Mercy Matters

Thursday, May 15 2008

Devastating effect of poverty on women

Did you know that more than one billion people in the world today, the great majority of whom are women, live in great poverty? The Institute’s Specific Issues Committee, Women and Poverty has prepared a backgrounder on this topic. It includes facts and figures, links to video clips, websites and films, and action ideas, and would be a great tool for small groups or individual reflection.


	Tangible way to respond to global food crisis Do you want to give free rice to hungry people by playing a simple word game? FreeRice.com, an interactive word game, for young and old alike, not only increases vocabulary, but allows the user to make a difference to the lives of hungry people throughout the world. Web users are presented with a word and four definitions. If a user selects the correct definition, FreeRice.com donates 20 grains of rice to the UN’s World Food Programme to help end hunger.

	$5m boost for Indigenous boarding at Herberton Mount St Bernard College at Herberton in Queensland, which up until 2006 was owned by the Cairns Sisters of Mercy, is set to receive a new 40-bed dormitory and a refurbished 32-bed dormitory as a result of $5 million in combined funding from the Australian government.
	Kempsey convent closes but sisters not leaving While the doors of the old convent in Kempsey have closed on over 100 years of Mercy history, the Sisters of Mercy Grafton are very aware of the words of the Book of Revelation: “I set before you an open door.” Sister Colleen Rhodes (Local Communications Facilitator, Grafton) reports.
	Two Mercy sisters receive honorary doctorates Two Australian Sisters of Mercy have received honorary doctorates in the last week. Sister Rita Hayes of Ballarat East, and Sister Pat Linnane of Bathurst, both received their degrees for service to the community.
	Golden jubilee celebrations in Townsville Congratulations to Sister Anita Ready who celebrated the golden jubilee of her profession on April 9, 2008 with her congregation, relatives and friends.
	Gospel reflection for Trinity Sunday Sister Veronica Lawson RSM (Ballarat East) offers a reflection on the Gospel for Trinity Sunday, Year A (John 3:16-18). To access this reflection, click on "MORE" and then click on the picture of the Bible where you can read the Scripture as well as the reflection.


	Promoting your events. Anyone who has an event occurring within 2008 which you believe would be of interest to others, please send a notice about it to your Local Communication Facilitator (LCF) or your Institute Works Communication Facilitator (IWCF) to be included in Mercy M@tters. Then the notice can be included in the Calendar section of the Mercy Website. *New address for Mercy M@tters* contributions.** Mercy M@tters welcomes news items for publication each fortnight. Please send any story ideas, articles or photos to your congregation's Local Communications Facilitator (LCF) who will then email material to us. The deadline for our next edition is Monday May 26, 2008. Have you invited your friends and colleagues to subscribe to Mercy M@tters? Follow this link.

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