May 9, 2019 Dear Mercy McAuley Community,
"A good beginning is of great importance."
Our inaugural school year at Mercy McAuley is quickly coming to a close. The year was marked by new beginnings, new traditions, new friendships, and an emerging new legacy – a legacy that our students themselves are working to create. With every passing day, event, exam, project and gathering, our community of Mercy McAuley is finding its way forward. This is a community that has been enriched by every one of you - and for the gift of you, we are grateful!
Symbols are tangible expressions of the intangible. The most powerful symbolism can't be forced—it has to emerge. It often emerges when we engage the best of ourselves and each other. This past month, eight Mercy McAuley students, supported by faculty, shared the fruits of their gifts by unveiling our new Alma Mater and Fight Song; two iconic symbols of the Mercy McAuley legacy that will continue for generations to come. I invite you to read the words of these songs and experience the Mercy McAuley legacy that these students have expressed so eloquently. We could not be more proud of these students for their leadership, passion, and their spirit of Mercy!
Another way that we follow our Mercy Charism is by expressing our Catholic faith together in both intentional and organic ways. Next Tuesday, May 14, we invite all of you – parents, alumnae, and friends – to join us for our May Crowning ceremony at 1:30 p.m. in the front courtyard (weather permitting), followed by our final All-School Mass of the year, which will begin at 1:45 p.m. in the Auditorium. After our May Crowning event, we will also commemorate Mercy McAuley's inaugural year with a special blessing. This ceremony will provide us with the opportunity to reflect upon our first year and the many gifts and blessings that we have within our Mercy McAuley Community. We are truly blessed!
MESA provides its member schools with a governance structure, including a MESA Board of Directors, which is made up of both Sisters of Mercy and lay people, much like the makeup of Mercy McAuley's Board of Directors. Think of MESA as an international "superintendent" of Mercy Education around the world. Through MESA, we join our sister schools in Charism and in support of the Sisters' Critical Concerns including Care for our Earth; Non-Violence; the dignity of each person, especially by providing for the needs of Immigrants and in solidarity against Racism; and last but not least, for, as Catherine McAuley would have put it, in the "careful instruction of Women." In the spirit of Catherine McAuley, we are called to commit ourselves to living our Catholic, Mercy mission and Gospel values.
Our future at Mercy McAuley is rich with opportunities! We have already begun a strategic planning process, one that will engage our constituents in a bold vision for our long-term future. Thanks to the alumnae who attended our last session, and the parents, prospective parents and students who will provide their input at sessions held next week.
Finally, I would like to offer my special thanks to the newly appointed members of our Strategic Planning Steering Committee. These committed individuals will support the Board of Directors in this effort by working on an aspirational vision statement and strategic framework that will be completed by December of this year. As with any volunteer effort, their gifts of time and talent are a true symbol of their commitment to a successful Mercy McAuley now and far into the future. Please join me in thanking them for their service.
Sincerely,
Patty Lusheck Ragio Mercy McAuley High School 6000 Oakwood Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45224 • (513) 681-1800 |