Day two of the Young Mercy Leaders’ Pilgrimage began with Morning Prayer in the Chapel of Mercy International Centre, Baggot Street. The prayer time emphasised the theme of ‘celebrating the gift that you are!’ and opened with the young representatives from each country lighting a candle, and from these, the pilgrimage candle was lit and placed in the centre of the chapel.

After the opening hymn, the prayer leader, Kathy Higgins rsm, explored the concept of gift, giving time for the young people to reflect on their own gifts and on the gifts that God has granted to them. She encouraged the pilgrims to use their gifts and talents to witness to their faith.

In the centre space of the chapel, a small individually created gift box for each pilgrim lay on the centrepiece around the candles and everyone was invited to come forward and choose a box. As each one opened their box, they received a word inside, which was their gift for the day. Marie Cox rsm sang the song ‘The Gift You Are’ as the young people and their teachers pondered on the gift of the word. The prayer ended with the singing of the hymn ‘The Circle of Mercy’, accompanied by simple movement.

Different types of prayer will be arranged during the pilgrimage so that the young Mercy Leaders will experience the variety of ways in which God can be present to them and in which they can become present to God.

Before the keynote address of the morning, the facilitator, Dee McKenna rsm, gave an opportunity to the Young Mercy Leaders to reflect on the time they have been on the pilgrimage so far and to surface what stayed with them from Tuesday’s experience. The responses ranged from ‘enthusiasm and energy’ to ‘we are spoken to through each of our senses’ and ‘I feel like I’m at home’.  Some quiet time was then given so that, if anyone wished, they could make entries in their pilgrimage journals.

Karen Schneider rsm gave the keynote speech for Wednesday. Karen is a paediatric surgeon and on the faculty of John Hopkins Children’s Centre in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She specialises in tropical paediatric medicine and travels to countries such as Haiti, Guyana, Peru and Kenya, caring for and curing those children who would not otherwise have the chance to avail of medical expertise, due to poverty.

For the full report visit www.mercyworld.org

Congregation