Buffalo Scoop

Mount Mercy’s Campus Ministry off to a busy start

Oct 20, 2019 | Lifestyles

Mercy students at Ronald McDonald House.

September signaled the start of a busy new school year at Mount Mercy Academy in South Buffalo. Different classes, incoming students, fresh activities and unfamiliar teachers are just a few of the new beginnings  Service and a busy Campus Ministry Department are nothing new, and not at all unusual at Mount Mercy, and the 2019-20 school year began right where it ended, with faith-filled activities and serving the community.

The year opened with short prayer services for the faculty, staff and student body. A blessing was bestowed upon the school’s athletes and the newly lined and refurbished gymnasium floor, which the Mount Mercy Academy Athletic Boosters Club generously funded. The students who attended the Mercy Girl Effect Leadership Conference in Philadelphia introduced this year’s Mercy Girl Effect Project. The school will be supporting Laudato Tree, a collaborative effort of Mercy schools, to support the Great Green Wall. The Great Green Wall is sponsored by the United Nations and will create a line of trees across Sub Saharan Africa, stretching from Senegal to Djibouti. The trees will help to fight against deforestation and climate change. The student team has planned several projects and fundraisers to support this effort.

The freshmen class held their class retreat. Students had the opportunity to create friendships through team-building activities and also learned more about the important components of a Mercy education.

The first mass of the year was held on Mercy Day, the anniversary of the day that Catherine McAuley first opened the House of Mercy in Ireland and dedicated it Our Lady of Mercy. A few days later the school had a celebration of Catherine McAuley’s birthday, hosting an event titled “Cupcakes for Catherine.”

While most of Western New York was watching the Bills-Patriots game, eight students, two faculty members and one alumna spent the afternoon preparing dinner at the Ronald McDonald House. 

The Mount Mercy community continues to follow Catherine McAuley’s vision of compassionate service and affirming the dignity and uniqueness of individuals.