Over 280 Mercy educators gathered at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 10-11, 2024, for the 42nd annual Mercy Education Conference.
Under the theme “Cultivating Compassion, Nurturing Nonviolence,” the event empowered participants to discover inner peace, enabling them to foster more harmonious school environments and address the fear and violence in our world today.
On Thursday, October 10, Angela McParland-Howard, a member of the Mercy Justice Team and the founder of Nuns Against Violence Coalition, inspired participants with stories of Sisters of Mercy and others in the Mercy community whose radical personal commitments embody active, not passive, nonviolence.
“Nonviolence is itself an active force for good, not simply the absence of violence,” Angie stated.
Inspired by their stories, she encouraged educators and administrators to consider how they can deepen their own practices of nonviolence.
“The bad news is the violence is so deeply embedded,” Angie said. “The good news is when we start to tug one thread, one tiny piece, we can impact it all.”
She offered concrete ways to be part of a peaceful solution and shared resources including Action Alerts and the Sisters of Mercy Voter Resource Guide.
Author Ann Garrido presented on Friday, October 11, focusing on “micro-actions” to deescalate tough conversations and practice nonviolence in our daily lives.
Her workshop encouraged participants to consider how to stay in their effective green zone, versus their ineffective red zone, during conflicts.
They also learned tools to help the see the perspective of someone with whom they may disagree, including practical questions such as “Tell me about what you are seeing that you think I might be missing” and “What experiences have shaped your thinking on this?”
Conference participants attended four unique breakout sessions that equipped them with ideas, tips and tools for fostering nonviolence in both their personal lives and school communities.
Educate, Advocate, Serve: Mercy Tech Hits the Street
Charity is a hallmark of our Mercy schools, but what about justice? Inspired by presentations at last year’s Mercy Education Conference in Jamaica, school administrators at Mercy Career & Technical High School coordinated an advocacy effort for students during Holy Week 2024. Nancy Green, Director of Advancement; Justine Philyaw, Vice Principal; and their senior students, Amiliya Smith and Chase Urquhart, shared about their rewarding experience planning a trip to Washington, D.C. for a lobby visit to elected officials.
Educational Mediation: A Peaceful Alternative for Conflict Resolution
Lucila de la Portilla, Gabriela Carina Zurzolo and Lucia Garcia Fernández offered participants an in-depth look at the Education Coexistence and Mediation Program at Colegio Santa Ethnea. This conflict resolution initiative has transformed the culture of their school community and empowers students to seek – and mediate for themselves – nonviolent solutions for their conflicts.
Peace in Oneself, Peace in the World
Sister Suzanne Gallagher, RSM, discussed the distinction between “non-violence” (“absence of violence”) and “nonviolence” (“actively working for peace”). She invited participants to consider how we can make choices for nonviolence.
The Whole Story: Using Hip Hop and Personal Narrative to Counter Violence and Stereotypes Promoted in Popular Media
Quan Neloms, educator, counselor, author, community leader and creator of the Lyricist Society, discussed the influence of media on perpetuating stereotypes and the power of storytelling through music to counteract these effects. Quan shared a variety of tools, including artificial intelligence to help educators empower their students to create their own stories.
In a panel discussion facilitated by Kimberly Baxter, three Mercy educators – Mariela Chiessa, teacher and counselor at Instituto María Regina; Patty Normile, Principal of Mercy Montessori; Mary Ann Steutermann, Director of Mission Effectiveness at Assumption High School – explored how the principles of nonviolence relate to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
“When these needs are unmet,” Mariela explained, “individuals and communities may turn to violence in their attempt to satisfy these needs.”
Panelists shared ideas from their respective schools to address the needs of their students, from physiological needs (nutrition and sleep) to love and belonging to self-actualization.
Our two member schools in Louisville – Assumption High School and Mercy Academy – hosted this event and offered participants experiences to pray together each morning.
On Thursday evening, both schools hosted tours and participants bonded over the flavorful tastes of Louisville.
The evening wrapped up with a live bluegrass performance at the Galt House. Thank you to both host schools and to the dedicated Conference Planning Committee!
Also on Thursday, the Mercy Education Board of Directors named Sister Delores Hannon, RSM, as the recipient of the 2024 Sister Corinne Raven Mercy Education Leadership Award.
Friday afternoon brought a special announcement from Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan, Head of School at Mercy High School Burlingame, who announced her school as the host of the 2025 Mercy Education Conference, focused on the Mercy Critical Concern for immigration. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months!