In This Edition
- A Letter from Sister Carolyn
- Reunion Updates
- News & Events
- Mercy in Our World
- Roll Call
- Skippers Remembered
- From the Mercy Archives
- Mercy Girls Today
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Please note that Mercy's campus is currently closed as mandated by California state and local governments to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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A Letter from Sister Carolyn
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Dear Women of Mercy,
Who ever thought that Spring 2020 would unfold as it has? Here at Mercy, the campus has been closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic since March 12 as we do all we can to keep our students and the larger community safe and healthy. We have moved to distance learning with all of our classes taking place via the Internet. The transition has gone amazingly well, with both teachers and students demonstrating a great ability to adapt to our new reality.
Seniors continue applying to and hearing from colleges and universities across the country, while we continue to work with frosh, sophomores, and juniors and their families to make plans for “life after Mercy.” We started by meeting with high school administrators to set up procedures to facilitate the application process and then held an evening on which we hosted over 20 schools in McAuley Pavilion so that families could get information they needed. Currently Mercy Burlingame and Riordan are claiming the largest groups of our students, with others heading to Sacred Heart Cathedral, ICA Cristo Rey, Convent of the Sacred Heart, St. Ignatius, High School of the Arts, and Westmoor.
As you remember your senior year at Mercy, can you imagine what it is like for our seniors and in fact for all of our students who will be saying farewell to Mercy? It was hard enough to deal with Mercy’s closing, but now the pandemic is dictating that the spring play (
Mamma Mia!), the prom (was going to be on the Bay), all sports activities, all end-of-year activities...all are canceled. We are even beginning to plan for a virtual graduation.
It is my hope that once the “all clear” is sounded, we will be able to host some very important events on campus and in person. I think it is important that we have a campus celebration for graduation and for all of our current students and faculty to be able to celebrate together and to bring our Mercy experience to a close, before each of us begins a new chapter in our lives.
Clearly the May 9 farewell event cannot be held, but I realize how hugely important it is for us to celebrate and bid farewell to Mercy and to have an on-campus, in-person celebration to once again come together and to exchange in-person hugs, memories and good wishes. We will schedule this important moment whenever the coronavirus passes.
It is no coincidence that this is all happening during Holy Week, when we walk with Jesus through his difficult days in order to reach the new life we are promised at Easter. Next Sunday is about hope; I pray that each of you finds hope in the faith we share as a community, a hope that new life awaits us!
Be well!
In Mercy,
Sister Carolyn Krohn '65, RSM
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For Easter Sunday
Christ is risen!
Thanks be to you, O God,
who has raised Jesus from the dead,
And who, with him, has raised me from the darkness into light…
Help me in remembering to feel the touch of resurrection within,
To hear the voices of angels and the wild whispers of faith,
That because he lives I shall live also…
I shall live with a new vision of what it means
To see daily existence glimmering in the light of an eternal purpose.
I shall live...renewed in hope and assurance.
— Kenneth G. Phifer
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Class of 1960 - 60th Reunion
Class of 1970 - 50th Reunion
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Class of 1975 - 45th Reunion
- Contact Lorrie Fogarty
- Saturday, Sep. 19, 12-4 p.m.
- Harding Park Clubhouse
Class of 1980 - 40th Reunion
Class of 1985 - 35th Reunion
Class of 1990 - 30th Reunion
- Contact Nancy Casco
- Saturday, Jun. 6
- Mercy High School, Rist Hall (dependent on COVID-19 status)
Class of 2010 - 10th Reunion
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Become a Class Coordinator!
It is time to start planning our 2020 reunions! We need alumnae to serve as class coordinators and organize their class gatherings!
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- Class of 1960 - 60 years*
- Class of 1965 - 55 years
- Class of 1970 - 50 years*
- Class of 1975 - 45 years*
- Class of 1980 - 40 years*
- Class of 1985 - 35 years*
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- Class of 1990 - 30 years*
- Class of 1995 - 25 years
- Class of 2000 - 20 years
- Class of 2005 - 15 years
- Class of 2010 - 10 years*
- Class of 2015 - 5 years
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The Alumnae Office will be as supportive as it can for as long as it is able in regards to reunions. We need
to secure class representatives so that we can create a viable alumnae association for the future.
*Planning underway!
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Mercy Sweatshirt Order Update
Sweatshirt orders placed BEFORE February 20:
Your items have arrived at Mercy, but we aren't able to be on campus at this time to ship them out to you and they won’t be available for pickup as planned. We will continue to keep you posted on our access to campus and when we might be able to complete these orders for you.
Sweatshirt orders placed AFTER February 20:
Your orders were placed with our vendor in March, but we have been informed that they had to shut down operations with the stay-at-home order and have currently paused all fulfillment. We don’t have further information about when they might resume, but we will continue to check in with them and keep you informed. As you can imagine, we just don't have enough information right now to give you a timeline because no one knows how long the stay-at-home order will remain in effect. Note that the company is CA-based.
Please note we were only placing sweatshirt orders in bulk with our vendor after you ordered them. We couldn’t afford to keep stock on hand before you purchased.
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Alumnae Varsity Cardigan Order Update
Your orders were placed on time in one bulk order with our vendor on March 2 with a fulfillment timeline of 6-10 weeks. Our vendor has informed us that they are still on track with the original timeline and we are expecting them to be shipped to us by May 1. We will keep you updated as to how we plan to get them to you once we know more about our access to campus
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Mercy's Official Class Ring
Misplaced your class ring or did not order one in high school? Now is your final chance to order the Official Class Ring for Mercy High School from Jostens.
Please note that the discount date of April 1 has passed. All orders placed after April 1 will be charged at full price.
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“Missing” Alumnae Class Lists on Mercy Website
The Alumnae Office is working on compiling class lists of alumnae for whom no email and/or mailing addresses are on record. We hope to have every class listed by the end of April. If you see yourself or someone you know on one of these lists, please contact the Alumnae Office. We hope to fill in as much missing information as possible before Mercy closes in June.
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Help Identify Valedictorian of Your Graduating Class
Were you valedictorian of your class or do you remember who was? Mercy would like to compile a complete list of our valedictorians for our alumnae records.
We are still missing these years:
- 60s: 1961, 1962, 1967
- 70s: 1977
- 80s: 1989
- 00s: 2000, 2006
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Mercy in Our World
Alumnae Living Out Mercy's Mission
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O’Donnell '59 Quoted in Catholic SF Article
Sister Joan Marie O’Donnell '59 was featured in a recent Catholic San Francisco article highlighting how some local Sisters of Mercy are responding to the coronavirus pandemic. She notes that “the Sisters of Mercy closed Mercy Center in Burlingame
to all public events and in their confinement are sending handwritten notes of encouragement to patients in a Tenderloin neighborhood recovery program.”
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Wong '96 & Her Community Step Up During COVID-19
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Comedian and performing artist
Kristina Wong '96, along with a team of volunteers, are making dozens of face masks from home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. There are more than 100 volunteers and include everyone from “award winning filmmakers to people with Master's degrees to large non-profit managers to children who are all cutting, sewing and ironing face masks.”
Thank you for making these critical masks for those that need them!
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How do you live out Mercy’s mission every day?
What values from Mercy are you bringing to your community? How do you address the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy—volunteering in your church community, donating time to the homeless, assisting as a mentor, advocating for the marginalized and disenfranchised?
We want to share your “Mercy” to inspire others to do the same!
Please share your story for
Mercy In Our World by emailing Georgia Wasley '09, Alumnae Development Officer, at
gwasley@mercyhs.org.
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Roll Call
Grads who have recently "checked in"
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Anne Marra Doran '56
Current City: Arvada, CO
Erin (Margaret) Shields-Pett '60
Job Title: Piano Teacher
Current City: Bath, England
Update: Had been working to get our Bath MP reelected to Parliament
—my first foray into politics. Also still loving teaching piano!
Kathleen Curtis Behnke '62
Current City: Chico, CA
Lynda Stensvold LaBar '68
Current City: Westminster, CO
Venetia (Tisha) Ofalsa Nutter '76
Current City: Taylor, MI
Kathleen Tullius '78
Job Title: Senior Tax Analyst Block Advisors (an HR Block Company)
Current City: Pacifica, CA
Update: I recently certified as a Senior Tax Analyst at Block Advisors, the premium brand of H & R Block. Last year, I stepped down as the Office Manager at the Linda Mar office in Pacifica to serve more clients and concentrate on earning my Enrolled Agent certification from the IRS. Many thanks to all of the Mercy math team for their instruction and inspiration, especially Mrs.Turner, Mr. Fortgang and Ms. Wong!
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Suzanne Rossi Beach '80
Current City: Santa Rosa, CA
Adrienne McKinney Hill '82
Job Title: Psychologist at Belmont Redwood Shores School District
Current City: Pacifica, CA
Marianne Jensen '90
Current City: Oakland, CA
Clare Gross Ota '92
Job Title: Senior Business Development and Marketing Manager for Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Current City: San Francisco, CA
Jessica Arzave Pheatt '01
Job Title: Title Officer at Old Republic Title Company
Current City: Novato, CA
Anastasia Bondarchuk '03
Job Title: Attorney at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP
Current City: San Francisco, CA
Taylor Cooney '17
Current City: San Francisco, CA
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Linda Flaherty-Combs '70
August 16, 1952 - March 5, 2020
Linda Flaherty-Combs, age 67, passed away suddenly in Santa Rosa on March 5, 2020. She was born in San Francisco in 1952, a daughter of Joseph and Barbara Flaherty.
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Kathleen “Katie” Kennedy Shinn '77
May 4, 1959 - March 30, 2020
Our beloved Katie peacefully rested on Monday, March 30, after a courageously fought health battle. A loving wife of 22 years to David Anthony Shinn, stepmom to Kathryn (Grant) Kamin, "grandma cook" to Grayson and Carson Kamin, sister to Maureen (Danny) McCarthy, Patrick Kennedy, and Jim (Debbie) Kennedy, devoted aunt to over 20 nieces and nephews, and is leaving behind many relatives in San Francisco and Ireland.
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Share Your Mercy Memories With Us!
We have a special request from all who have attended Mercy High School - WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS and YOUR MEMORIES OF MERCY!
Please email your pictures with a caption to Georgia Wasley '09, Alumnae Development Officer, at
gwasley@mercyhs.org
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Mercy Girls Today
Student News & Events, For You!
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Mercy faculty, staff and students are doing their best to keep spirits high during this time away from campus and each other. The school community was asked to submit photos or videos of their fury, feathered and fish friends for a virtual pet parade. Special thanks to Dean of Students and Student Service, Mrs. Raquel Oliva-Gomez for compiling and creating this video.
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Mercy's Virtual Bingo!
Check out Mercy's Bingo sheet to see how current Skippers have been passing the time at home. How many squares can
you relate to your time at Mercy?
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Athletics
Check out
Mercy’s Athletic Fitness Resources guide for fitness resources you can utilize for any at-home workouts. Staying active and maintaining our physical, mental, and emotional health is essential during this difficult time.
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Stay Connected with Mercy
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Update your contact information with Mercy so you can receive news and announcements about alumnae events and reunions!
We love to know how our alumnae are making a difference in our world!
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Alumnae Questions?
Contact Georgia Wasley '09, Alumnae Development Officer, at 415-872-0968 or
gwasley@mercyhs.org.
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Giving is a True Act of Mercy
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Our Mission
Mercy High School, San Francisco, educates women to pursue lives of spiritual and intellectual depth, determination, and daring action to improve our world as an inclusive, Catholic, college preparatory community enlivened by the Gospel of Jesus and the charism of the Sisters of Mercy.
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