The Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland, together with other religious congregations, NGO and police force members are part of the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Trafficking Committee. The aim of the committee is to end Human Trafficking through public awareness, services to trafficked persons, advocacy, and resources and training support to law enforcement.
Their objectives are to:
1) Ensure a coordinated effort to provide a first and second response to victims of Human Trafficking.
2) Raise awareness of Human Trafficking in the community and create a network of contacts so that victims of Human Trafficking can be identified and supported.
The activities of the committee involve:-
- Developing first and second response teams.
- Developing of an Operational Handbook for the first and second response teams.
- Recruitment and identification of training opportunities for team and Committee members and the community.
- Developing an information package on the NL Human Trafficking Committee.
- Maintaining a list-serve of interested community contacts and organizations.
In March 2012, the Institute Of The Blessed Virgin Mary Canadian Province (Loreto Sisters) sponsored a conference of all organizations/individuals interested in the issue of Human Trafficking. The title of the conference was Human Trafficking: Breaking the Chains and it took place in Toronto, Ontario. Over two hundred people attended the conference, coming from diverse backgrounds: high school students, women and men religious, representatives of non-governmental agencies, aboriginal persons, group home workers, etc. Elizabeth Davis rsm facilitated the conference.
Some of the major conclusions were as follows:-
1. Human trafficking is modern day slavery. Marginalized women and children are being purchased by educated men.
2. Persons being trafficked are real people – women, girls and boys whose voices must be heard as we work to bring this horror to an end. The most vulnerable women and children are identified and targeted. Our society is accountable for reducing the vulnerabilities of persons which allow human trafficking to continue.
3.Human trafficking is based on control, exploitation and profit and is rooted in racism, sexism and classism.
4.This is a matter both domestic and international. While many might have thought it is primarily international in nature and related to human smuggling, in fact most human trafficking in Canada is domestic – Canadian women and children being trafficked to Canadian men.
5.This modern slavery has not been brought to an end because of ignorance of the issue by so many Canadians and complicity by so many others. The sex trade is highly organized and integrated and brings in much money for those who control it. The response, therefore, must also be highly organized and integrated if we are to be successful in bringing this form of slavery to an end.
6.New legislation is needed but is slow in coming and still fails to target the persons buying the sex services thus keeping the sex trade in business.
7.Actions to end this crime include increasing awareness and education, strengthening of gender equality, decreasing vulnerabilities of women and children, working to change and strengthen legislation, working to influence hotels, airlines and businesses which sometimes inadvertently support human trafficking either through ignorance or complicity; strengthening education for health professionals, strengthening programs for aftercare and rehabilitation and affordable housing for survivors, and changing society by changing images which support prostitution and the sex trade.
8.Many resources are available to assist in increasing awareness and education.
9. The success of efforts to end human trafficking lies in creating partnerships, in collaboration among organizations.
Sister Elizabeth concluded the proceedings by encouraging each person to leave committed to at least one new action which he or she would undertake to add to the efforts of all those determined to end the slavery of human trafficking.
Full details of the conference are linked here (pdf)
Messages to: Margie Taylor
The story of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland began when Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming traveled to Dublin, Ireland where he approached Catherine McAuley to request a community of Sisters of Mercy for his island mission. To facilitate his plan, the bishop agreed to send to the convent on Baggot Street a young lady to be trained as a Sister of Mercy so that she could return to Newfoundland and found a Convent of Mercy in St. John’s. The bishop’s choice for this important role was Marianne Creedon, a young Irish lady who had lived in St. John’s since 1833 and who was familiar with the needs of the mission. Catherine McAuley received Marianne Creedon into the novitiate at Baggot Street, and on August 19, 1841, Marianne, now Sister Mary Francis, was professed as a Sister of Mercy. Nine months later, on May 2, 1842, Sister Francis Creedon, accompanied by Sisters Ursula Frayne and Rose Lynch left St. Catherine’s Convent, Baggot Street, and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to form the first community of the Sisters of Mercy in the New World. They arrived in St. John’s, Newfoundland on June 3, 1842. This date marks the establishment of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland..jpg)
isited with a few of the Presentation Sisters and Associates to discuss the idea of having a joint Art/Craft/Bake Goods Sale. The idea was well received so the planning began. Throughout the year we met several times and letters were sent to all Sisters and Associates of both congregations. The date for the sale was set for November 27, 2010. We prayed there would not be a snow storm. We were lucky: it was a sunny day and lots of parking space.
The official blessing of the Mercy Centre for Ecology and Justice located in the lovely Pippy Park area of St. John’s took place today. 
In her book Sister Kathrine set the story of St. Clare’s within the larger story of the Sisters of Mercy, the founding of the Congregation in Ireland in 1831, the foundation of the Newfoundland mission in 1842, the founding moment of the hospital in 1922 and the service and commitment of so many sisters and staff over the past 88 years. 
of the Sisters of Mercy, brought greetings on behalf of the Sisters, noting that it was an evening to celebrate an author, a book, a ministry and a place of healing. In her remarks, Sister Elizabeth paid tribute to Sister Kathrine as a woman of Mercy, noting that her legacy to our province and to our Church is a rich and deep one, citing especially her giftedness as a musician, her leadership within the community at large and within our Congregation. as a social activist, and as a historian. Referring to The Mustard Seed, Sister Elizabeth noted that it is a rich history of St. Clare’s and our city’s health care system. She described it is a significant accounting of a ministry which we have held precious from the first years of our coming to Newfoundland to this day – the healing ministry. Sister Elizabeth concluded by saying that we celebrate a place of healing, St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, and the women and men who have carried out their work over the past eighty-eight years, the many professions and disciplines and support positions which have been and remain the heart and spirit of this place of healing.
One of the pieces that they sang, Salve Regina, was composed by Sister Kathrine. They were thrilled to have been invited to honor Sister Kathrine and the publication of her book.
Bob the Builder may have competition! During July, 2010 four homes(duplex) are being built in St. John’s, Newfoundland by Cabot Habitat for Humanity. Sister Betty Morrissey is a member of the volunteer team and goes to the construction site each morning at 7:30 (weather permitting) to give of her time and talent. After a couple of hours she then takes up her ministry in pastoral care at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital.