Archived News Item
Tenth Anniversary of the Formation of the Institute
May 12, 2021
December 12, 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the formation of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea.
To commemorate this milestone activities were devised in two main areas – Commemorative and Liturgy – overseen by a committee for each.
Commemorative Committee
Margaret Scroope RSM (Convenor), Annette Schneider RSM, Cheryl Camp RSM, Cynthia Griffith RSM
Liturgy Committee
Sue Smith RSM (Convenor), Kerry Willison RSM, Theresia Tina RSM, Tricia Johnson RSM
Reflection One – ‘The ISMAPNG Journey’ (26 February 2021)
This reflection focuses on the ISMAPNG journey.
Click here for the booklet
Liturgy One – Gratitude (12 March 2021)
You are invited into a year of prayerful celebration and reflection as we celebrate 10 years within the Institute. There will be a number of liturgical reflections throughout the year centred around three themes: Gratitude; Simplicity; and Inclusion. These reflections are to be used as a guide either with others or on your own in your own sacred space. This reflection is on Gratitude.
Click here for the booklet
Introduction
Liturgy One Reflection – Gratitude
Reflection Two – Identity (26 March 2021)
This reflection is a short ‘photo gallery’ of some of our sisters in their places of living and ministering, continuing to be ‘the shining lamps’ that Catherine first ignited almost two hundred years ago.
Reflection Three – Personal Path of Mercy (23 April 2021)
This month we welcomed Sally Bradley RSM and Theresia Tina RSM to share a conversation about their personal Mercy journey as members of the first Institute Leadership.
Liturgy Two – Simplicity (7 May 2021)
You are invited into this time of prayerful celebration and reflection as we continue to celebrate 10 years within the Institute. This reflection is centred on the theme of Simplicity.
Click here for the booklet.
Reflection Four – ‘Our Way of Living: Communio’ (May 24 2021)
This month we welcomed the voices of some of our younger members – Elizabeth Young, Duyen Nguyen, Philomena Waira and Emma Llewellyn. They have collaborated in a unique and colourful way to invite our reflections on some of their inclusive experiences in our emerging Mercy way of life – our Communio. These young Mercy women write and use technology with an honest, joyful energy about both their challenges and adaptations in the face of change. Emma’s lively bitmojis enhance their questions which invite our reflection on the richness of the diversity we have within our Institute.
Click here to access the reflection
Reflection Five – The Challenge of Engaging in Change for Growth (June 21 2021)
Initially, our focus was to hear from our own Sisters and what value there has been in that! Over the next three months, we have invited reflections from outside our Institute from religious women and men whose Congregations are also being challenged in this time of change. For late June, Sister Maryanne Confoy, a Sister of Charity, well known for her academic roles and pastoral activities has prepared a video presentation entitled – ‘The Challenge of Engaging in Change for Growth / Salense Bilong Wantaim Long Taim Bilong Sensis Long Gro’. This presentation is thorough and lengthy, prepared in four parts so probably best reflected upon in sections. At the end Maryanne has provided some poems as a postscript to further develop her themes imaginatively.
Sisters of the Institute were invited to participate in a Q and A session with Maryanne Confoy RSM
Liturgy Three : Inclusion (12 July 2021)
This time we celebrate the theme of ‘Inclusion’, which is the third pillar of the theme for this year ‘Gratitude Simplicity Inclusion’. We are united in diversity with all the earth community, with our fellow humans and each other. This reflection can be used as a guide, with others in a group reflection or, in your own sacred space.
Click here for the booklet version
Reflection Six – “Leadership in Religious Life as it evolves – Lidasip long Riligius Laip olsem em I kamap.” – Patty Fawkner SGS (July 2021)
Click here for the text version
Reflection Seven – Imagining Our Future: Growth or Maintenance – Pikisarim behain bilong yumi – groim o stretim?” – Philip Pinto CFC (August 2021)
Click here for a text version
Mercy Day Liturgy 2021
“May God preserve and bless you and grant you all the graces and precious gifts reserved for this holy season.”
Letter to Frances Warde December 23, 1837
This month we continue our prayerful reflection during the 10th Anniversary year, as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy. In living the Gospel call to be a Mercy presence, we face the hard questions of personal and social conversion to which we are all called. Let us be united in diversity with each other as sisters, partners and associates, linked to the Mercy world.
Click here for the booklet version.
Reflection Eight: Sustaining our Ministries into the Future; ‘Lukautim ol Ministries bilong yumi long Bihain Taim’.
The committee is delighted to introduce six leaders of different Institute Ministries and we are sure that, as you listen to them, you will be well assured that the spirit of Catherine McAuley continues into our future as these faith-filled, mercy inspired leaders share with us how they are continuing to carry on the Institute’s call to follow Jesus Christ and take part in his mission of mercy (Constitutions 1.01). John Rochester puts two questions to each of the Leaders: What are the challenges in terms of sustaining the Institute’s ministries into the future? How are those challenges being addressed?
Reflection Nine – Who are we becoming by the grace of God? Yumi kamap wanem kain lain long grasia bilong God? (October 25 2021)
The October edition of the 10th Anniversary Commemorative series is entitled “Who are we becoming by the grace of God? – Yumi kamap wanem kain lain long grasia bilong God?” A familiar question, of course. The Committee is privileged to share with you a reflection on this question in a letter from none other than Venerable Catherine McAuley! Through the medium of this imagined letter, Sr. Caroline Ryan RSM responds to this question by reflecting on several realities which, over the past ten years, have been shaping our identity as ISMAPNG. Naming these realities may stimulate thoughts and feelings which help us sharpen insights into how the identity of our Institute might continue to evolve. ‘Catherine’ (Caroline) puts two sets of questions to us at the end of the letter to challenge us to name the past and imagine the future by exploring our evolving communal and personal identities. The committee is grateful to Caroline Ryan for her insights and to John Rochester and Cynthia Mulholland for bringing ‘Catherine’s’ letter to life.
Click here to read the letter from Catherine
Reflection Ten – Reflections at the Crossroads. Lukluk gen long ol namel rot (November 22 2021).
For the past ten months, the Commemorative Committee has offered reflections on significant aspects of our Institute and its mission. We have heard voices from within and without our Institute. The Committee’s intention has been to invite and encourage both personal and communal reflection on issues related to our past, the present and into our future. These reflections have been accompanied by inspirational and creative rituals for prayer which have captured and celebrated themes of Gratitude and our longing for Simplicity and Inclusion. November’s title ‘Reflection at the Crossroads, Lukluk gen long ol namel rot.’ suggests a pause, a consideration of possible directions, choices to be made and questions raised about how to move ‘beyond our present limited vision’. We have a guidebook in the Sacred Scriptures and some specific pathways for going forward in our Constitutions 6.10 in which our Mercy Call, Challenges and Responses are outlined. To explore and open up a deepened awareness of these three elements of our mission, the Committee has invited a number of our sisters and those with whom they share their lives and ministry, to contribute to a Collage celebrating our being and doing Mercy. The result is a colourful. inspirational and generous sharing of their gifts in poetry, art, music, memoir, photography and dance. Take time to enjoy!
Tenth Anniversary Liturgy of Thanksgiving (December 12 2021)