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Social Justice Tag: Women

A monthly series of in-depth, curated articles exploring Mercy's Critical Concerns and their intersection with current events and the work of justice.

December 2025

Articles from Mercy:

Local Justice News & Upcoming Mercy Events:

Justice Resources & Links

The Catholic Church responds to the threat of authoritarianism

Rose Marie Tresp, RSM

This article from America magazine challenges Catholics to examine the current, increasing authoritarianism in the United States. Authoritarianism comes with increasing threats to human dignity, to religious freedom, and to the republican constitutional order. What should be the response of the Catholic Church from the hierarchy, the religious organizations of men and women, and lay Catholics? Historically, the response to authoritarianism has been mixed in different times and places, including both resistance and accommodation. Dr. Maria J. Stephan, author of the book Why Civil Resistance Works: the Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict, guides us in the article through examples of the Church’s response to authoritarianism. Then, Dr. Stephan outlines current resistance actions and movements in the United States today. Finally, she states that

U.S. Catholics have a crucial role to play in upholding fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms that are core to the Catholic faith. There are many ways to bear witness, disrupt injustices, and unite around an affirmative vision of what we demand for our democracy.

Dr. Stephan then recommends many possible ways that Catholics – the hierarchy, parishes, religious organizations and movements, and lay Catholics – can challenge and resist the current authoritarian movement.

“U.S. Catholics are facing an authoritarian threat. The church has been here before.” reprinted with permission from America magazine, published by America Press, Inc. ©2025. All rights reserved. For subscription information, call 1-800-267-6939 or visit America’s subscription webpage.

Dr. Maria J. Stephan co-leads the Horizons Project, an organizing platform dedicated to building an inclusive, multi-racial democracy in the United States. She is the author and editor of five books, including the award-winning book (with Erica Chenoweth) Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. She is a member of the Freedom Trainers and on the advisory council of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence.

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Post—COP 30 report

Marianne Comfort; Institute Justice Team

COP 30, formally known as the 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was held at the edge of the Amazon rainforest last month. Participants in the international climate talks reported that the formal results were extremely disappointing. But they also expressed excitement at the energy generated by unprecedented numbers of Catholic and Indigenous observers.

Mercy Sister Rosita Sidasmed represented one of the Church’s territorial networks on a panel with cardinals from around the world. The speakers all highlighted some of the themes from A Call to Climate Justice and the Common Home, a document published by the bishops’ conferences of Latin America, Africa and Asia and promoted by the Vatican. She said it was exciting participating with Church and Indigenous leaders and meeting with the formal delegation from the Holy See.

The Laudato Si’ Movement delivered the People’s Determined Contributions (PDCs), commitments from over 2,000 individuals, institutions and communities to address the climate crisis. The PDCs emerged from the Raising Hope conference outside Rome in October to supplement the often-inadequate commitments from countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite pressure from all these leaders, the final text from COP 30 failed to address the core problem of transitioning away from fossil fuels, according to a report from Lisa Sullivan, a Justice Team partner with Maryknoll. Also, while there were many discussions about putting environmental and social protections around mining for minerals during the energy transition – both in the formal negotiations and in side events – that issue never made it into the final documents. The United States was missing from the delegations at COP 30, and Lisa named that no one else appeared to fill the role that the U.S. often took: to nudge the most resistant countries to accept modest climate measures. The most important development, she said, is that Colombia and The Netherlands announced a conference in April that will focus on a just transition away from fossil fuels.

The Mercy Justice Team signed onto a statement that denounces the dominant mentality that places mining and extractivism at the center of responses to the climate crisis. The statement came out of the People’s Summit, a parallel gathering outside COP 30. In part, the statement reads:

A just and sustainable transformation cannot emerge from the same extractivist system that caused the crisis. It must dismantle corporate power, challenge neocolonial dependencies, and redefine our relationship with nature based on care, solidarity, and ecological balance.

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Critical Considerations

The United States: global citizen or global pariah

Karen Donahue, RSM

Earlier this month, the White House released its most recent National Security Strategy (NSS). This is a document that outlines the nation’s security concerns, the administration’s plans to address them, and serves to communicate the administration’s vision to Congress and the public.

This NSS is noteworthy in that it reorients U.S. foreign policy relative to several areas of the world and seems to indicate a turning away from the kind of global engagement that has characterized U.S. foreign policy since the end of World War II. For example, there is much less focus on the Middle East now that the U.S. is not as dependent on Middle East petroleum as it once was.

However, there is an enhanced focus on the Western Hemisphere, particularly Latin America, with a call to “reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.” Like the original Monroe Doctrine (1823), the Trump Corollary “will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets.” However, the real goal is a “potent restoration of American power and priorities.”

United States intervention is already on the rise. Large numbers of U.S. troops are now deployed in the Caribbean, drone attacks on boats suspected of carrying drugs have killed almost ninety people, the president endorsed right-wing presidential candidates in recent elections held in Argentina and Honduras, and there are ongoing threats to invade Venezuela, a nation which holds the world’s largest petroleum reserves.

This NSS also undermines the long-standing alliance between the United States and Europe, claiming that Europe is on the verge of civilizational erasure because of its immigration policies, social safety net programs and strong regulatory measures. It affirms far-right parties and considers “the growing influence of patriotic European parties cause for great optimism.” The general tone of the document is “America First” with almost no regard for the dreams and aspirations of the other 95.8 percent of the world’s population. Climate change, the greatest threat to humanity, is dismissed as an ideology.

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Article Archive

2025

December

The Catholic Church responds to the threat of authoritarianism

Post—COP 30 report

Critical Considerations:

The United States: global citizen or global pariah?

November

Critical Considerations:

NSPM-7: Countering or perpetrating political violence?

Advocating on harms of extractive industries

Argentina y el avance del colonialismo / Argentina and the advance of colonialism

Countering misinformation

October

Critical Considerations:

Is it time to reform the Insurrection Act?

COP 30 in the Amazon & Raising Hope in Rome

The dangers of falsely linking Tylenol to autism

September

Mercy sisters call for urgent defense of immigrants

Social extractivism

Critical Considerations:

What is Posse Comitatus all about?

Everyday pilgrimages: the Earth is the Lord’s

August

Critical Considerations:

Are we doomed to a perpetual nuclear arms race?

Love and care of creation in local ecologies

Church document ahead of COP30

July

Critical Considerations:

What’s at stake in Israel’s destruction of Gaza?

Have you heard of Black August?

DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Mercy Life Gathering in Panama

June

Vampires, Sharecropping, and the Real History of Juneteenth

Protecting Children and Vulnerable Adults from Abuse in the Philippines

Critical Considerations:

What’s really driving border enforcement?

May

A letter to Pope Francis

Critical Considerations:

Is this really an emergency?

Trump’s attacks on women

April

The cultural battle advances

Critical Considerations:

What’s going on with tariffs?

Water extractivism in Palestine

March

Hope for Panama in truth

Deportation stigma in Jamaica

Critical Considerations:

Who benefits from tax cuts? Who pays?

April is SWANA Heritage Month

NETWORK webinar on U.S. federal policy

February

National declaration of emergency in Bajo Aguán

Critical Considerations:

Has the United States declared war on immigrants?

What energy emergency?

January

If you make a mess, clean it up! (Advocacy success in NY)

Youth claim climate victory in Montana court

Critical Considerations:

Was January 1, 2025 a wake-up call?

(click years to expand)

2024

December

Gender and climate justice

Critical Considerations:

Is the United States becoming a plutocracy?

Making nuclear weapons taboo

November

Critical Considerations:

What happened on November 5, 2024?

The Ecological Debt

October

Overturning the Chevron deference

Critical Considerations:

Who are the Israeli settlers and what motivates them?

Assassination of Honduran water protector deeply grieves Sisters of Mercy

September

God walks with his people: National Migration Week September 23–29

Critical Considerations:

What does CEO compensation say about corporate priorities?

Anxiety – election season can heighten it!

August

Critical Considerations:

What is Project 2025 all about?

Working to stop weapon exports to Haiti

Beyond Voting:

Participating in Elections, part 2

July

Critical Considerations:

Is there a better way to spend $91 billion?

Education, Agriculture, & Emigration in the Philippines

Beyond Voting:

Participating in Elections, part 1

June

Critical Considerations:

Are we creating a prison-industrial complex?

Conscience

Mercy student videos address the Critical Concerns

May

Critical Considerations:

Degrowth is the only sane survival plan

Argentina and the government of hate

Listening to a chorus of voices

April

Critical Considerations:

An Israeli Jesuit reflects on war in the Holy Land

Advocacy Success! Expanded Background Checks for Gun Sales

March

Military spending and national (in)security

February

The challenge Gaza war presents for American Jews

January

Gaza war threatens credibility of West’s commitment to human rights and the rule of law

2023

December

Climate Summit fails to adequately respond to gravity of climate crisis

November

Critical Considerations:

The dangers of conflating Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism

Red flag laws in jeopardy: faith voices speak to save them

October

Jewish and Palestinian perspectives on Gaza crisis

September

U.S. China tensions impact efforts to address climate change

August

When Good Economic Policy Isn’t Enough

July

States Move to Weaken Protections for Child Workers

June

Corporate Lobbyists at Climate Talks

May

Electric Vehicle Transition Challenges

April

Repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery

March

Misrepresenting War

February

The Rise of Christian Nationalism

January

How the News is Reported Affects What We Know

2022

December

How Corporations Took Over the Government

November

The Independent State Legislature Theory Explained

October

The Next Phase in the Voting Wars

Local Justice News & Upcoming Events

Check back soon!

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Mercy Justice Resource Pages

Peace & Justice Calendars

View the current month’s Mercy Peace & Justice Calendar on our website.

Download Past Calendars
2025

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

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View last year’s grand prize winning video. (*Note: the contest themes have changed for 2026.)

The Mercy Justice Team needs you, a Mercy student, to create a short, social media style PSA (public service announcement) video – think Reels or TikTok – that reflects the Sisters of Mercy’s Critical Concerns. Put those creative ideas and video skills to work and you could win $500!

What does it mean to allow others to be fully human without judgment?

The 2026 contest theme is: Embracing Dignity and Respect. Through the lenses of the Mercy Critical Concerns and the Core Values of Mercy Education, use your video to engage one of these ideas:

How can we stand up with others or stand up for others?

How can we go beyond tolerance to embrace diversity?

To receive information, updates and reminders about this year’s contest, sign up here and we’ll be in touch. Click here to learn rules for entry and how to upload your video.

View the grand prize winning video from 2024. (*Note: the contest themes have changed for 2026.)

Purpose

For this year’s contest we are seeking short, PSA style videos (30 to 90 seconds) that are suitable for sharing on social media platforms such as TikTok or Reels. In an increasingly divided and polarized world, your video should reflect the charism of Mercy and connect to one or more of the Mercy Critical Concerns. Videos could focus on:

Why it is important to value or celebrate our differences

Encouraging support of oppressed or marginalized groups in society

A story of standing in solidarity with others

Contest Webinar

Watch our 13 minute webinar to learn more about this year’s contest.

Who Can Enter

Any student or group of students, high school age or older, enrolled in Mercy high schools, colleges/universities, or involved in a Mercy-affiliated ministry.

Use this tip-sheet to help you as you begin the process of creating your video.

Format

Read the complete rules

Length: 30 to 90 seconds

Language: English or Spanish

Other Requirements

1. Title. Each video must have a title. The title must be indicated on the submission form. The title does not need to be included in the video itself.

2. Credits. Credits must include the name of those involved in the creation of the video. The credits must also include citations for any images, audio, or text used in the video that is not original. The credits do not need to be included in the video itself, but must be included in the submission form.

The Sisters of Mercy may delete title and credit screens before posting videos on social media.

Entrants are strongly encouraged to use original footage and graphics as much as possible.

Important Note on Rules: In order to honor copyright protections, rules regarding use of images and music were updated for the 2022 contest and remain in effect for 2026. See the complete rules for details.

Deadline

All entries must be received by April 1, 2026.

Prizes

A panel of judges will use these criteria to select the winning video. Individual winners will receive financial awards. The Grand Prize Winner receives $500.

Winning entries may be featured on the Sisters of Mercy Institute web site and social media channels. Winners and their winning institution will be formally announced.

Interested?

If you think you might be interested in entering this contest, fill out this form to receive contest information and updates.

Past Winners

Click here to view all of our past winners.

These are some of the ways in which the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas will more fully live Laudato Si’ in 2025. To see the third year action plan click here.

Responding to the Cry of the Earth

The climate sustainability director will:

  • Estimate initial annual carbon emissions from utilities (e.g., electricity, gas, and water) and vehicle usage throughout the Institute;
  • Work with the solar installation company to implement agreed-upon solar and battery design for the Belmont, NC, solar array project; and 
  • Work with a contractor to stabilize the shoreline at Mercy by the Sea Spiritual Retreat and Conference Center to prevent future erosion from coastal storms and sea-level rise.

Responding to the Cry of the Poor

The Justice Team will deepen education and advocacy about the harms of extractivism to communities and the environment through: 

  • Engaging communities beyond the Sisters of Mercy in small groups using our Awakening to a New Consciousness on Extractivism resources;
  • Accompanying communities most harmed by extractivism, including through local extractivism immersion experiences; and 
  • Giving special attention to water injustices experienced by communities on the front lines of extractive industries, in partnership with Mercy Global Action’s water justice initiative. 
  • The Justice Team will organize immersion experiences at the U.S.-Mexico border to expand the number of sisters, associates, companions and co-workers who are educated about immigration policy and the reality at the border and connections between immigration and environmental and climate justice.  
  • Mercy Investment Services will expand and deepen the integration of environmental, social and governance investment strategies by:
    • Actively allocating capital to address diversity gaps amongst decision-makers and financial access within the Inclusive Opportunities Fund;  
    • Continuing expanding the emerging managers program supporting firms owned or products managed by people with diverse or underrepresented backgrounds; and  
    • Deepening Mercy Partnership Fund’s continued dedication to racial and gender equity as well as those that emphasize international opportunities.

Ecological Economics

Mercy Investment Services will:

  • Continue to ground our investment actions in seeking prophetic change in climate action and solutions;
  • Partner with other investors to engage corporations on water stewardship, greenhouse gas emissions, plastics use, biodiversity and other important issues; and  
  • Use our position as a faith-based investor to defend the rights of investors to choose investments that care for the Earth.

Sustainable Lifestyles

  • The Director of Climate and Sustainability will develop and update flyers to create awareness of and provide practical sustainable lifestyle tips related to meetings and events, office supplies and electronics, health and wellness, emergency management and sustainability on a tight budget. 
  • The Justice Team and Climate and Sustainability Director will continue the monthly Mercy Tips to Care for Earth. 

Ecological Education

  • Mercy Education System of the Americas plans to:
    • Revamp the environmental science course in its Mercy Learning Online program, specifically the water lesson, to incorporate resources from Mercy Global Action; 
    • Launch a monthly column in its weekly newsletter highlighting sustainability initiatives across Mercy schools;
    • Enhance sustainability efforts at meetings and events by being mindful of supplies ordered and encouraging participants to bring reusable water bottles; and 
    • Promote active participation in Laudato Si pilgrimages across the schools.
  • A Mercy associate in Guyana will socialize her guidebook and set of advocacy tools for communities to understand the risks of the growing oil and gas industry in her country, and that will become a template for similar education elsewhere.
  • The Climate and Sustainability Director will visit the sisters and staff to discuss concerns related to climate and sustainability as well as ongoing projects, and also serve as a resource for Mercy ministries and other religious congregations.
  • The Justice Team will invite Mercy high school, college and university students to submit short videos on reducing consumption to better care for earth and on the positive impact that women have in the world. The winning videos will be showcased on our website.
  •  The Justice Team will plan a blog series to highlight the ways in which sisters, associates, companions and co-workers are hearing the cry of Earth and the cry of people who are poor.

Ecological Spirituality

  • The Justice Team, along with partner Catholic organizations in the U.S., will promote and provide support to sisters, associates, companions and ministries organizing Laudato Si pilgrimages to celebrate the encyclical’s 10th anniversary. 
  • The Justice Team will promote Laudato Si Animator trainings to equip sisters, associates and co-workers to shift consciousness of their communities around environmental and climate justice. 

Community Participation and Empowerment

  • The Justice Team will engage in advocacy and education leading up to COP 30 in Brazil with partners from ecclesial networks (REPAM, REMAM and REGCHAG) and the Churches and Mining Network. 
  • The Justice Team will lead U.S. advocacy among congregations of women religious and interfaith partners to stem deforestation, address the harms of mining in the energy transition, and support environmental protections and climate policies.  
View last year’s grand prize winning video. (*Note: the contest themes have changed for 2025.)

The Mercy Justice Team needs you, a Mercy student, to create a short, social media style PSA (public service announcement) video – think Reels or TikTok – that reflects the Sisters of Mercy’s Critical Concerns. Put those creative ideas and video skills to work and you could win $500!

How do women impact the world for good?

How can individuals reduce their consumption to better care for the Earth?

What is a policy or campaign that could help people reduce their consumption?

Who are the heroines of the Mercy Critical Concerns?

To receive information, updates and reminders about this year’s contest, complete this form and we’ll be in touch. Click here to learn rules for entry and how to upload your video.

View the grand prize winning videos from 2023. (*Note: the contest themes have changed for 2025.)

Purpose

For this year’s contest we are seeking short, PSA style videos (30 to 90 seconds) that are suitable for sharing on social media platforms such as TikTok or Reels. Video entries must focus on one of these topics:

The Power of Women
  • Videos should reflect the charism of Mercy and highlight the gifts and contributions that women, either individually or collectively, bring to society.
  • Videos could promote the contributions of women, tell the story, past or present, of a woman or women engaged in Mercy or justice, or dream about the future for women in society.
Reducing Consumption
  • Videos should reflect the Mercy Critical Concerns, especially the Critical Concern for Earth, but do not need to identify the Critical Concerns specifically.
  • Videos should encourage actions toward reducing consumption either on the personal or societal level.
  • Videos could be inspirational or motivational, provide a ‘how-to’ process for reducing consumption or provide information about the consequences of conspicuous consumption.

Contest Webinar

Watch our 17 minute webinar to learn more about this year’s contest.

Who Can Enter

Any student or group of students, high school age or older, enrolled in Mercy high schools, colleges/universities, or involved in a Mercy-affiliated ministry.

Use this tip-sheet to help you as you begin the process of creating your video.

Format

Read the complete rules

Length: 30 to 90 seconds

Language: English or Spanish

Other Requirements

1. Title. Each video must have a title. The title must be indicated on the submission form. The title does not need to be included in the video itself.

2. Credits. Credits must include the name of those involved in the creation of the video. The credits must also include citations for any images, audio, or text used in the video that is not original. The credits do not need to be included in the video itself, but must be included in the submission form.

The Sisters of Mercy may delete title and credit screens before posting videos on social media.

Entrants are strongly encouraged to use original footage and graphics as much as possible.

Important Note on Rules: In order to honor copyright protections, rules regarding use of images and music were updated for the 2022 contest and remain in effect for 2025. See the complete rules for details.

Deadline

All entries must be received by April 1, 2025.

Prizes

A panel of judges will use these criteria to select the winning video. Individual winners will receive financial awards. The Grand Prize Winner receives $500.

Winning entries may be featured on the Sisters of Mercy Institute web site and social media channels. Winners and their winning institution will be formally announced.

Interested?

If you think you might be interested in entering this contest, fill out this form to receive contest information and updates.

Past Winners

Click here to view all of our past winners.

These are some of the ways in which the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas will more fully live Laudato Si’ in 2024. To see the second year action plan click here.

Responding to the Cry of the Earth

  • The climate sustainability director will:
    • Collect utility usage data for smaller residences (i.e., apartments and houses) located throughout the United States. 
    • Expand community solar subscriptions to many of our houses and apartments for which such programs are available. 
    • Continue the electric vehicle (EV) pilot project at Merion, PA, with the purchase of an additional vehicle and the installation of additional EV chargers.  One other location will be selected to house an EV. Official guidance regarding the use, maintenance, and charging of EVs, along with concerns regarding metal mining, will be developed and implemented. 
    • Finalize guidance regarding the use of various sustainable and compostable alternatives to single-use plastic products.  A pilot location will be selected to test the overall process for implementing various parts of the guidance and determining what is needed (in addition to the installation of water-filling stations) in order to make the elimination of certain plastic products practical.  Complete the pilot solar project on the Belmont, NC, campus by the end of 2024.
  • Mercy Focus on Haiti aims to support the construction of 10 cisterns per month in the Gros Marne region, for the collection of rain water, using locally available materials. Cistern beneficiaries will receive training in the fundamentals of vegetable gardening, tree planting and reforestation, supporting both food production and the opportunity to sell surplus at market.

Responding to the Cry of the Poor

  • The Justice Team will deepen education and advocacy about the harms of extractivism to communities and the environment through: 
    • Mapping of extractivism near locations where the Institute has a significant presence; 
    • Educating the wider Mercy community about the experiences of communities most harmed by extractivism; 
    • Sharing more widely the statement on extractivism distributed among Chapter participants; 
    • Expanding our knowledge of extractivism to include practices such as agribusiness extracting nutrients from the land and the tourism industry dredging ports for cruise ships; and  
    • Solidarity and accompaniment of communities most harmed by extractivism
  • Sisters will continue participating in ecclesial networks (ie, in Meso-America and the regions of El Gran Chaco y el Acuífero Guaraní in South America) and will educate the rest of the congregation about how the Church is accompanying communities in these critical eco-systems.   
  • The Justice Team will participate in the “we are going to change the history of the climate and the planet!” campaign with the peoples of the Amazon in advance of international climate talks (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, in 2025.
  • Mercy Volunteer Corps has placed a volunteer yet again at Sanctuary Farm in Philadelphia and will offer short-term volunteer experiences at Mercy Ecological Center in Vermont.
  • Mercy Investment Services will expand and deepen the integration of environmental, social and governance investment strategies by:
    • Actively allocating capital to address diversity gaps amongst decision-makers and financial access within the Inclusive Opportunities Fund;  
    • Expanding the emerging managers program supporting firms owned or products managed by people with diverse or underrepresented backgrounds;  
    • Deepening Mercy Partnership Fund’s continued dedication to racial and gender equity as well as those that emphasize international opportunities; and  
    • Using our shareholder voice to explicitly call on companies to mitigate their impacts on people of color and to increase equity for disadvantaged communities.
  • Mercy Focus on Haiti will complete the fourth cohort of its poverty eradication program for women, and raise funds and set the stage for the fifth cohort. Participants from the first cohort will be able to create Village Savings and Loan Associations, which was offered to later cohorts as safe places to save money and access small loans. The first cohort participants also will be offered a tablet-based training program to develop the basics of finance and business skills.   Mercy Focus on Haiti will arrange for a physician member from the U.S. to make virtual visits with residents and walk-throughs of Bon Maison Samaritain, a house for persons who are elderly and infirm or mentally ill. Deteriorating conditions in Haiti have prevented in-person visits from the U.S.

Ecological Economics

  • Mercy Investment Services will:
    • Participate in learning opportunities to deepen our understanding of Catholic investing through documents such as Mensuram Bonam and Laudate Deum; 
    • Increase funding of mission-based environmental, social and governance investment managers and thematic managers in the equity fund;  
    • Originate additional commitments to impact managers in the Environmental Solutions Fund, which invests in renewable energy, energy and water efficiency, materials recycling, green buildings and sustainable agriculture;  
    • Commit additional investments to projects whose primary thematic area is environmental sustainability, impacts from the extractive sector or migration, or that address a just transition to a low‐carbon future in the Mercy Partnership Fund;  
    • Partner with other investors to engage corporations on water stewardship, greenhouse gas emissions, plastics use, biodiversity and other important issues; and  engage with other like-minded impact investors through the Catholic Impact Investing Collaborative, which is led by Francesco Collaborative, and through continued leadership within the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. 

Sustainable Lifestyles

  • The Justice Team and Climate and Sustainability Director will start exploring possibilities for working with other congregations of women religious to influence practices of dining service companies who serve our convents, retirement centers and other facilities. 
  • The Justice Team and Climate and Sustainability Director will continue the  Mercy Tips to Care for Earth as a monthly feature on the website. 

Ecological Education

  • Mercy Education has planned several activities for 2024:
    • “Generation Mercy,” an online meeting for students who are involved in Earth initiatives/clubs at their school, in the first half of the year; 
    • A commitment to highlight Earth in their newsletter at least 1 issue per month; 
    • Promote Mercy Meatless Mondays for the Lenten season; and 
    • Share some suggestions for Earth challenges for schools (i.e. zero waste meetings) to try to implement before Earth Day in April, then share about these in the newsletter/social media.
  • The Justice Team will organize an immersion trip to a region of western Pennsylvania experiencing an expansion of fracking and petrochemical facilities. 
  • The Justice Team will organize three immersion experiences at the U.S.-Mexico border to expand the number of sisters, associates, companions and co-workers who are educated about immigration policy and the reality at the border. One of these experiences will be solely for staff and board members of Mercy Investment Services.  
  • A Mercy associate in Guyana will develop a guidebook and set of advocacy tools for communities to understand the risks of the growing oil and gas industry in her country, and that will become a template for similar education elsewhere.  

Ecological Spirituality

  • The Justice Team will promote Laudato Si animators’ trainings and create a network of Mercy animators to work together and support one another. 
  • The Institute will participate in the Leadership Conference of Women Religious’ exploration and implementation of transformative justice work. 

Community Participation and Empowerment

  • The Justice Team will educate our network on the issues and the importance of voting our values in advance of the 2024 elections in the United States. 
  • The Justice Team will participate in a newly forming collaborative of Catholic organizations engaged in environmental and climate justice education, advocacy and practices.  
View last year’s grand prize winning video. (*Note: the contest themes have changed for 2024.)

The Mercy Justice Team needs you, a Mercy student, to create a short, social media style PSA (public service announcement) video – think Reels or TikTok – that reflects the Sisters of Mercy’s Critical Concerns. Put those creative ideas and video skills to work and you could win $500!

What does it mean to be a faith filled, values voter?

What is your own immigration story?

What is the immigration story of someone you know?

How can voting with Mercy affect our community, our nation, our world?

To receive information, updates and reminders about this year’s contest, complete this form and we’ll be in touch. Click here to learn rules for entry and how to upload your video.

View the grand prize winning video from 2022. (*Note: the contest format has changed since 2022.)

Purpose

For this year’s contest we are seeking short, PSA style videos (30 to 90 seconds) that are suitable for sharing on social media platforms such as TikTok or Reels. Video entries must focus on one of these topics:

Immigration
  • Videos should reflect the Mercy Critical Concerns, especially the Critical Concern for Immigration, but do not need to identify the Critical Concerns specifically.
  • Videos should inspire action to address the injustices that cause people to immigrate or the injustices that immigrants face in their new countries.
Voting
  • Videos should explore the ways that faith and Mercy values can influence the choices we make on our ballots.
  • Videos should inspire faithful citizenship and active involvement in elections without promoting partisanship or individual candidates.

Contest Webinar

Watch our 20 minute webinar to learn more about this year’s contest.

Who Can Enter

Any student or group of students, high school age or older, enrolled in Mercy high schools, colleges/universities, or involved in a Mercy-affiliated ministry.

Use this tip-sheet to help you as you begin the process of creating your video.

Format

Read the complete rules

Length: 30 to 90 seconds

Language: English or Spanish

Other Requirements

1. Title. Each video must have a title. The title must be indicated on the submission form. The title does not need to be included in the video itself.

2. Credits. Credits must include the name of those involved in the creation of the video. The credits must also include citations for any images, audio, or text used in the video that is not original. The credits do not need to be included in the video itself, but must be included in the submission form.

The Sisters of Mercy may delete title and credit screens before posting videos on social media.

Entrants are strongly encouraged to use original footage and graphics as much as possible.

Important Note on Rules: In order to honor copyright protections, rules regarding use of images and music were updated for the 2022 contest and remain in effect for 2024. See the complete rules for details.

Deadline

All entries must be received by April 3, 2024.

Prizes

A panel of judges will use these criteria to select the winning video. Individual winners will receive financial awards. The Grand Prize Winner receives $500.

Winning entries may be featured on the Sisters of Mercy Institute web site and social media channels. Winners and their winning institution will be formally announced.

Interested?

If you think you might be interested in entering this contest, fill out this form to receive contest information and updates.

Past Winners

Click here to view all of our past winners.