ASH WEDNESDAY AND THE SEASON OF LENT 2023 "We do not go into the desert to escape people, but to learn how to find them; we do not leave them in order to have nothing more to do with them, but how to find out how to do them the most good" (THOMAS MERTON) If we research the word Lent we will find that it means SPRINGTIME and a deeper meaning is the SPRINGTIME of our souls . The word also means lente ..slow or go slowly... slow down ...take deep breaths. The three great spiritual themes of Lent are PRAYER, FASTING and ALMSGIVING. We are encouraged by the Church to get involved in all three, but we must be aware of the warning of Jesus about practising our piety to get attention and to be noticed by people. Jesus is not against us sharing our insights on scripture with other people provided that it is for the Glory of God. PRAYER The Jews were encouraged to pray three times a day; that is morning, noon and evening and to do so where ever they found themselves at those times and in so doing stretch out their arms facing upwards and with bowed heads. That of course was not a permission to stop the traffic and pray on the street where everyone would see them. In fact, Jesus had something to say about that when warning people to pray in secret when others are out of sight and all is still and quiet. St Ignatius taught the spirituality of the PRESENT MOMENT to his followers. In other words, being aware of the presence of God in every moment of our lives. The story goes of an elderly man who sat in the church all day long and the parish priest was curious as to how he prayed for such long hours and on inquiring the man replies, "Father I say nothing He looks at me and I look at Him". FASTING Fasting is an important part of our Christian tradition and is a sign of repentance. However, it is not linked to the current Weightwatchers Programme. Again, we are reminded by Jesus that it is not a reason for looking haggard or miserable so that people will think that we are very virtuous. In this current financial situation where families often struggle to put food on the table maybe we can look to other methods of fasting. There is no virtue in eating a meagre supper and then spending the evening criticizing other people. It is more in keeping with repentance to eat our food with gratitude and while doing so speak well of our neighbour and refrain from any animosity we may have towards them. ALMSGIVING According to the teaching of Jesus "our left hand should not know what our right hand is doing". With daily news bulletins we are very aware of the food shortages in our world and the serious situations affecting the lives of millions of people. Here I am reminded of something that always touched and challenged me when I worked in Nairobi. Every day small boys as young as five years always filled their trouser pockets with food they saved from their school dinner with the intention of taking it home to a younger brother or sister. Here in the First World, we live in a culture of waste, a situation remote from the youngest child in the Developing World. A maxim of Catherine McCauley also comes to mind. “GOD KNOWS THAT I WOULD RATHER BE COLD AND HUNGRY THAN THAT THE POOR SHOULD BE DEPRIVED OF ANY CONSOLATION IN MY POWER TO GIVE THEM". We might not be able to give money to every appeal but we can always give a smile, a listening ear a word of love and compassion to all those who cross our path in the course of the day. Those we meet are not always starving for food, but many are starving for the KIND WORD AND THE PATIENT HEARING OF SORROWS. As we receive the ashes on 22nd February let us take to heart the words REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL. Deep down each one of us knows how we can fulfil the precepts of Lent.... PRAYER, FASTING AND ALMSGIVING. Peace be with you and know that you are held in Prayer Sr. Assumpta

Though I pass through a gloomy valley I fear no harm, Beside me your rod and your staff Are there to hearten me. Psalm 25 February is a month of Feasts related to the heart like Valentine's Day with many "I LOVE YOU" messages marked and symbolised by little red hearts. It is also a month of COURAGE. The winter is gradually disappearing, and one wakes up to more light in the sky. Courage is a wonderful gift of the human spirit, and we are all aware of people known to us who display this gift in an admirable manner. We all know people who have the confidence to face the winter in their daily lives. Until we are put to the test, we do not know what we are capable of. We can all think of people who display remarkable courage in the daily effort of caring for a handicapped or retarded child or the struggle to make ends meet in these current financial difficulties. In the privileged ministry of a Hospital Chaplain, I am so often humbled by the presence of people who travel long distances to get challenging cancer treatment without a complaint. Courage does not mean grinning and bearing it as though it was an endurance test. Courage means relying on the presence of God in our daily lives believing that we are in His Hands and that He loves and cares for us no matter the circumstances. Courage means never giving up but believing in the Divine Power that is deep within our inner spirit. Courage is not something that we learn from a textbook but is a virtue we grow into from the opportunities of our daily lives. Courage enables us to accept what cannot be changed and to work at what needs to be changed. Everything takes time and the saying goes ‘ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY’. Until the day we die we will be dealing with unfinished business in our daily lives. Failure is not a sin, but it gives us the opportunity to take a long look at ourselves and not to be afraid of taking a risk while always relying on the Providence of God to support us all the day long. When I lived in Rome and again in Nairobi, I had two very near death experiences both were terrorists attacks The event in Rome was at Fiumicino Airport at the El Al Desk. In Nairobi it was an attack from Al Shibab; a terrorist organization who attacked the car I was in with another Sister. By nature, I would not claim to be a very courageous person, but I remember very clearly on both occasions a strong sense of the presence of God and an overwhelming inner peace that God was near so I should have no fear. That is amazing because I would normally run out of a room if I saw a mouse For me it was proof that Courage is a God given gift and it is there for us to claim when the going is uncertain, and God is the only One we can rely on. In my ministry I know people who have huge family troubles but through the power of Prayer they have the courage to get up every morning and face the day putting their hand into the Hand of God. During this month of February let us look into our daily lives and if possible, set aside some short time for solitude to become aware of the presence of God in our lives and acknowledge that people are more important than material things. IF YOU MEET SOMEONE DURING THE DAY WHO DOES NOT HAVE A SMILE GIVE HIM/HER YOURS. It is in God alone we get our strength and that comes to us very often through the encouragement and kindness of other human beings. God makes His will known to us through other people. ST BRIDGET - The Feast of St Bridget of Ireland is celebrated on the 1st of February; little is known about her. Bridget was the child of a Noble Father and a Slave Mother. Her father sold her and her mother to a Druid whom Bridget converted to Christianity. Later she was reconciled with her father who tried to marry her off, but she resisted and became a nun.

In late October, West Croyden Mercy Associates, led by Florence Baptist, held a Fundraising event for the Aid to the Church in Need for which they received these kind words... Dear Mercy Associates, West Croydon On behalf of everyone at Aid to the Church in Need and our suffering brothers and sisters, we want to offer our heartfelt thanks to you for your generous donation of £114.45 for Nigeria, Pakistan and Iraq. Please can you confirm whehter this donaton was in response to the event we had at St Mary's, West Croydon on 20th October? The kindness of benefactors enables us to support the faithful wherever they are persecuted or in need. Every year we respond to more than 5,000 requests for aid in around 140 countries, including emergency help for those fleeing persecution. The communities that we will help with your donation often feel forgotten by the wider world, so the support and prayers of your parish mean a great deal, giving them courage and strength for the future. The money that we raise goes to Bishops, Priests and religious Sisters and Brothers who are involved in projects helping thousands of people who are in desperate need. This includes providing them with food, water, shelter, and spiritual support. Thank you again and please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information. Your Sincerely, Jerry Lohan Community Fundraiser for the Archdiocese of Southwark and the Dioceses of Arundel & Brighton and Portsmouth. Aid to the Church in Need United Kingdom Community Outreach Office 712 - 714 Benhill Avenue Sutton Surrey SM1 4DA if you think your Mercy Associate Group could help Aid to the Church in Need, then you'll find more information here... https://acnuk.org Editors Note - The Image used above depicts Christian refugees in the Middle East and is taken from the Aid to the Church in Need website. All acknowledgement is given relating to copyright (© Aid to the Church in Need)

"I Would Rather Be Cold And Hungry Than That God's Poor Be Deprived Of Any Consolation In My Power To Help Them" C. McAuley The above words of our Venerable Foundress, Catherine McAuley, is a challenge to us to reflect on how we can reach out to those in need as we face uncertain times in our current political situation at home and abroad. In November and December, we celebrate important events in the life of the Mercy World, therefore I thought it a good opportunity to remember some of those occasions. In doing so it is vital to reflect on the life of Catherine. Catherine was a woman who believed she could make a difference when she became aware of the poor as she drove around Dublin in her carriage. As soon as she laid to rest her adoptive parents Mr and Mrs O' Callaghan , who had bequeathed to her a huge legacy, she set about addressing the needs of women "in service" who were often exploited by the man of the house. Catherine exercised thucharism of Mercy by being open, welcoming, supportive and encouraging of others. She was a woman who showed great humanity ,was very flexible and adaptable and always encouraged others to use their God given gifts to alleviate the needs of the poor. In the early days of the Congregation Catherine showed her ability to recognise the potential in others by regularly appointing very young Sisters to be the Community Leader in the different houses she opened all around Ireland. However, she did not believe in pushing people beyond their limits and gave good advice in the following words "Let Us Take One Day In Hand At A Time, By Making A Resolve For Tomorrow, Thus We May Hope To Take Small Careful Steps Not Great Strides" Catherine saw no virtue in poverty. Anything that addressed human dignity was worthy of her attention .She had a huge love and concern for people and her faith convinced her that she encountered Christ in her interaction with every person in need. With her lively imagination she believed in an alternative society. Catherine's ministry to the poor, sick and underprivileged saw her take on hospital visitation together house to house visit especially to the sick poor. From the very beginning she put great importance on the education of children. She saw education as a tool for breaking the cycle of poverty. Her early Sisters without any concern for their own safety were proactive in visiting the Cholera Victims of Dublin of the 1830's. Catherine's amazing response to the needs of her day spread wide and far and it was not long before the Parish Priest of Bermondsey, Fr. Peter Butler, approached her to make a foundation to the then Dickensian parish. In order to ensure that matters would speed up Fr Butler sent two Ladies , Elizabeth Agnew and Maria Taylor to Ireland to be trained in the Mercy way of life. These two ladies had lived in East Street and were active in supporting Fr Peter Butler in his ministry which at that time was mainly to Irish families whose fathers’ found employment in the docks. Having given the best possible formation and instruction Catherine professed the two English Ladies on the 19th of August 1839. Thereafter she took them to visit the many Irish communities in Ireland so that they would have a broad experience of the Mercy Spirit of Hospitality. By November all was ready and on the 18th Catherine and her band of Sisters set sail from Dublin for Liverpool with "A book of songs for the journey”. They arrived in London by train late in the evening of the 19th November and walked down Tooley Street in the rain at 7.00pm. On arrival at the unfinished Pugin Convent they had tea and went to sleep in the one room that was ready. Catherine was known to have said "I Do Not Admire Mr Pugin's Taste Though He Is So Celebrated. He Was Determined That We Should Not Look Out Of The Windows, They Are Up To The Ceiling. We Could Not Touch The Glass Without Standing On A Chair" From the experience gathered at Bermondsey, Catherine was able to arrange for a less expensive and a more durable Convent for Birmingham. The time spent in the cold damp Bermondsey Convent had serious effects on Catherine's health and it is said that she developed a cough that stayed with her until death. Catherine stayed with the new Bermondsey Community for two months and appointed Mother Clare Moore as the Community Leader. In the locality the Sisters were known as THE WALKING NUNS since they were the first Nuns to walk the King's Highway following the Reformation. Mercy Ministry began immediately as the Sisters were graciously welcomed and they began Visitation Of Guys and St Thomas Hospitals as well as visitation of the Dockland slums with necessary items to relieve the poverty and suffering of its inhabitants. It is said that the Sisters walked the streets with loaves of bread up their huge sleeves to give necessary sustenance to children who watched their father die on a settle bed following an accident in the docks. The annals of the early days at Bermondsey make sober reading. As I look back on our history with its joys, sorrows and tribulations I have a heart filled with gratitude for the Sisters who have gone before us over the past 183 years. Those who lay in bed on 2/3/1945 as the Convent was bombed around them and thereafter had the courage to return and build again to keep Mercy alive in Bermondsey. "We rise again from ashes From the good we've failed to do We rise again from ashes To create ourselves anew If all our world is ashes Then must our lives be true An offering of ashes. An offering for you" Tom Conroy

STECHFORD ASSOCIATES’ CELEBRATION OF SISTER MAURA HALPIN’S DIAMOND JUBILEE OF RELIGIOUS PROFESSION Sunday 30 October 2022 It was a joy for us to honour Sister Maura Halpin who marked her Diamond Jubilee of Religious Profession on 17 September this year. 20 Associates gathered at Corpus Christi Parish, Stechford with Sister Maura, Sister Maureen Murphy, Sister Teresa Paschal, our Carmelite honorary member and Chris Worrall, husband of Associate Alison. From 1pm that day, unbeknown to Sister Maura, the room was being readied with a lovely Mercy Prayer focus on which stood her own Candle and the Mercy Cross. A beautiful rose lay on each person’s chair… After Sister arrived, Alison led us in the prayer she had specially prepared and during the playing of the cd track ‘Symphony of Worship’, she invited each of us to place our rose in one of the two vases on the prayer table. There were 37 roses representing every member of our Group since 1997, including our deceased Mercy friends RIP. Following our shared reflections, Sister Maura was presented with a well - kept secret surprise gift from all the Associates. Her face was a joy to behold when she realised she was being gifted with the opportunity to experience a Helicopter ride within the next year! Our gathering concluded with tea, cakes and drinks provided by the Sisters and a delicious Jubilee cake made by Alison on our behalf and decorated with a ‘diamond’ 60. We thank God for such a happy occasion and wish Sister Maura health and peace in the years ahead.

The 29th of June was a truly wonderful day in Coolock as no less than 8 new Associates were received into the Group. We welcome... Christine Jamieson-Harvey Regina Gibson Sue Sammons Irene Dodd Mavis Anne Dodds Jean Elsby Jonathan Fair Brian Barnett

Here we take a look back at some of the things the Mercy Associates were getting up to in March 2003...

Maryland, St Albans, Mercy Associates May 2022 Nine of our group met on Wednesday 18th May and we were privileged to have both Sister Maura and Sister Maureen with us. Three of our Associates were not able to join us but we kept them, and all other Associates now in care homes or too unwell to attend, in our thoughts and prayers. This was our third meeting since Covid restrictions were eased. In October 2021 Sr. Maura helped us to reflect on what the pandemic had meant for each of us individually. We all found it very helpful to share our experiences in this way. The following meeting in March 2022 was affected by Covid and other factors meaning that only three Associates were able to get together but we spent the time in reflection and prayer. On 18th May we all renewed our commitment as Mercy Associates and both Sisters renewed their vows. Sr Maureen led us in a beautiful reflection on Venerable Catherine McAuley and the Heart of Jesus which linked to the April prayer leaflet. As Associates, we continue to keep in touch with one another through the distribution of the monthly prayer leaflet which we receive with great gratitude and by passing on the Mercy E News. We are also blessed to have a Mercy noticeboard in our parish centre to act as a focal point and where we can post the prayer and other leaflets/information for ourselves and other members of the church community. Our different ministries in the church and wider community have had to change with Covid and the lockdowns but we are still finding ways of serving others. Prayers are still said for the Sisters who were with us when Maryland was in existence. One of our Associates has obtained permission from the author (a parishioner) to publish his booklet, written some years ago, about the Sisters of Mercy in St Albans. We continue to be blessed with the support Sr Maura gives us – by coming to lead our meetings and keeping in touch with us in other ways too. We will all look forward to our next meeting and would hope to perhaps meet up, in the future, with Mercy Associates from other areas. Cath White, Mercy Associate

One of my favourite Gospel readings during the Easter Season is to be found in St Luke Chapter 24 which relates the story of the Disciples on the road to Emmaus. On reading that story I imagine that I am at the scene and that, I too, encounter Jesus. I imagine that there are two men walking ahead of me and they are talking very excitedly giving the impression that they are agitated. I follow at a distance and eves-drop on their conversation. They are sharing about Jesus and how badly he was treated and eventually crucified. They had been in His company for several years and expected a great future as His companions. Now it has all ended in failure for them and they are running away. I hear them say to each other “we have no place in Jerusalem anymore; the man we trusted is dead; what an end for him and for us when we had great hopes of making a better life for ourselves. By association with him we are wanted people”. I could hear them talking about the silly women who made up exaggerated stories about seeing an angel at the tomb and that the stone was rolled away. They also commented that Mary Magdalen was one of the women and wondered why anyone would believe her. As they hasten along the road a tall man joins the two disciples and he must be a complete stranger as he knows nothing about the recent tragedies. Suddenly, the stranger looks at me and invites me to join him and to keep instep as we listen to the news being re-laid by the two runaway disciples. Immediately I recognise that this tall man is indeed Jesus because he is explaining the scriptures. I listen carefully as he explains that the Messiah had to suffer all these things before returning to the Father. As Jesus continues to talk the two disciples get very excited and have a complete change of heart realizing that Mary Magdalen and the other women were indeed telling the truth. The big question is where is Peter in all of this, following his cowardly act of denial when Jesus was arrested. Suddenly I feel Jesus looking at me asking me to tell him a little about my life. I feel Him listening respectfully as I tell Him about my joys , struggles and fears . Jesus sits down on the road to make it easier for me to keep talking. Now I have the confidence sitting beside Him to tell Him my name and about the family I grew up in and the challenges I have overcome in my life etc. I find it so easy to talk to Jesus as he reaches out to tell me it is all right to be who I am and that He is always ready to listen and that He will never judge me. He assured me that He is at every corner of the road guiding me along. He tells me that He saw me from the Cross and carried my pain that day. He tells me that He is now Risen and that I must never run away no matter how difficult my circumstances might be. I feel a great peace in my heart and all the struggles have gone like a shot. I feel a new courage and strength to stay right beside Jesus who has overcome suffering and death . I feel Jesus smiling at me as He says “well done and never give up and remember when you hear the priest saying at mass ‘take this all of you’ I am talking personally to you and calling you by name”. Suddenly it is getting dark and the two disciples who have now become very strong invited me and the strange man (Jesus) to eat with them. I feel safe and excited as I sit at a simple table and watch Jesus take the bread and bless it and pass it around. The two disciples call out in amazement “Master surely you are the son of God?”, Jesus gently smiles and gets up from the table and as he does so He looks around and says, “don’t forget my promise; I am always there for you”. The two disciples are so full of courage that they forget their fear and rush out the door to go back to Jerusalem to tell everyone the good news. I remain very still and take time to thank Jesus for the conversation and for spending time with me following His Resurrection and giving me the opportunity to confide in Him about the joys and sorrows of my life. CHRIST HAS DIED; CHRIST IS RISEN; CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN Sr Assumpta Walsh 18/4/2022

Today, the Mercy Associates in Coolock, Newcastle under Lyme met for their regular monthly meeting, this time with the emphasis centred on a prayer for peace and an end to the war in Ukraine. A moving and thoughful time was had by all finishing off, as tradition dictates, with a cup of tea and to celebrate the birthday of long standing Mercy Associate, Dave Hammersley, a slice of cake too. A Prayer for Ukraine Loving God, We pray for the people of Ukraine, for all those suffering or afraid, that you will be close to them and protect them. We pray for world leaders, for compassion, strength and wisdom, to guide their choices. We pray for the world that in this moment of crisis, we may reach out in solidarity to our brothers and sisters in need. May we walk in your ways so that peace and justice become a reality for the people of Ukraine and for all the world. Amen

On the 20th April Ann Mottershead visited Coolock with plans to start the Oldham Associates meeting again. During Covid restrictions the group kept in contact by telephone and when their church opened many of them got together having missed their regular prayer meetings and with the grace of God, they now have a date to start meeting again - Monday 6th June. Sister Betty and Sister Bridie have been invited to attend the meeting and they hope to have some new members as the group have lost some recently with some moving away and sadly some passing away. Oldham Associates has always been a strong group being one of the first groups started by Sister Catherine Helen. Since the Convent at Oldham closed the group have been meeting at Corpus Christi Church and it is their hope to continue doing this with the permission of their parish priest.

Mary Receives the Body of Jesus The death of Jesus was horrendous and beyond anything imaginable. In the PIETA we have a picture of Jesus at the foot of the Cross laid in the arms of His mother. Thirty three years earlier, Mary held a beautiful warm baby boy in her arms albeit in a rough stable with an ox and ass as companions. Little did Mary think then, that one day the same beautiful baby, would, as an adult with a torn and mangled body need to be cradled in the same arms. The scene on Calvary was different from the stable at Bethlehem; St Joseph and the animals were not present instead at a distance there was a crowd some curious and some in prayerful silence. Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though in secret, because of his fear of the Jews had asked Pilate for the body as the Sabbath was very near. Mary like any mother would do, wept tears of desolation and anguish as she gazed on the mutilated body of her Son. She kissed his blood stained and bruised face as she recalled happy memories of former days when Jesus took His first steps and ate his first spoonful of solid food. She will also have recalled the day he got lost and was eventually found in the Temple preaching as a young teenager to confused listeners. Maybe he also had good and bad days as a helper to Joseph the carpenter. According to tradition Jesus gave Mary a strange answer at the Marriage Feast when she said “they have no wine”. He was always a puzzle to her but nothing could have prepared her for meeting Him carrying the Cross and now finally His dead body in her arms. If He had not been so vocal about social issues and He did not heal on the Sabbath things might have turned out differently. The life of every human being is one of pain, struggle and hard times and for Mary hers was no different. If we look at how Michelangelo has expressed Mary’s suffering in the Pieta we get a vision of her pain and amazing strength with immense love shown in her face and posture…her wide broad shoulders…her generous lap and her huge sensitive eyes. The Pieta is a powerful lesson on how much love there is in suffering. Let us give a little time to reflect on the pain in our world and indeed our own personal pain and see if we can embrace it with the compassionate eyes of Mary. Each day the story of our broken world comes into our siting room through the media. Are we, like Mary able to gather the pain, isolation, rejection and desolation of so many human beings. A few days ago the BBC showed a clip of rows and rows of small babies in a bunker, who are now orphans and victims of the war in Ukraine. Who will be there to tell them stories of their parents and families whom they will never know. The plight of those babies is too challenging for comfort. Those little babies represent the isolation of millions of people who have to flee the security of home and find refuge in unfamiliar places away from their own language and culture. Does Mary in the Pieta offer us any insight into how we might understand and embrace the suffering of the world today. Yes, it does have a powerful meaning because when we open our hearts in compassion to all whose story we know or those who lean on us for strength and courage we are another Mary holding the mangled body of Jesus covered in blood. I remember finding three young homeless girls with little clothing on the side of the road in Nairobi. Through the grace of God we were able to assist them and educate them into a secure future. The eldest was seen through education to third level and beyond by an Irish family whose son came out to help with IT. The same family had relatives in Washington who knew President Obama, who in turn gave her a job in the White House from 2009 to 2010. Thereafter she returned to Nairobi to work in the Judiciary. From the street in Nairobi to the White House and back to the Judiciary. God’s ways are mysterious! We are all called to be there to enable someone to carry the Cross We just have to be alert and see the world with eyes of compassion. Maybe we need to reflect for a moment and give thanks for the times when we were like Joseph of Arimathea and allowed another person to place his/her burden on our shoulders. Mary you were there before me You opened wide your arms to receive the bruised body of your son Today I think of all the mothers, whose sons are long lost Ill and ravaged by disease or addiction of some kind Help me to draw inspiration from your broad shoulders And keep my heart open brimming over with compassion And courage to embrace the brokenness in life around me. Sr Assumpta 23/3/2022