Month: November 2015

Sisters of Mercy and partners-in-Mercy are invited ‘to be guardians of the Door of Mercy, keepers of the in-between place of Mercy’ in this coming year of Mercy (8 December 2015 – 20 November 2016).

‘Pope Francis says that, in this coming Year of Mercy, “the Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God.” The logo for our Mercy International Reflection Process, unfolding during this Year, is centered on the red doors of Baggot Street. In a profoundly mystical way, these red doors connect all our doors of Mercy – in our convents and houses, in our places of ministry, in holy places around us, in Earth which nourishes us, in the cosmos which holds us in communion, and in the hearts of all Sisters of Mercy, Associates and Partners-in-Mercy…’

‘El Papa Francisco dice que, en este Año de la Misericordia, «la Puerta Santa será una Puerta de la Misericordia, a través de la cual cualquiera que entre podrá experimentar el amor de Dios». El logotipo para nuestro proceso internacional de reflexión de misericordia, que se desarrollará durante este Año, se centra en las puertas rojas de la Calle Baggot. En una forma profundamente mística, estas puertas rojas conectan todas nuestras puertas de Misericordia – en nuestros conventos y casas, en nuestros sitios de ministerio, en lugares santos en derredor nuestro, en la Tierra que nos alimenta, en el cosmos que nos sostiene en comunión y en los corazones de todas las Hermanas de la Misericordia…’

NB:This video and/or text are suggested for inclusion in the ‘Called to the Ministry of Mercy’ Ritual for Opening Doors of Mercy on (or around) 13 December. The Leader and Participants copy of the ritual in both English & Spanish, full colur & black and white are available for download here

 

On November 29 we begin the season of Advent, that season of “waiting in joyful hope.”  On November 30, in another of these moments of wondrous connections, the Paris Conference on Climate Change (COP21) begins. We invite you to join with us.

Attached below is a reflection sheet (in English and in Spanish) which you are invited to download and use for the seven days.

*Vigil Prayer Sisters of Mercy (PDF) *Vigilia Hermanas de Misericordia (PDF)

The days echo the themes of the seven days of creation as imaged in Genesis 1.  Each day is framed in the same way — a colour of the rainbow, a text, a prayer, an image of the creation day, and a promise for specific action (personal and communal).  We are invited to find time during each day, possibly integrated into morning or evening prayer or a blessing before meals, to pray this reflection either in community or with friends or each one in her own heart. You may choose to cut the papers into individual strips for each day or keep them as they are.

We also have the privilege as a Congregation to join the other eleven Mercy congregations and institutes to pray Pope Francis’ “Prayer for Our Earth” each day during the Conference.  Our Congregation has been assigned December 9 as the day when we hold the prayer in our special embrace.  That prayer, taken from the end of Laudato Si’, is added to your reflection sheet. Once again, we invite you to join with us.

– Sisters of Mercy

The Pope’s Call to Mobilize: Petition & Global Climate March

St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador

On the eve of the anniversary of the death of Catherine McAuley, 11 November, ten women named Catherine gathered with the community of St. Joseph’s Convent to remember Catherine McAuley.

In order to celebrate the 174th anniversary of the death of Catherine McAuley, the six sisters of St. Joseph’s community on Signal Hill, St. John’s invited women they knew and who had the name Catherine to a reflection and a cup of tea.  After they were welcomed each spoke of her name and its significance.  The stories were varied and some humourous – a great way to get to know each other!

Then we reflected with the help of a slideshow and songs on the life of Catherine McAuley.  We prayed for various needs in our world and ended with the video of the Circle of Mercy.  Following our reflection and prayer, the group went to the dining room for a good cup of tea.

It was a lovely evening that was enjoyed by all present- the guests seemed reluctant to leave and hoped for a similar event next year!