The Year of Mercy which concludes on November 20, the feast of Christ the King, has passed the half-way mark. So this month’s reflection includes a response from some of our Mercy ministries, sharing ideas on the milestones or high points that have been achieved to date, and on the goals or hopes that wait to be fulfilled before the Jubilee ends.

A recurring theme has been the door of Mercy which Pope Francis opened in Rome to launch the event, and which he also hoped would be replicated around the world, as a symbol for people everywhere to cross the threshold to a new awareness of mercy received and shared. At Carmel College in Auckland, the decision was made to designate a pair of doors in a central place in the school, through which most staff members of students pass each day. The words ‘Atawhai’ and ‘Mercy’ have been sand-blasted on the doors, as a permanent reminder to the Carmel community that the works of mercy need to be high on their agenda.