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3rd July 2015 Text Version Only

Feature

The Founding Event July 1994

Twenty one years ago this month we gathered at the basketball arena

in Tallaght, Dublin and in our communities to celebrate our coming

together as one congregation – ‘The Founding Event’. What do you

remember about this time? What feelings were evoked in you? For

some there was joy, hope and eagerness. For others there was fear and

hesitation. For myself and I’m sure for many of you there would have

been a combination of these different feelings.

My memories of this event are tied up with travelling to and from

Tallaght, which, at the time, prior to the construction of the M50

motorway, seemed quite a long journey! I asked some sisters who

were present at the ‘Founding Event’ to recall their memories. Some

recall the music, others the dancing, while others recall the lunch

boxes and meeting sisters from many parts of the world. As the

memories of this day are recalled, the memory of the pouring of water

from twenty seven earthenware jars representing each diocesan

congregation into a single large vase seems uppermost in many

people’s minds.

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I have been reflecting on water and why it might have been chosen as

a symbol for our Congregational event. Water is a gift from the

Creator. It is both a sacred gift and a symbol of change and renewal in

many traditions. It carries hope and promise beckoning us as Mercy

Sisters into the sacred flow of mercy life. It was most appropriate that

it was chosen at this turning point in our congregational story. We

recall what Jesus said to the Samaritan Woman: "I am the living

water. Anyone who comes to me will never thirst". Many poets have

tried to capture the sacredness of water. The poet Rainer Maria Rilke

invites us into this sacred flow of water and encourages us to give

freely from who we are: "May what I do flow from me like a river, no

forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children".

This image of water as the sacred flow of life reminds me of a book I

purchased some years ago entitled The Hidden Messages in Water by

Masaru Emoto. In this book Masaru allows music, spoken words,

typed words, pictures and videos to be close to vessels containing

water. After the water crystallizes Masaru Emoto begins taking

photographs of frozen ice crystals. His learnings show that crystals

are filled with much wisdom for us. He has proven that there are

fascinating differences generated in the crystals when water from

natural sources is shown different words, such as “gratitude” or

“stupid”. In this book he writes that water faithfully mirrors all the

vibrations created in the world. The vibration from positive words has

a good effect on our world, whereas the vibration from negative

words has the strength to destroy.

(Further information, YouTube - Hidden messages in water)

As you look at or imagine these geometric crystals, can we visualise

the impact our words and thoughts may have on each other and on the

whole of life as we live our mercy charism? How we live

compassionately, how we honour the diversity among us, how we live

aware of our place in the interdependent and interconnected

community of all life will determine the kinds of “crystals” we form

in ourselves and around us.

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On our congregational chapter statement card 2012, water is

represented for us in the image of a river. This river represents the life

of Mercy. What does the charism of Mercy today call from us as a

congregation? Do we believe that our mercy charism is as relevant

today as it was twenty one years ago and in the time of Catherine

McAuley? In what ways is this belief forming and reforming our lives

in mercy?

I have also been recalling the many Sisters of Mercy, who spent time

discerning and leading us to this ‘Founding Event’ and those who re-

wrote our constitutions ten years previously. They were and are

wonderful role models for us. Now, that I am perhaps older than they

were at that time, I’m reflecting on my own life. I now believe it is a

new time for us to continue moving forward as a congregation fired

with promise and hope as we open ourselves with confidence to

further renewal in this sacred flow of mercy life. Our conversations

about further renewal have begun and they certainly need to continue

in deeply imaginative and creative ways as we allow our Mercy

Charism to inspire, energise and flow through us.

God beckons us now as mature and confident women to open up to all

that will give us energy and life. With the Samaritan Woman we pray

our gracious God to “give us this living water”.

May our ongoing conversations support us in the unfolding mercy

story and may John O’Donoghue’s words find an echo within us –“I

would love to live like a river flows, Carried by the surprise of its own

unfolding”

(Connemara Blues, page 41)

Cecilia Cadogan rsm

Congregational Leadership Team

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New Communications Co-ordinator

Ruth Carson is delighted to join the Congregation as Communications

Co-ordinator. She has over ten years Communications experience in

varying roles both in Ireland and abroad. She graduated from the

National University of Ireland, Galway with a postgraduate higher

diploma in Applied Communications (Journalism and PR). Recently

she completed a diploma in Digital Marketing and Social Media.

Ruth’s previous communications roles include working as a freelance

journalist, an online editor, a teacher, a marketing and events manager

and also in PR. Her communication roles have included positions in

private, public and voluntary organisations. She also completed a

Diploma in Community Development Practice. Ruth believes strongly

in the importance of all aspects of work that can assist the

Congregation.

She is very pleased to be assisting the Congregation in her new role as

Communications Co-ordinator as she admires greatly all the valuable

work that Members of the Congregation are involved in. Having

worked as a Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness teacher she has

developed an understanding of how rewarding it can be to be of

service to others. She is very happy to be assisting the Congregation

and is pleased to help and assist all the Members however she may!

Ruth Carson

Commuications Co-ordinator –Congregational Office

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Public Reporting

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I remember my early days working with Mercy and attending Links

meetings and my awe back then at the numerous areas where Mercy

Sisters were involved. I had always associated Mercy with “just”

education – after all I was a Mercy girl from the tender age of four.

So it was a bit of a shock when we started working towards Public

Reporting, in light of the introduction of Charity Law, that I again

was struck with awe at all the areas Mercy are now actively involved.

Here I am working in the “hub” of Mercy and am still unaware of all

that Mercy do. So… I started to wonder – “if I don’t even know all

that Mercy are doing how can the general public?”

The answer is that “dreaded thing” – Public Reporting! It is the

perfect opportunity to bring the mercy light from under the bushel,

blow its own trumpet and make the public aware of all that is

accomplished in the name of Mercy.

The ministry questionnaire sent out to each Sister was vital in

capturing all that is being done by every Sister in each of the

provinces. It was reported that some sisters responded – “I am retired

and have no ministry” – yet each day they pray, help those who call to

the door, visit the sick, are members of school/hospital boards and are

doing wonderful voluntary work in their local communities that

otherwise would not be done only that Mercy are involved – and this

is Mercy in retirement!!

When we add to that, all that is worked on at Provincial, Central and

Global levels, the mind really does boggle! It would take at least a

whole issue of Mercy Live just to outline those areas. The wonderful

thing about Mercy is that it is the Sisters themselves that are the

Congregation’s largest resource. The Sisters are self-sufficient in that

not only do they provide the resources to care for themselves but also

to carry out the majority of projects in which they are involved

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through donating their salaries, stipends, pensions etc back to the

Congregation.

So perhaps we could see “Public Reporting” as a compulsory

“blowing of the Mercy trumpet” and see it as something very positive.

Otherwise that trumpet will remain silent, quietly humming along

doing all these amazing things that would never get to blast the

headlines or be heard in the public arena.

By Karen Finan

Financial Administrator-Congregational Offices

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Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church

Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church lived in the 14th century.

She is an ever fresh voice in our spiritual search. She had a profound

role in shaping Christianity. Hildegard descended from the language

of academia to help us sense and experience and realize the searing

presence of God. She revealed God - with - us in our own lives. She

helps us to explore who God is and who we are; how we choose to

respond to Divine Love. She did not have access to theological

training, yet she is an excellent model for doing theology. She had a

keen eye for perceiving the spiritual emptiness of scholastic theology.

She brought the head and the heart to theology. She was an

exceptional teacher, absorbed in Scripture, living the Christian life in

creative ways. She wrote with passion and insight, leaving us living,

breathing documents intended to be read and pondered anew. We are

drawn to her spirituality. Her wisdom speaks to our hearts.

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The experiential base of her spirituality attracts us. She is very much

focused on the human Jesus. She is optimistic and filled with hope

and trust. We encounter a freshness in her language and imagery. She

trusts her experience. She challenges us to stand tall - to appreciate we

are women of the Spirit. She invites us to attend with reverence to the

ways in which God is operating in our lives, to trust in these ways and

to be emboldened to live them out. Hildegard is a source of

inspiration and pride in the long, buried heritage of strong, holy,

intelligent women. Her theology emerges from the crucible of

engaging the living God. She follows in a long line of Gospel women

- Mary of Nazareth, Mary of Magdalene, Phoebe, Mary and Martha,

Lydia, Priscilla, Lois, Eunice and Tabitha. She calls us to an

awakening to a felt sense of the presence of God. Hildegard grappled

with the same questions we do:

• Do I see the human person as primarily graced?

• What are my favourite images of God?

• How can I pray better?

• How does the Holy Spirit touch my life?

• What feeds the wellsprings of my faith?

• Do I see my role in the Church?

• Is God present in the world?

• What are my favourite biblical texts?

• What are my most pressing spiritual needs?

• Am I growing, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually?

• What spiritual practices attract me?

• What new faith questions have I?

Hildegard was a Renaissance woman - a woman of her time in every

way. Yet she transcends her time. She lures us to become fully

human, made in God's image and called to a creative and courageous

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life of Gospel Love. Her openness to the Divine and her prophetic

spirit are seen throughout her writings. She has a keen sacramental

consciousness - all reality glows with the presence of God. She

composed new texts and melodies to enhance the liturgical life of her

monastery. She transformed traditions. She worked for the renewal of

the Church. Hildegard reminds us of the inter connectedness of all

things in God. God's unity embraces the cosmos. We are all on a

journey together. She confronts us, motivates us, encourages us. She

was a leader, a composer, a performer of drama, music and poetry.

She gave witness and voice to her faith.

Hildegard challenges our planetary citizenship. She brought religion

beyond the magical to the mystical. She was bright, bold, fearless and

confident of her place in God's creation. She speaks to core issues.

She called for a marriage of science and spirituality. We are to speak

to our mystical intuition. She called for a renewal of Wisdom and for

an awakening of the kind of creativity she refers to as "greening

power", leading to an honouring of Mother Earth. She calls for an

emergence of the Divine Feminine to balance a healthy sacred

masculine, to stand up to Patriarchy in religion, government and in all

places of power. Hildegard recognised that when women come into

their own there will be an end to the power - over dynamics that have

blighted our planet.

Hildegard asks us to love life. She espouses the Cosmic Christ, which

is the God - Presence in every created being in the universe. She calls

for an expansion of consciousness that a renewed cosmology can

bring. She is truly a herald of good news to the tired soul. She takes us

to the depths of prayer. Something happens to your soul when you

listen to her music, meditate on her visions, her mandalas, her

paintings. She calls us to true community, to waken up to the Divine.

Reading Hildegard will trigger experiences in one's soul that will

awaken, refresh and empower, putting us in touch with our experience

of the Divine. Divinity is beyond all names she tells us. She

experiences God in the depths of life. She believed that we are all

born in "in original wisdom". It is our life's task to develop this

wisdom and practice it and put it to work. She calls us "to rise from

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our sleep" and live "with passion" in order that we might contribute to

"making the Cosmic Wheel go round". She wants a global renaissance

so that there can emerge an intelligent, ecumenical, justice -

orientated, scientifically respectful, creative, green spirituality.

Hildegard sang "all of creation is a symphony of joy and jubilation".

She preached about the web of life that all creation shares and warned

that the earth must not be injured. She calls us all "co - creators with

God". She developed a theology of the Holy Spirit and of the Cosmic

Christ long before Teilhard de Chardin. She gave us a model by

which to reinvent education by celebrating the union of creativity and

wisdom. Christ was for her the healing presence inside all of us and

whose primary work is compassion. Hildegard saw Jesus as the one

with whom we can express the warm, emotive side of our

personalities and we can see Christ as the Bridegroom of the soul. The

spiritual life is a relationship with Christ in his humanity. Our

humanity is in Christ.

As an adult Hildegard painted 36 of her visions. She invented the first

full Morality Play. She heard angels singing and put the songs to

music. She wrote the first opera of the west, 300 years before the

great composers. Her music takes us to ever deeper and loftier realms

of divine experience. She brings to life the person and teachings of

Jesus with music, poetry, theology, opera, medicine, letters, paintings

and visions. She has been declared Saint and Doctor of the Church.

She dared to call herself a prophet like Ezekiel and Daniel and

compares herself to David. She speaks to women everywhere.

Hildegard takes us to the "cave of our hearts". The "8-9house of

Wisdom" she tells us wells in each one of us. She teaches us praise

for the earth, for our powers of co - creativity and co - creation. She

called herself the true "witness of truth and the speaking and not -

being - silent God”.

To have being is to be a temple of God. Hildegard urges us to find our

voice, to be prophets and truth tellers. We are all called to live out our

awakening. This is Incarnation at work. There is so much praise going

on in the world, Hildegard tells us, if we only listen. We need to be

still enough inside to observe the beauty, the goodness, the gladness

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that is praiseworthy. Enchantment surrounds us. Hildegard celebrates

the glory, the radiance, the living light in all creatures.

“There is no creature that does not have radiance,

Be it greenness or seed, blossom or beauty.

It could not be creation without it".

At the heart of the universe is the Trinity. For Hildegard God is light,

"a true light that gives light to all lights. Light is the secret Presence

of the Divine. Light and Love bind us to each other. Hildegard

defends our earth, a single, interconnected eco - system, a network of

eco - systems.

I am the one whose praise echoes on high

I adorn all the earth

I am the breeze that nurtures all things green

I encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits

I am led by the spirit to feed the purest streams

I am the rain coming from the dew

That causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life

I call forth tears, the aroma of holy work".

"Our faith is about praise, an inner experience of the soul.

God hugs you.You are encircled by the arms of the mystery of

God".

Hildegard took on Popes, Abbots and Politicians. Imagine if

Hildegard lived today? Imagine if she saw the disappearance of

species, climate change, erosion of rainforests?

"Invisible life that sustains all,

I awaken to everything.

Every waft of air.

The air is life, greening and blossoming.

The waters flow with life.

The moon when waning is again rekindled by the sun, waxing

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life once more".

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Hildegard had her dark days too.

"O Mother, where are you?

I would suffer pain more lightly

If I had not felt the deep

Pleasure of your presence earlier

Where is your help now"?

“Now is a time for remembering goodness" She saw herself as a mere instrument being played by the Holy Spirit.

Her path was one of compassion and justice - a prophetic path.

Hildegard talks about us being encircled by mystery of God.

“I am completely and utterly in God".

No matter how sick our bodies are, our souls are always whole.

Prayer, contemplation and meditation affect healing.

The mystic is one who falls in love with the world. Hildegard is on

fire with the love of creation. Her theology is Creation Spirituality -

the oldest tradition in the Bible - the tradition of Jesus and the great

mystics of the Church. We begin with awe, wonder, gratitude and

delight. We fall in love with creation. Then we move to the unknown,

to silence, darkness and mystery.

“No one can fully grasp the Godhead". But she tells us,

“God carries us forever in the Divine Providence

and does not forget us". Time and again, Hildegard invokes circle imagery for divinity. When

Hildegard was made Doctor of the Church she brings with her the

Divine Feminine.

" As life and as the Goddess in all of nature,

As the God within of mysticism,

As the Motherhood of God,

As Wisdom,

As the circle that is Divine,

As Love, the one who made everything,

As the Holy Spirit,

As the love of Mother Earth,

As the work of compassion,

As igniting Wisdom,

As the keeper of the creative fire".

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Throughout her life, Hildegard retained her ability to be surprised, to

be amazed at the love God has for each of us.

“God made the form of woman to be the mirror of his beauty ".

“Woman is called to reveal the hidden God,

By giving him birth,

We are called to be Mothers of God.

Just as God is truly Father

So also is God truly our Mother". All her life Hildegard was a teacher of awe and wonder and had an

intense involvement with life. She gave herself wholeheartedly to the

enterprise of life - giving love. She rejuvenates our ability to laugh, to

weep, to dance and sing and celebrate.

“Be not lax in celebrating,

Be not lazy in festive service of God ". Hildegard is a strong model of womanhood. She opened herself

passionately to the shattering presence of God's intense love. She was

driven by passion like poets, musicians, scientists and lovers. She

urges us to live with passionate attention and engagement. She

challenges us to become involved with all our senses and enter into a

passionate, all - consuming relationship with God. She compares the

spiritual life to nature - bright sun, dark clouds, light of day, moon of

night. She associates greening with the Holy Spirit. She calls us to the

effective and passionate character of the spiritual life.

We see in her writings a graceful harmony between the language of

the head and the heart. She reminds us that the compassion of God is

to bear fruit in our compassion for the poor, for those who have

nothing. The passion for her love affair with God extends to others.

“Let your hearts' goodwill overflow

So that you will not be among the lost sheep ".

“Sanctify yourself before God

By giving of your substance

To refresh those in want

And god will give you His mercy ". Hildegard's visions resulted in a profound transformation of herself.

She felt that for her that fidelity to the struggle in the form of a

passionate spiritual life bears eternal fruit in intense feelings of joy,

thanksgiving and praise. Many saw her as their spiritual mother. She

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was a woman with a single vision who did not shrink from the

prophetic word. She exhorts us to live lives of intense virtue. Her

ultimate goal was the praise and glory of God's activity. She "sings

forth God's secrets" while comparing her own utterances to "the dim

sound of a trumpet from the living light". She has a holistic

understanding of the Incarnation and the spiritual life. She strives for

a more just world. She stirs us to wonder and joy. She urges us to find

God in the passionate dimensions of our lives. She expresses the

hopes and fears of our hearts. She invites us to examine our deep

emotions in the everyday experiences of our lives, embedded in the

spiritual and the mundane. She is a mystical seer who puzzles us and

inspires us and enchants us.

I am the yearning for good,

I ignite the beauty of life,

I sparkle the waters,

Trinity you are music,

You are Life,

Limitless Love,

Flooding all, loving all,

Feather on the breath of God".

Sr. Ann Crowley

South Central Province

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Restorative Justice Circles at San Quentin

Every Thursday evening, as the sun sets behind the Golden Gate in

San Francisco Bay, across the water ninety men find their way to the

Catholic Chapel in San Quentin Prison. There, they set up chairs for

nine groups of Restorative Justice Circles. Volunteers from outside

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are welcomed by the “Men in Blue.” For a half hour there is friendly

talk as we meet and greet each other. Then we are called to order and

the evening’s process begins with a prayer.

To understand what restorative justice means it is helpful to see how

it differs from criminal justice. In criminal justice; crime is a violation

of the law and the state. Justice requires the state to determine blame

(guilt) and impose pain (punishment). In criminal justice the focus is:

offenders get what they deserve.

In restorative justice, crime is a violation of people and relationships.

Violations create obligations. Justice involves victims, offenders, and

community members in an effort to put things right. In restorative

justice the focus is on the victims’ needs and offenders

responsibility for repairing the harm. In our Circle we follow the book Restorative Justice for People in

Prison Rebuilding the Web of Relationships by Barb Toews. This

requires each participant to share their personal experience as they try

to come to terms with the harm they have caused. This accountability

focuses on the needs of victims and the responsibility of offenders.

We cover a chapter each session so we remain in our Circles for

twelve weeks. After the reading, the sharing begins and a talking

piece is passed around to each person.

For me, participation and sharing is a humbling and blessed

experience as each man shares what the chapter suggests for the

session. Our first chapter discusses the importance of the web of

relationship in every life. When a crime is committed this web is

broken and something must be done to restore that relationship. The

sharing reveals much about the early family relationships or lack

thereof. Offenders are very often victims also. A vacuum of values,

poor education and substance abuse issues are among the social

problems that have led to incarceration.

For many of the men it is a heartbreak when we discuss how they

need to come to terms with the harm they have caused. To broaden

this understanding, our recent Restorative Justice Symposium focused

on the stories of two women who had lost sons to murder. Their

stories really hit home - this was very evident in the sharing circles

after the women’s presentations. Our speakers had formed a faith-

based organization called Healing 4 Our Families and Nation. It is

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dedicated to violence prevention and advocating for survivors of

homicide.

While our topics are serious and difficult to face, the men show

evidence that they have made their own of the restorative values of

respect, care, trust and humility. One man told me he never heard the

word compassion until he came to San Quinten. Another man said he

considers it a great blessing that he was able to keep two young men

out of an Asian prison gang as a result of his experience in a

Restorative Justice Circle. The interaction in the Circles is always

respectful and compassionate.

May we, participants from inside and outside San Quentin, continue

to journey together in courage and integrity knowing that the God of

Mercy and Compassion is with us always.

Carmel Crimmins rsm, El Cerrito, California

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The Next Exodus

On 27th May 2015 a group of us met in the Provincial House in

Clogher. We came from Tulllamore, Cootehill, Castleblaney, Augher,

Clogher, Belfast, Donegal and Derry. Our expressed intention was to

participate in “The Next Exodus, a ritual for passing over into the

Ecozoic era.” This ritual was adapted from Genesis Farm Passing

over Ritual. After the initial cup of tea, the warm welcome and the

thanks offered for the use of the very suitable venue we listened to our

opening song, the title of which was “What on earth”? The sentiment

of the piece was the question which was repeated throughout the

song, “what on earth are you doing today for tomorrow”? Taking on

that question we spent some time in meditation during which we

received a gift of amethyst set in a yellow chrysanthemum, reminders

to us of the need for healing of our earth at this time.

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We were invited to watch a colourful, enlightening powerpoint

presentation where we learned that the Cenezoic Era (spanning 65

million years) has been terminated by the Western style industrialized

human community in the late 19th 20th and early 21st century.

Thomas Berry coined the term Ecozoic Era in order to describe the

geologic era that earth is entering. In this time humans will live in a

mutually enhancing relationship with the earth community. This will

require crossing over to a new world view. We are reminded of the

Israelites where the Exodus was the central event in their lives as they

crossed over the Red Sea from the slavery of Egypt in search of the

promised land of freedom and new life. In our time we are invited to

explore the next Exodus and to cross over to a new consciousness

about the earth, the wider universe, the mystery of the divine in

everything and in more than everything. Some of the radical shifts

required of us if we are to embrace the Ecozoic Era are, the fact that

everything is interconnected, that we humans are one species among

many , different from other species but not superior. If we can

embrace the fact that everything in the universe is made in the image

and likeness of God then the truth that all is one will be more real for

us. There was much to think about and wonder about from the slides

and we were given a copy of them to take home and look at again.

Then we had a time of reflection which could be done inside or out.

We were invited to gently open up to the magic and nurturance of the

natural world, to observe what we felt drawn towards, to connect with

its essence, to breathe into our hearts and to notice what emerges, to

be aware of how we feel and to stay connected to our breath and

heart.We were asked about where there are signs of hope that

humanity is moving into the Ecozoic Era. We looked at what we find

challenging as we journey into the Ecozoic Era.

After heartfelt sharing, where the earth, the elements, not the least the

continuous rain featured strongly, we took a short break and then with

humour we looked at and listened to reflections from the other- than-

human world. Our hope was that we would learn from the animals

what we need to become better people. To finish this part of our day

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we danced the Aspen Dance and were amazed to learn that the oldest

living organism on the earth is a large grove of Aspen in Utah!

Mindfully we moved to the dining room for our Passover ritual and a

meal.After an explanatory introduction to what was to follow, our

ritual began “Now in the presence of each other and the entire

community of life, we gather for our new exodus. With all beings in

the household of Gaia, we heed now the call to choose life just as our

ancestors did. Let us awaken to the call of the unfolding story that is

told for all peoples and all species, a story whose shining conclusion

is yet to unfold”. Our prayer was that we would respond to the call to

journey into the Ecozoic Era and leave behind all that is no longer life

giving.

We had an introduction to the elements of the ritual Passover.We lit

the candle while recalling our connection with our mother star, the

sun. We affirmed that all life is sacred.We remembered our cosmic

story as we took our 3 sips of wine from the blessing cups. As we

broke the unleavened bread we asked for the courage and strength to

leave behind our chains of slavery to old dreams of separation,

domination and control. As we shared the Seder Plate with the

matzah, the parsley, the salt water, the haroset, the egg and the empty

cup we knew that these symbols were to keep alive the memory of the

ongoing passage out of darkness into light, from slavery to creativity.

From the community of life we receive gifts that support us in what

has yet to be. As we acknowledged the gifts of fire, air, earth and

water which were silently brought among us, we were asked to reflect

on what these gifts were offering us. We shared our reflections with

each other and then we prayed this prayer “Imbued with the Divine

mystery pulsating through all of life may we connect with all that is

for the healing of the whole …coming home to Oneness and all of

who we are. May we have the courage to move from ego to essence,

allowing our hearts to lead us. May we and the Sacred Community of

all life go into our future together with hope. And may all of this be

so. Then it was time for our meal. As a preparation for this we were

told about the importance of food in our lives and we were reminded

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of the benefits of buying organic and free range products. We

engaged with a grace that covered many aspects of our lives and

prayed a blessing on all.

We enjoyed delicious food and drink beautifully prepared and set out

for us and to end our day we danced the “One” dance, again asserting

our oneness with the total community of life.

We left Clogher grateful to the earth, the people and the other-than–

human species that were part of the day for us. The Earth Wisdom

Group who organised the gathering gave us reading material to take

home and ponder over and hopefully act out of. Participating in the

event were sisters from the various “strands “that are active in our

province.

Winnie Lynott on behalf of the Earth Wisdom group May 2015

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Mercy and Royalty Meet in the Peace Garden

PRINCE CHARLES’S VISIT: MAY 20th 2015.

In the words of Yeats: "Peace comes dropping slow.” How true these

words have been for the people of Mullaghmore and the Royal

family, as they awaited closure on the horrible events of August 1979

when Lord Mountbatten and his companions were tragically killed off

the coast.

The build up to the visit was veiled in confidentiality. Security

personnel were all around. TV crews were looking for interviews at

least a week in advance; one could meet them anywhere. One wet

morning I went out to the shed at the back and there were two

gentlemen from the BBC with May Burns, whom they had

interviewed. We did some weeding for them, they videoed us and

they left happy. There was a great sense of expectation and veiled

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excitement around. The Garda were everywhere. There was a silent

Centering Prayer retreat on in Star of the Sea. The group were due to

leave on the afternoon of the visit but we brought their departure

forward and got a mini bus to transport them to Sligo station. The

roads were closed and a shuttle service operated into the village.

People had waited thirty six years for the Royals to return to

Mullaghmore. Lord Mountbatten was a common visitor each year to

Classiebawn Castle. He mixed freely with the local people and

seemed to enjoy the place. Most days he visited the harbour and left

on Shadow V which was moored just across from us here to do his bit

of fishing and check his lobster pots. August ’79 was no different, the

group departed the harbour but catestrophe struck within minutes. A

cloud has hung over the village ever since. The time has now come

with the visit of Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall,

to leave the past behind, be reconciled and move into a new future.

Some claimed the visit should have been private but the Royals

received a great welcome on the day

Earlier that day, people from Mullaghmore were brought by bus to

Drumcliff for the Peace and Reconciliation service there. This was a

very moving service with many churches represented. The music was

lovely, O'Carolan’s Welcome played on the harp; Look into the World

was sung by the Combined School Choirs; then there was

congregational singing for Praise my Soul, the King of Heaven; the

solo singing of How Beautiful are the feet of them that preach the

Gospel of Peace; another solo His eye is on the Sparrow; the

combined choirs sang You lift me up. We all sang Be Thou my vision

and, at the end, Hornpipe from Handel’s Water Music was played on

the harp. This was all interspersed by readings and prayers by two

bishops, Mary McAleese, the British Ambassador and others. As soon

as the service was over we were brought back to Mullaghmore to be

in place for our guests.

Prince Charles came by car to Mullaghmore and went straight to

Classiebawn Castle; this part was all on camera. They then drove

around The Head and saw the spot where the bomb exploded. The

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Royal couple were accompanied by Timothy Knatchbull, who was

rescued from the boat but whose twin brother had died in the tragedy.

It was an emotional and painful journey but also one filled with

forgiveness and healing.

We were all in place waiting for their arrival to Star of the Sea and it

was quite cold despite the fact the sun was shining. When the

motorcade arrived and stood at our gate there was great clapping and

flag waving. Prince Charles and the Duchess waved to the crowd.

David Muldowney, chairperson of the Board, and I then welcomed

“Their Royal Highnesses to Mullaghmore”, (used only once: after that

“Sir” and “Ma’am”). We chatted and moved to the Peace Garden. The

Prince was easy to talk to and asked about the centre and if we had a

Church. Having arrived at the garden we handed him over to Peter

McHugh who introduced him to Mullaghmore active group, and the

gardener, who did much of the preparations for the visit. Prince

Charles was presented with a picture of the Castle with Ben Bulben in

the background and his wife Camilla was presented with flowers.

They then met a group who worked in the castle; the Prince was in no

hurry and spoke individually with each one. A British war veteran

who lives in Cliffoney also met them.

It was time to move and off the entourage went to meet all those at the

barricades between our gate and Pier Head. The prince shook the

hands of welcome offered, and talked and joked with all. He went

down the slip-way for photos and then went into the Pier Head Hotel

to meet those who were invited there. The parents of Paul Maxwell

were there, the nurses and doctors from the hospital, the Coroner and

others who were closely involved with the rescue. The Garda

involved were also there as were the McHugh family. After about

twenty minutes the entourage reappeared they waved good bye and

off they went for Sligo Races where once again they were warmly

welcomed.

The visit was dignified, courteous, respectful and it passed off

peacefully much to the joy of all. Mullaghmore was once more on the

world stage but this time, unlike the past, healing, reconciliation and

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peace were the dominant themes. The hand of friendship was

extended by both sides: only time will tell how it will bear fruit.

Kathleen Rooney rsm

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All for Good Nothing For Myself

The beatification of Sister Irene Stefani “Nyaatha” in Nyeri County –

Kenya on the 23rd May 2015. Sr. Irene Stephanie was a simple Italian

girl who came to Kenya aged 24. How love and compassion set her

on road to sainthood. She was born on the 22nd August 1891 at Anfo

Italy. She was baptised the following day after her birth. Her profound

Christian family formed and helped her to grow strong in faith and in

all the Christian values. Since she was young she showed a serious

commitment in her Christian life through her charitable work for the

poor and the attentive study of catechism.

She met the Consolata Missionary Fathers and she felt called to be a

missionary and in June 1911 she joined the Consolata Sisters a newly

founded Congregation founded by Joseph Allamano. Sr. Irene arrived

in Kenya in January 1915 and she spent her life and all her energies to

make Jesus and his Gospel known to everybody in schools,villages

and homes. She never missed any chances of announcing the gospel

and to encourage the people to live it with faithfulness. This desire

burned in her. On the day of her first profession she wrote:-

“0 my Jesus if l had a thousand lives l would spend all of them for

you”.

Sr. Irene was then assigned in Gikondi in Nyeri where she would run

day and night in good and bad weather to visit the sick and those who

needed her help. It has been said that it was the love of God that drove

her to do what she did and the cause of her death, not the plague she

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got from a dying person, but it was her unconditional love. She died

in 1930 at the age of 39. Love has killed her were the first words of

the Kenyans. In Nyeri she is remembered as secretary of the poor,

angel of charity and mother full of mercy.

The beatification ceremony was a three day event where the Catholic

Church in Kenya came to witness the event and honour a humble

woman of mercy. The event is the first of its kind to take place on the

African Continent.

0n the first day, the faithful were engaged in the vigil Mass at Our

Lady of Providence Catholic Church in Mukurweini at 3pm. This

event was filled with testimonies of people who lived with Sr. Irene

and surprisingly many of them who were never schooled sung her

praises and they remembered Italian songs learnt from her.

Day two was the beatification ceremony of venerable Sr. Irene Stefani

Nyaatha at Dedan Kimathi University of Science and Technology.

This day attended by many from around the world with Kenyan

dignitaries not left behind. The Mass led by Cardinal John Njue who

said "God has given us the opportunity to cherish the beauty of a

united nation".

The Popes decree of beatification was read by Cardinal Polycarp

Pengo and Sr.Irene was declared blessed at 10.30am Kenyan time this

touched ululations and applause from the thousands who graced the

historic event. It was then a new canvas was unveiled after Sr. Irene

was declared blessed. Cardinal John Njue also said let blessed Irene’s

event be a unifying moment for all Kenyans. President Uhuru and his

deputy Willium Ruto who also graced the ceremony lauded the

Catholic Church for its support and cooperation in uplifting health

and education throughout the country. They then went to unveil a

commemorative plague of Sr. Irene in Nyeri town.

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On the third day the relics of Sr.Irene Stefani were taken from

Mathari Church to St Mary’s School where a thanksgiving Mass was

held which was full of Sr. Irenes praises. The celebrations happened

on Pentecost Sunday - what a coincidence and a blessing and then

proceeded to the Cathedral in Nyeri. The procession of the faithful

walked seven kilometres, a walk accompanied by prayers and praises.

Irene was really a great woman it went without saying. The relics

were then placed in a new tomb which will be point of reference as a

shrine in future years. A woman who lived a life which spoke a lot is

now declared blessed Sr. Irene Stefani a person to emulate.

Compiled by Sr Celestine Muli

Kenyan Province

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A figure from the past with wisdom for the present: John Scottus

Eriugena for today

Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change is to be very much

welcomed. It is a first from the heart of the Vatican at this level.

It’s also another step in highlighting the global and indeed devastating

impact of environmental degradation on the world’s poorest peoples

and on the ever accelerating rate of habitat destruction and species

extinction. Climate change is happening now, with future

consequences set to worsen. Perhaps the issuing of such an encyclical

is an indication of the seriousness of the situation and our sense of

helplessness in the face of a very uncertain future. Those who know

the reality of what the data on global warming is saying—scientists—

are themselves very fearful of what lies ahead, and that in itself

should be a sobering thought for us all.

More than ever before deep wisdom is called for today. Much of that

wisdom is to be found in the world’s religious traditions including

Christianity. Some of it has an uncanny resemblance to the insights

coming to us from contemporary scientific understandings of our

universe. One place where such wisdom can be found is the Celtic

tradition—with its mystical overtones— particularly because this

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tradition has always had a strong focus on creation and saw the

human person belonging within that larger context.

While some literature on Celtic spirituality tends to be overly

romantic with a nostalgic longing for a past that never actually

existed, much of it offers well grounded and enduring insights. Two

interwoven ideas relevant in today’s climate context are:

A sense of the divine among us on earth—not just in the book of

scripture— but also in the book of nature.

An awareness of the goodness of creation—which is a deeply

biblical idea.

A Celtic Mystic

There are many voices that speak from that tradition but one I have

had the opportunity to explore in recent times is that of the ninth

century John Scottus Eriugena—whose somewhat convoluted name

simply means ‘John the Irishman from Ireland’!

While Eriugena never mentioned Ireland in his writings or indicated

where in Ireland he was born, the Celtic spirit is to be found in his

work and he has been described by some as the last great Celtic

mystic. We know that he went to Europe as part of the wanderings —

the Irish peregrinatio—that many educated young Irish men of his

time did. He may have wanted to get away from Viking raids here in

Ireland or simply to find work as a teacher and writer on the

continent. In the ninth century a strong Irish presence could be found

at the royal court on the continent involved in teaching and writing

activities. Many of these would have been clerics so it is interesting to

note, and indeed testimony to the ability of this man, that he appears

not to have been a cleric. This gave him a certain freedom from

censure and a freedom to express his ideas.

He sought links with his inherited Celtic spirit through engaging with

texts from the Greek East. In particular he translated into Latin the

mystical writings of an obscure Greek writer known as pseudo-

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Dionysius. In that way he has been seen as a bridge-builder—a great

synthesiser— between the Greek East and Latin West—in a time

when both were growing more and more apart. He brought the softer,

richer, more dynamic approach of the Greek back into conversation

with the more static Latin tradition. All of this is to be found in his

original writings.

God and Creation—Emphasising Unity

Eriugena’s whole focus is to try to speak of God but as he does so we

realise he is also speaking of creation. Any kind of complete

separation of creator and creature is not found in his writings. He is

concerned to emphasise the unity or oneness of everything, and by

emphasising this he presents a very immanent sense of the divine. He

tells us that “We ought not to understand God and the creature as two

things distinct from one another, but as one and the same. For the

creature, by subsisting, is in God; and God, by manifesting himself, in

a marvellous manner creates himself in the creature, the invisible

making itself visible….” (Periphyseon 678CD)

Interestingly he uses the Latin term natura —a translation of the very

dynamic Greek term phusis—to express his sense of the Whole. We

translate this term as nature. Unfortunately, in recent times nature is

often understood as being nothing other than a resource for human

use—raw materials for our consumer culture. However, looking at

Eriugena’s understanding can help us recover some of the depth and

richness attached to this very ancient concept.

It also dovetails with what contemporary science suggests about the

nature of everything —that there is more to it than meets the eye.

Physics talks of the nature of reality as both matter and energy. We

think of body and spirit. We think of a depth dimension to all things.

Thomas Berry would say that all reality has both physical/material

and psychic/spiritual dimensions.

His writings therefore offer an image of God-in-creation —the infinite

in the finite—a kind of numinosity at the heart of reality, at the heart

of the world, while also maintaining the absolute mystery that is

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God.This was quite an achievement at a time in continental Europe

when the world was largely seen as a sinful place, when human

failing rather than human goodness got more focus, and when God

was very firmly fixed in the heavens.

All is Theophany Eriugena pushes language to its limit in order to express what reality

is for him— the totality of all things that are accessible and that are

beyond expression. God and creation is what concerns him but we are

not to think of them as separate and static. What he offers instead is a

dynamic sense of existence as emanating from and returning to the

One. Creation is of God —ex Deo—rather than by God —de Deo. It

is understood to be God’s self-expression.

As God radiates outwards from the darkness of mystery God self-

creates and expresses that self in and through creation. God manifests

Godself in an infinite series of what Eriugena calls theophanies. This

is what creation is—the self-manifestation of God. Again in line with

much contemporary thinking on reality what is emphasised here is the

inter-relatedness of all things. While all things do not come into

visible existence at once, the source is the same—the light of the first

day, to use a phrase from John Phillip Newell.

Eriugena uses a lovely phrase here: all created things are hidden in

‘the secret folds of nature’, waiting for their time to come. One gets

the impression of how contemporary understanding sees this: A great

flaring forth at the beginning time enfolding the potential for all that

would ever be.

Creation as the manifestation of the divine

Turning then to the second aspect of Celtic thought — the goodness

of creation—we can say for Eriugena creation’s role is to manifest the

divine. Here are two important things. Firstly, all things are the self-

expression God. If that is the case, and if God is understood to be

goodness itself, then all creation is essentially good. All is sacred.

Secondly, emphasising creation’s role gives to creation a very active

and dynamic sense contrary to the more usual idea—found in

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mainstream theology— of creation being passive and dependent on a

remote and all powerful deity.

I like to dwell on the idea of all things manifesting the divine since I

think it is a way in which we can redefine activity or work today and

see again what the true role of all creatures actually is. It is surely to

manifest the divine. It is not just human beings but all created

beings— each according to its kind— who have the role of

manifesting the mystery we call God. To re-interpret one of Thomas

Berry’s phrases, this has been, and always will be, the Great Work—

the Great Work of all Creation.

In a sense all we humans have to do is recognise this fact and is this

not what true spirituality is about? To my mind this is a key aspect of

the human vocation and today it takes on a particular urgency.

These are just a few thoughts from this fascinating yet little known

figure from our past. Eriugena’s ending, like his beginning, is

shrouded in obscurity. Some claim he went to Malmesbury in

England where his students are supposed to have stabbed him to death

with their writing quills. Other say he died somewhere on the

continent Whatever the truth the fact that his writings have survived

down the centuries and endured church censure is testimony to his

importance and his relevance for our time.

Margaret Twomey rsm

Southern Province

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Website of the Month

Catholic Climate Covenant is the Catholic Church's Voice on Climate

Change. Their purpose is to “bring Catholic people and institutions

together to care for the people God loves and to live justly on God’s

Earth". This organisation runs many initiatives including:

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-hosting campus and community events

-raising Catholic values on climate change through sharing news

stories

-sending letters to lawmakers on behalf of members in support of

national limits on carbon

-helping to create teams to reduce parish’s carbon footprint and live

more justly on Earth

It’s a very informative website and you can listen to Pope Francis’s

encyclical on ecology and climate change. You can also find some

excellent quotations from the Pope's encyclical which exemplifies

Catholic teaching on climate change.

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Just a Thought

"When all is said and done, the only change that will make a

difference is the transformation of the human heart". --Peter Senge

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Events and Activities

Ruth Kilcullen @ Youth Symposium

Ruth Kilcullen -MECPATHS Campaign Manager, recently gave a

presentation at the Youth Symposium against Prostitution and Human

Trafficking. This took place in Rome in Nov 2014. Read Ruth's report

on the Symposium or watch the video of her presentation.

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Mercy Enews on 22nd July 2015 Please note an important article in the Mercy E-News on 22nd July

2015 regarding The Mercy International Reflection Process.

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Places Available on Bagott Street Programme

Some places are still available on the following programmes:

Mercy - the wildness of Divine Love

Led by Mary Trainer rsm

26th July to 1st August 2015

"What had God in mind...?"

(C. McAuley)

Led by Áine Barrins rsm

23rd August to 29th August 2015

Visions of Mercy

led by Mary Wickham rsm

20th September to 26th September 2015

To book call 01 6618061 or you can e-mail

bookings@mercyinternational.ie

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Family Fun Day of Celebration

For those in Consecrated Life and their Families. On Saturday 11 July

between 2pm-5pm, enjoy an afternoon of Celebration and

Entertainment.

Family fun activities including;

Live Music and Spot Prizes

Bouncing Castles and Children’s Entertainment

Bring your own picnic!

Join us for the Celebratory Evening Prayer in the Abbey Church at

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4.30pm.

All taking place on the grounds of Mount St Joseph Abbey, Roscrea

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Celine Byrne’s concert in aid of APT To Celebrate APT's (Act to Prevent Trafficking) 10th Anniversary,

Celine Byrne and friends will perform at the Pavillion Theatre in

Dublin on 7th October, 2015.

Tickets are on sale now and you can buy them by clicking here.

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Young Mercy Leaders Pilgrimage -14th -17th July Young Mercy Leader Pilgrimage is taking place at Mercy

International Baggot Street in Dublin and at St. Conleths School.

Contact Mercy International for more information on 01 6618061.

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Quotes from the Pope’s Encyclical

Living More Sustainably Along with the importance of little everyday gestures, social love

moves us to devise

larger strategies to halt environmental degradation and to encourage a

“culture of

care” which permeates all of society. (231)

The Faith Perspective Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and

sisters on a

wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each

of his creatures

and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister

moon, brother river

and mother earth. (92)

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Climate change The warming caused by huge consumption on the part of some rich

countries has

repercussions on the poorest areas of the world, especially Africa,

where a rise in

temperature, together with drought, has proved devastating for

farming. (51)

Future Generations

Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it

needs for

subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure

its fruitfulness

for coming generations. (67)

Obituaries

7th June 2015 Sr. Genevieve Foley

Convent Of Mercy,

Ballina,

Co Mayo.

8th June 2015 Sr. Enda Donovan

Millbury Nursing Home,

Navan.

28th June 2015 Sr Elizabeth Holloway

Dun Mhuire,

Lyster Street ,

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Athlone.

May they rest in peace.