advancement
Carey’s Corner Dear Alumnae and Friends,
Did you know that only 1.6% of Americans’ charitable giving goes toward nonprofits helping women and girls? That is wrong and a great
Recently, we celebrated Mercy Day at Mother McAuley….September 24….every year. It’s our big day highlighting our heritage and the foundation of the Sisters of Mercy. We honor a staff member and student who exemplify the qualities of Catherine McAuley. We tell the story of a young woman, Catherine, who used her talents and her resources to start a movement of supporting women and children in mercy and love. It is the most important day of the year for our school community because we look back on where we came from and on whose shoulders we are standing. This year, we also tied this celebration to a more deliberate day of giving. We have dipped our toe in this water before, but cautiously. We did not want to seem too bold and tie this celebration to money and fundraising but instead we suggested that if you were so inclined would you consider giving?
opportunity. You have the
Guess what? We weren’t listening to the story.
power to change this by
There was no caution or fear in Catherine McAuley when she set out to build the first House of Mercy on Baggot Street in 1827. It is part of the story - a key component!
giving to Mother McAuley. It’s that simple. Your gift will tell our young women they matter and their future is important.
Catherine McAuley used her inheritance to start a school and home for women and children. Why would we separate that part of the story? It’s the foundation. Financial support was the catalyst that helped her vision become a reality. Bold and daring are not flaws but wonderful attributes. I was recently moved by this quote: “I stand on the sacrifices of a million women before me thinking what can I do to make this mountain taller so the women after me can see farther.” (Rupi Kaur) McAuley has thousands of bold and daring alumnae and supporters. We educate young women who are bold and daring and we need financial support to fuel our resources building taller mountains that allow our young women to grow and see farther. Help us build that mountain! Boldly,
Carey Harrington Vice President of Institutional Advancement charrington@mothermcauley.org
37
