August 21, 2018 | SEND NEWS ITEMS TO: mesa@sistersofmercy.org
Back-to-School Blessings
As many Mercy education ministries begin a new school year, the MESA team shares the following prayer, written by Sister Helen Libo-on, published in Come to the Table:

Our most loving Creator, with grateful hearts, we thank you for the opening of this new school year in our Mercy schools. We humbly ask you to grace us with your presence throughout the school year.

We need your Spirit of courage, enthusiasm and inspiration for our young learners, to open themselves to truth and wisdom. Touch their minds and hearts that they may learn to choose the right path and make good choices in life.

We beg your Spirit for patient perseverance and generosity of hearts for our Mercy educators and administrators in the challenging tasks of guiding our children. Gift them with love that is selfless and forgiving.

We lift up to you our parents, alumni and countless others in the community who side-by-side work with us in the formation of the young. Give meaning to the work of our hands so we strive to do our very best to make a difference in our community, our country and the whole world.

We earnestly pray for your grace as we dedicate this new school year to our Mother Foundress, Catherine McAuley, to our Virgin Mary, our Lady of Mercy. This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Teacher. Amen.
First-Ever First Day of School
at Mercy McAuley High School
On August 15, faculty and staff welcomed students to the new Mercy McAuley High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. A ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorated the opening of the school, followed by a Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. The MESA family wishes the Mercy McAuley Wolves a great first year! See more pictures from their first-ever first day of school.
Message from Mercy Leadership on the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report
On August 16, the Institute Leadership Team, the Mid-Atlantic Community Leadership Team and the Community of New York Pennsylvania West Transitional Coordinating Team shared a message regarding the Pennsylvania grand jury report regarding sexual abuse by priests in six dioceses in the state.


Let us pray for healing and justice for all affected by sexual abuse.
Celebrate the Season of Creation
From September 1 to October 4, Christians around the world unite for the Season of Creation to pray and care for Earth. In response to Pope Francis' call to hear the cry of Earth and the poor, the MESA family is invited to celebrate the Season of Creation as an expression of our Mercy Critical Concern for Earth.

Mercy International Association (MIA) has several resources and images you may find helpful, including the calendar pictured above which features daily suggestions for embracing the Season of Creation. Find the calendar and other resources here.

Other resources are available from the Season of Creation website in English and in Spanish.
Five Mercy Grads Commissioned as Mercy Volunteers
Mercy Volunteer Corps (MVC) commissioned their 41st group of Mercy Volunteers on August 11 in Burlingame, California. The group of 37 new Mercy Volunteers includes four graduates of Mercy high schools and one Mercy college graduate.

From left to right:
  • Emily Janda (graduate of Mercy High School, Omaha) will serve for a second year at Healing WELL in San Francisco, California.
  • Anna Pappas (graduate Merion Mercy Academy) will serve for a second year at St. John Bosco Academy in Guyana, South America.
  • Alexis Freydenfelt (graduate of Mount Mercy University) will serve at MercyFirst in New York City, New York.
  • Emily Staley (graduate of Mercy High School, Omaha) will serve at Project HOME in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Meghan Peterson (graduate of Mercy High School, Omaha) will serve at Mercy Wings Vocational Center in Guyana, South America.

Learn more about Mercy Volunteer Corps. The application cycle for 2019 opens on September 6.
Registration due September 18 for Mercy Education Conference
The 2018 Mercy Education Conference will take place October 11-13, 2018.  Visit this page  for more details, and  click here to register .

This  conference brochure  contains further information, schedule and links to the registration forms. Please make sure that you and all of your attendees are registered for both the conference and the hotel (if needed) before September 18.
School Profile
Mater Christi School
We continue our series of school profiles with Mater Christi School in Burlington, Vermont.
Mater Christi School welcomes students from preschool through eighth grade. The school's history began in 1886, when the Sisters of Mercy opened Mount Saint Mary Academy, which was housed within the sisters' convent in Burlington. In 1963, Mater Christi became the successor to Mount Saint Mary.

Mater Christi is an independent school with accreditation by both the State of Vermont and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Connect with Mater Christi on Facebook!
Mater Christi School is committed to providing a quality, values-centered education in the Catholic tradition that prepares students for the complexities of our diverse world.

The core values of the school are:
  • spiritual growth and development
  • personal and educational excellence
  • concern for human dignity
  • global vision and responsibility
  • compassion and service
  • collaboration

Because young children learn best through play, the preschool and pre-k programs are play-based. The kindergarten curriculum incorporates a play-based program with academics.

Grades 1-3 enjoy daily instruction in math, language arts and religion, with other content areas incorporated. Grades 4-5 rotate to different teachers with content areas paired to provide a more authentic study of the material. In grades 6-8, Mater Christi students become critical thinkers and problem-solvers.
Good News & Great Opportunities
  • (Pictured above) Students at Mother McAuley High School in Chicago, Illinois, hosted summer theater camp for children from low-income families. The camp was organized by McAuley senior Jane McGuire for her Girl Scouts Gold Award project.
  • Mount Saint Mary graduate Cara Condodina completed a summer service trip to Kenya, where she delivered books she had collected in U.S. schools. Read more about her experience.
  • Back to School with Mercy's Critical Concerns - Mercy Associate Mark Piper shares suggestions for students to embrace the Critical Concerns.
  • The Institute Justice Team recently shared that the Trump administration will soon determine the number of refugees the United States will welcome for resettlement in the coming year. Please send a message to your U.S. representative and senators to advocate for a robust resettlement program and adequate funding for humanitarian assistance.
  Updated Job Listings


Please send your job listings to mesa@sistersofmercy.org . We will run employment notices in MESA Flash for two weeks only. After that, you'll find older listings on our Ministry Openings web page. That page contains links to the employment pages of MESA schools.
 
Annual Administrator Meeting

October 11, 2018
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
 
Mercy 2018 Education Conference

Hosted by Merion Mercy Academy
October 12-13, 2018
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
 
Leadership Forum

February 28, 2019
Atlanta, Georgia
 We encourage you to send in information for MESA Flash . We'd love to share your good news and photos from your schools, along with tips and practical suggestions. Email us at mesa@sistersofmercy.org .
NOTE: The "mesa" inbox is shared by the entire MESA staff. If you need a response from a specific person, email that staff member directly .