Winter Season 2019

On Wednesday July 31, Mercy sisters and sisters from other religious congregations gathered at the Mercy Hub in Carlton North for the first of three sessions reflecting on the experience of searching for home. 

Dr. Elizabeth Dowling RSM led a reflective and enriching journey through the scriptures and invited those present to consider issues raised today which find their parallels in the biblical text: Who are the vulnerable who fall through the cracks today?  Who or what are crying out in pain in our world today?  How do our leaders use power – as shepherds or as tyrants?  Elizabeth also reminded us that the cry of earth and the cry of the poor are interconnected.  Like Jesus (Matt 8:19-20), the earth’s creatures today do not always have a home.  The environmental crisis is felt by people, by creatures, and by the land, and disproportionately affects the poorest.

The remaining gatherings in the Winter Season explored three different practical expressions of mercy in our world today.  We heard first from Anne Mitchell, Manager of Steps Outreach Service in Melbourne, which supports young people who are homeless by first spending time getting to know them on the steps of Flinders Street station.  In the final gathering, Judith Jackson (Aunty Jacko) shared the story of the Wominjeka BBQ in St. Kilda, which has reached out to indigenous people experiencing homelessness since 2005, and has helped many on the road to stable housing.  Teash Taylor, a volunteer resident at the Indigenous Hospitality House in Carlton North, also spoke about their experience of offering hospitality to indigenous people, and the paradox of doing so while living on stolen land.

For full article:  ​https://institute.mercy.org.au/mercy-hub-offers-a-winter-season-on-searching-for-home/