place from January.
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Worth Reading
World Day of Prayer for Peace 2025
In his message for the World Day of Prayer for Peace on 1 January 2025, Pope Francis reminds us that "Simple acts of kindness and solidarity can pave the way for this new world, fostering a deeper sense of fraternity and shared humanity."
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Mercy eNews
The newsletter of Mercy International Association is published monthly and distributed to subscribers via email. If you have any queries about the newsletter, please contact mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie
For more information on the directors click here
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