“Lent comes providentially to awaken us, to shake us from our lethargy” (Pope Francis).
Pope Francis’ Lenten message to the world for 2023 was presented on Friday, February 17. The theme is Lenten Penance and the Synodal Journey. “We need to listen to Jesus he said, “through the Scriptures and through our brothers and sisters, especially in the faces and the stories of those who are in need…Lent is a time of grace to the extent that we listen to him as he speaks to us.”
The full text of the Pope’s message can be read here
Mercy International Association is offering a prayer service for Ash Wednesday which includes a poem by Brenda Peddigrew rsm and online spirituality reflection series during Lent. Details can be found here
“La Cuaresma viene providencialmente a despertarnos, a sacudirnos de nuestro letargo” (Papa Francisco).
El mensaje de Cuaresma del Papa Francisco al mundo para 2023 fue presentado el viernes 17 de febrero. El tema es La penitencia cuaresmal y el camino sinodal. “Tenemos que escuchar a Jesús”, dijo, “a través de las Escrituras y de nuestros hermanos y hermanas, especialmente en los rostros y las historias de los necesitados… La Cuaresma es un tiempo de gracia en la medida en que le escuchamos mientras nos habla”.
El texto completo del mensaje del Papa puede leerse aquí
It connects the science of climate change, biodiversity and sustainable resource use with the messages of Pope Francis’s Encyclical 
Conecta la ciencia del cambio climático, la biodiversidad y el uso sostenible de los recursos con los mensajes de la Encíclica Laudato Si’ del Papa Francisco.
The loss of life, the injuries, the destruction of buildings, the displacement of peoples and the critical needs of the citizens are extraordinary.
“Standing on Their Shoulders”, a book by Charlotte Fitzpatrick rsm tells the stories of 60 Sisters of Mercy who left Ireland between 1842 and 1907 , all aged between sixteen and twenty years, to minister with the people of Newfoundland .
Recognising that “Illness is part of our human condition”, in 
The Pope’s cry came in a video message for the ninth World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking, released Wednesday, 8 February, the feast of St Josephine Bakhita.
“Me dirijo a vosotros, jóvenes, de manera especial: Os animo a cuidar la dignidad, la vuestra y la de cada persona que encontréis. Sé que habéis sido vosotros los que habéis elegido este tema: ‘Viajar con dignidad’. Es muy importante: indica un horizonte amplio para vuestro compromiso contra la trata de seres humanos: la dignidad humana. De este modo, podéis contribuir a mantener viva la esperanza, y yo añadiría también la alegría, que os invito a conservar en vuestros corazones, junto con la Palabra de Dios, ¡porque la verdadera alegría es Cristo!
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide.
This year, 
in which we celebrate the liturgical memory of St. Bakhita, the Sudanese nun who as a child had the dramatic experience of being kidnapped and enslaved and became the universal symbol of the Church’s commitment against trafficking.