Nuns on the Bus Focus on Income and Wealth Inequality

Mercy sisters, associates, co­ workers and friends turned out to greet the Nuns on the Bus as the social justice tour passed through the Midwest, Northeast and Mid­Atlantic in July to call attention to the need to “mend the gaps” in income and wealth inequality in the United States. At some of the stops, they participated in conversations about the importance of tax justice, a living wage and more affordable housing and health care.

Nuns on the Bus 2016 was the fifth tour of sections of the United States by NETWORK: A Catholic Social Justice Lobby. You may read here the experiences of riding the bus by Mercy Sister Larretta Rivera­Williams of Winston­Salem, NC, pictured second from the right in Toledo, OH. With her are Sister Judy Mouch, Mercy Volunteer Corps graduate Rich Samartino, Sister Karen Donahue and Sister Carren Herring.

In the Northeast, the bus stops included McAuley Ministries, a sponsored Mercy ministry in Providence, RI, that helps people who are poor. And in Concord, NH, Mercy Sister Eileen Brady spoke at a rally on the State House steps about the importance of using one’s voice on behalf of those who are disenfranchised. Other stops included Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Hartford and Philadelphia.

This is yet another way to #MakeMercyReal in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. We’d love to hear all the ways in which you choose to #MakeMercyReal. Forward stories and photos to [email protected] EARTH Pope Francis Proposes Caring for Creation as a Work of Mercy Pope Francis in his World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation Sept. 1 proposed adding caring for “our common home” as a new work of mercy. You may read here the Sisters of Mercy’s statement on this exciting development. The World Day of Prayer kicked off an ecumenical season of creation running through the Feast of St. Francis. Mercy International Association has assembled many resources for the season here, and also is offering here daily visual meditations featuring photography submitted by Mercys from around the world. You may find here a ritual, created by Mercy sisters in Ireland, that extends mercy to all of creation. To conclude the month, the U.S.­based Catholic Climate Covenant has prepared materials for anyone to host a Feast of St. Francis program that focuses on having civil and courageous conversations on climate change.

Mercys Protest Fracking in Philadelphia and Argentina

Associate Sharon Durham was among five Mercys and hundreds of people of faith who participated in the March for a Clean Energy Revolution in Philadelphia on July 24th. The march called for a ban on fracking, a 100% shift to renewable energy and environmental justice for all. In Argentina, Sister Ana Siufi, a justice coordinator for the Caribbean, Central America and South America Community (CCASA), participated in a rally against fracking and other mega­mining in the region of Patagonia. “We organized to stop the looting and pollution of the extractive industry throughout the country and region,” she said. You may read here about Mercy’s efforts to ban fracking through United Nations processes. Mercy Investment Services Engages with Utilities on Climate Change Mercy Investment Services (MIS) is stepping up its engagement with utilities around climate change, since electric utilities are the single largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. This year, resolutions and engagements focused on the risk utilities face due to their large and long­term investments in carbon­intensive infrastructure. MIS also is engaging companies around reviewing their operations with an eye to keeping the rise of global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius while protecting low­income consumers from potential rate increases.

IMMIGRATION Calling Attention to Babies Held in Detention Facilities

Mercy Sister Kay O’Brien (at far left) and West­Midwest Communications Director Sandy Goetzinger (second from right) were among those who delivered giant signed postcards Sept. 1 to U.S. legislators in Omaha, Nebraska, calling for the end the practice of detaining babies in immigration facilities. The legislative visits followed a press conference outside U.S. Representative Brad Ashford’s office. According to the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project, this past spring the number of children under the age of 2 in immigration detention facilities grew from less than a handful to almost 100. Also coming to light are business deals that are benefitting the private corporation that runs one of the family detention centers, in Dilley, Texas. Mercy sisters and associates in Rochester, Buffalo and Burlington, VT, spoke out against the practice of detaining babies with postcards and baby shower cards sent to their U.S. representatives, U.S. senators and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

NON­VIOLENCE Prayers Sought for South Sudan Sister Marilyn Lacey, director of Mercy Beyond Borders, reports that South Sudan is once again besieged by violence and being dragged back into civil war. She asks for prayers for her staff, students and graduates who are pursuing further studies. Sister Marilyn shares her concerns in a reflection here.

Vatican Gathering Participants Urge Commitment to Just Peace Participants of a Vatican gathering in April of more than 80 Catholic leaders from around the world crafted an appeal to the Catholic Church to re­commit to the centrality of Gospel nonviolence and to develop a Just Peace approach. Organizers of that gathering – which included the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Pax Christi International and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious ­­ now invite individuals and organizations to endorse that appeal. You may read it and add your name here. You may find here more information about the conference, as well as resources on nonviolence and just peace. You may register here for a September 13th introductory webinar on the conference.

Liturgy Aimed at Easing Tension Between Belize and Guatemala

Mercy Sisters Sisters Rebecca Lizama, Leona Panton and Carolee Chanona of Belize traveled to the border with Guatemala to participate in a Mass focused on praying for a peaceful resolution to ongoing disputes between the two countries over boundaries.

Women Religious Encourage Civil Dialogue During Election Season Mercy sisters were among more than 5600 women religious across the United States who signed a letter urging candidates to engage in honest dialogue that honors the dignity of those with whom they disagree and treats all with the respect that is their God­given right. The Leadership Conference for Women Religious, which organized the letter campaign, forwarded the letter to the presidential candidates, their running mates, and the chairs of the Democratic, Green, Libertarian and Republican parties.

Please Pray for Those Impacted by the Death Penalty Please pray for those executed throughout the U.S. between April and June 2016 and for their victims and those impacted by their crimes. You may find resources for speaking out against the death penalty and for restorative justice through Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty. POVERTY Foundation Serves Unmet Needs in Under­Resourced Communities McCauley Ministries, a foundation of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, has awarded a grant to Community Kitchen Pittsburgh to support culinary workforce training. Also awarded a grant was a summer program for high school students interested in ca­reers in science, technology, engineering, and math; it included learning laboratory skills used in the pharmaceutical industry. The foundation, which focuses on pro­grams in under­resourced communities historically served by the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh, is living out Mercy’s commitment “to liberate and redistribute our human and financial resources…and develop creative solutions to unmet needs acting in solidarity with impoverished people.”

Trafficking Report Reflects Shareholder Concerns Over Forced Labor In early July, the U.S. Department of State released its annual Trafficking in Persons report, which classifies each of the world’s countries on their efforts to end human trafficking. Several saw improved rankings while others, namely Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, were downgraded to Tier 3 status. Shareholders, including Mercy Investment Services, advocated for the Tier 3 ranking for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan due to their use of forced labor to produce cotton. Mercy Investment Services has continually advocated for the elimination of forced labor in supply chains as part of its commitment to human rights. Read more here about why Mercy Investment Services pushed for the lower ranking for these countries.

Argentinians Speak Out Against Policies Increasing Poverty Mercy Sister Ana Siufi, at far right, participated in a Mass on the feast day of San Cayetano, the patron saint of Argentina and of the unemployed, that called attention to government policies that are leaving more people without jobs and creating more poverty. The sign she is carrying reads: “God created us with rights.”

ANTI­RACISM Justice Team Joins Call for Police Reform The Institute Justice Team signed onto a letter from 54 religious organizations calling for police reform in the wake of 990 fatal shootings by police in 2015, as report­ed by the Washington Post. The letter, which you may read here, calls for address­ing racial injustices and divisions in the United States America and supports legisla­tion that would, among other things, prohibit racial profiling and collect data on its prevalence.

Faith Groups Seek Inclusion in National Parks The Institute Justice Team signed onto a letter from faith groups that calls on President Obama on the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service to emphasize diversity and inclusion within public land agencies. The letter thanks the president for designating new monuments that recognize stories of communities of color and women – including the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Maryland – and asks his Administration to further identify and preserve sites of historical significance to diverse communities. You may sign a petition with a similar message here.

Conference Lifts Up Vision for the “Beloved Community” Seven Mercy sisters, associates and co­workers participated in Pax Christi’s national conference on Martin Luther King Jr’s vision for the “beloved community. The conference focused on the intersections of racial injustice and care for the Earth, immigration, Islamophobia, the criminal justice system and militarism. Many participants joined in a clean­up of a Baltimore neighborhood, including, at left, Sisters Jackie Moreau, Marie Moore and Claudia Ward and Associate Ty Barnes.

WOMEN Malala Stops Into Mercy­Founded School

Malala Yousafzai, the young woman from Pakistan who was attacked for speaking up for girls’ education, surprised students at Sophia Academy in Providence, RI, with a visit over the summer. The academy is a middle school for low­income girls, founded by Mercy Sister Mary Reilly. “An incredible young woman,” Sister Mary said of Malala. “19 years old this month. Wisdom beyond her years.”

Mercy Investments Advocates for Healthy Start for Babies While healthcare professionals often encourage new mothers to breastfeed, some infants may need a breast milk substitute (BMS) for medical reasons. As Mercy Investment Services advocates for healthy families and communities, it’s actively engaging manufacturers of breast milk substitutes such as Nestle to ensure that they follow the International Code of Marketing of BMS and emphasize breastfeeding as the first line of nutrition for infants.

OTHER CRITICAL CONCERNS ENGAGEMENT Join #MakeMercyReal Video Contest for Teens and Young Adults The Extended Justice Team invites high school­ and college­aged students and participants in Mercy ministries to submit a short video on the Critical Concerns. Videos should either educate about an injustice, show how an individual or group confronts an injustice or show how an individual or group experiences an injustice. The winner(s) will receive a prize and be recognized at the Sisters of Mercy’s 2017 Chapter, or governance meeting. For more information, contact Mike Poulin, West­ Midwest justice coordinator, at [email protected]

SAVE THE DATE Join Mercy at SOA Watch’s Convergence at the Border Oct. 7­10 SOA Watch is moving its annual gathering to the U.S.­Mexico border this year, to highlight U.S. intervention in Latin America as one of the root causes of migration and to stage protests and cultural events against racism, xenophobia and U.S. militarization at home and abroad. You may find more details here. For more information on Mercy’s participation, including lodgings and a Mercy gathering over the weekend, contact Marianne Comfort at [email protected] RESOURCES Election Guide Focuses on Catholic Social Teaching The Sisters of Mercy’s Institute Justice Team helped develop A Revolution of Tenderness: A 2016 Election Pope Francis Values Reflection Guide. The guide, created by a coalition of DC­based Catholic organizations, is comprised of sections focused on key issues such as the economy, peace, immigration, the environment and racial justice. Each section concludes with a couple of questions to consider when learning about candidates’ stance on these issues.

Watch Webinar on Climate Justice The Catholic Climate Covenant hosted a webinar on Laudato Si and environmental justice, with a focus on the impact of climate change on African­Americans and Latino farmworkers. You may watch the recorded webinar here.

Global Sisters Report Focuses on Mining Global Sisters Report, a project of National Catholic Reporter, is publishing a series of articles on concerns about mining around the world and the women religious standing in solidarity with communities most impacted. Articles so far include one about Mercy Sister Mary Pendergast’s efforts to stop a natural gas facility in Rhode Island and about Franciscan Sister Denise Boyle’s work on developing a mining toolkit in her role at Mercy International Association. Other articles explore concerns about mining in Guatemala and in Honduras. The Institute Justice Team speaks out against human rights abuses connected with mining through participation in an interfaith working group on extractive industries. You may read the group’s statement of principles here.

Updated Mercy Advocacy Information Available You can find the most up­to­date Mercy justice information on the Institute website here. And please sign up to advocate on issues of most concern to you.

Please Tell Us How You are Addressing the Critical Concerns We welcome all news items and photos for the monthly publication of Mercy Justice Highlights. Please send items to [email protected]