After three months of online meetings and close collaboration, the MGA Women in Justice Leadership Task Force has come to an end. In commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, members of the Task Force were able to execute a 16-day social media campaign on Instagram (@miaglobalaction), as well as produce a rich publication titled ‘Gender-Based Violence Throughout the Lifecourse’. The publication examines the common forms of violence experienced at each stage of a woman’s life, from birth through to late adulthood, and puts forward a range of best practices from ministries across the Mercy World. Click the ‘read more’ button for Mercy Global Action’s latest newsletter and to access the publication.

In the vibrant heart of Western Sydney, a transformative mentorship program is quietly shaping the destinies of young Sudanese men and women. The program, formerly known as the Josephite Refugee Mentor Support Program (JRSMP), now proudly bears the name MPower and will be managed by Mercy Works in 2024. MPower serves as an inspiring framework for mentors and mentees, forging pathways to tertiary education and meaningful employment. Born out of the profound realisation that many young Sudanese were facing daunting challenges after leaving school, the program embodies the Sudanese community’s resolve to create a brighter future for their youth.

It’s hard to know what to expect when you embark on an extractivism pilgrimage. You enter into this journey prayerfully knowing that your life will be impacted. Our pilgrimage began with a visit to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. I was pleasantly surprised at the lush green grass and the beautiful lake, but later learned that the lake was highly contaminated. Over the next week we started our day with communal breakfast followed by prayer. It was a time to be spiritually sustained, and this was particularly helpful for me because each stop brought us to stories of exploitation, racism, degradation of the earth, failure of leadership at all levels, and lives and bodies traumatized. At each step we were accompanied by our earthen vessel, a special clay pot made by Marian Naranjo of the Santa Clara Pueblo, to house our prayers for the healing of the earth and for reconciliation.

Mercy Sisters in Newfoundland are delighted to announce the Christian community of Puerto Eten, on Peru's Northern Coast, have recently opened a bakery, which they have named in honor of the Sisters of Mercy. Over the past few years, large numbers of people from Venezuela have been arriving in Peru, seeking safety, shelter and hospitality. This new bakery provides bread to supplement the meals that the community has already been serving. Click on the link below to view a series of pictures of the new bakery.

For over 40 years, the Mercy Brown Bag Program has provided fresh, free, healthy groceries to vulnerable older adults in California’s Alameda County, home to 25,000 nutrition-insecure seniors. Last year, the program distributed 2.5 million pounds of food in more than 120,000 bags. Each bag of groceries, which includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, is the only source of food for most of the 8,200 low-income, older adults who receive bags twice a month.