The Institute’s Specific Issues Committee, Indigenous Concerns encourages readers to consider the preliminary observations of UN Special Rapporteur, James Anaya after his recent visit to Australia. Anaya notes positive developments by the government and also highlights his concerns regarding Indigenous disadvantage.

Rockhampton Sisters of Mercy gathered recently to honour the commitment of Sisters Margaret Whelan, Mary Magdalene O’Shea and Ita Cavanagh, who this year celebrate the seventieth anniversary of their religious profession. These three women were part of a group of 21 young Irish women who sailed from Southhampton, UK in 1936 bound for a new life in Australia. Andrina Ryan RSM (Rockhampton) reports.

A Novena for the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy has been prepared by Carmel King RSM (Townsville) for sisters and associates who might like to use it as their own prayer and reflection as we approach September 24. It begins next Tuesday, September 15. Carmel writes: “I take responsibility for sending our (Townsville) associates and sisters a newsletter and novena in preparation for Mercy Day each year. This year, because of our intense and important engagement with reconfiguring, I thought I would formulate a novena prayer around our individual congregations, thanking God for the blessings over many years and asking God's special blessings on our discernment.”

Sister Veronica Lawson RSM (Ballarat East) offers a reflection on the readings for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). 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.

MERCY IN ACTION is a regular section which profiles individual Sisters of Mercy across the Australian Institute. This fortnight we feature Christina Aitken RSM (Wilcannia-Forbes) and Dolores Coffey RSM (Perth).

Sister Anna Nguyen Thi My Duyen (known as Duyen) will make her perpetual profession of vows in the Adelaide Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy on Thursday, September 24, 2009. The profession ceremony and Eucharist will be at the Vietnamese Catholic Community in Pooraka, Adelaide, at 6:30pm. The Most Reverend Gregory O’Kelly SJ, Bishop of Port Pirie will be the celebrant. Duyen is a teacher on the staff of Caritas College, Port Augusta.

Saturday August 8, 2009 marked the centenary of the opening of Singleton Mercy Convent in the NSW Hunter Valley. “It was a commemoration of not only a construction," writes Singleton Sister Val O'Hara RSM, "but more truly what the building represented – 100 years of Mercy endeavour, begun by ten valiant women and continued by many more.”

Rahamim Ecological Learning Community, a work sponsored by the Bathurst Sisters of Mercy is offering a retreat on "Catherine's Correspondence" with Mary Duffy RSM (Melbourne) from October 16-22, 2009. Please register by September 30. Download the brochure here.

Following on from the successful national e-conference on St Paul in June, the Broken Bay Institute and the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Commission for Mission and Faith Formation are organising another national e-conference on Wednesday November 4. The focus this time will be the Gospel of St Luke. Ballarat Sister of Mercy, Dr Elizabeth Dowling and Canberra-Goulburn Archbishop Mark Coleridge are the key presenters.