While visiting Kenya in 2007, Sally Bradley RSM (Melbourne), experienced the Mukuru Promotion Centre, a church-based voluntary organisation that serves the Mukuru slum communities of Nairobi. “I found it both a shocking and a confronting place,” says Sally. Coincidently, within two days of Sally’s arrival in Nairobi, another Melbourne sister, Mary Geason RSM, arrived to look at the possibility of working in the Mukuru slums. Two years on, Mary is director of the Centre. Read her reflection on life in the Mukuru slums, especially for women.

“Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis” is the theme for World Food Day on October 16. Do you know that more than 1 billion people in the world are malnourished? This means almost one in every six people are hungry. How can this be? The Institute’s Specific Issues Committee, Eco-Justice, draws your attention to this critical issue and calls on all people to take further action towards sustainable and equitable development.

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.

MERCY IN ACTION is a regular section which profiles individual Sisters of Mercy across the Australian Institute. This fortnight we feature Eileen Tobin RSM (Singleton) and Anne Hughes RSM (Grafton).

About 500 people gathered on September 24 to celebrate Anna Nguyen Thi My Duyen’s perpetual profession as a Sister of Mercy of the Adelaide Congregation at Our Lady of the Boat People Centre in Poorake, SA.

Singleton Sisters of Mercy recently gathered to celebrate the jubilees of five of their sisters: Bridget Carr RSM, Mary Cecily Coaldrake RSM, Mary Fidelis Coorey RSM, Mary Thompson RSM and Ann Thomson RSM. Rita Hassett RSM (Singleton) reports.

A group of Sisters of Mercy of the Wilcannia-Forbes Congregation recently made a pilgrimage to Broken Hill in western NSW to celebrate 120 years of Mercy ministry in the town. The 20-strong group was joined by a number of sisters from the Singleton and Melbourne Congregations. Nance Cale RSM (Wilcannia-Forbes) reports on the three-day experience.

Goulburn Sisters of Mercy celebrated Our Lady of Mercy Day with the opening of Catherine’s Corner, a new facility at the Mercy Centre in Albury. “Catherine’s Corner can be formally called a day centre of adult learning for people who have a disability,” says Shirley Garland RSM. “However, it is much more than this. Everyone who enters can observe and experience the great fun and laughter as clients joyfully participate in the activities offered.”

Sister Veronica Lawson RSM (Ballarat East) offers a reflection on the readings for the 28th 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 Health formally opened its Mercy Place East Melbourne aged-care facility on September 1, bringing the first new aged-care licences to the City of Melbourne for almost 25 years, reports the Kairos Catholic Journal.