Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • October 15, 2021 18 Our Lady Academy (OLA) held its annual Mercy Day Celebration on September 24. Each year, OLA observes the founding of the House of Mercy on Baggot St. in Dublin, Ireland. Catherine McAuley opened the House of Mercy to shelter and educate women and girls. Mother Catherine McAuley founded the sisters of Mercy in 1831. Her moto, “Let us fit young women for earth without unfitting them for heaven” remains present in the halls of Our Lady Academy. The celebration consists of a morning prayer ser- vice, tea, picnic, games, and laughter. OLA teacher, Leigh Chapman, began the Mercy Day prayer ceremo- ny with a tribute to Catherine McAuley. “It is a dream of God’s compassion and mercy that became the House of Mercy on Baggot Street in Dublin, Ireland. The ini- tial opening of those first doors of mercy widened to embrace the struggling poor of Dublin and beyond. Catherine chose to use her inherited wealth to extend Christ’s mercy to those in need. The House of Mercy addressed the needs of homeless girls and women as well as people who were uneducated and economically poor.” Included in the prayer service, each sisterhood pre- sented gifts of service. Sisterhoods are made up of students from each class representing six ministries: Hospitality, Respect & Dignity, Justice, Diversity, Integrity & Compassion, and Stewardship. The purpose of sisterhoods is for students to work as a team in developing and fulfilling projects that service others in the community. Following lunch, the competition between the sis- terhoods began. Sisterhood teams competed in kick ball, volleyball, creating rosary beads, playing games, spending time in adoration, and practicing the “Mercy Dance.” Once the scores for each team were tallied, the winner of this year’s Mercy Day Sisterhood was announced. ‘Respect and Dignity’ sisterhood team took home the 2021 Mercy Day trophy. Seniors enjoying tea and pastries ‘Diversity’ Sisterhood creating rosaries ‘Hospitality’ Sisterhood practicing the Mercy Dance Celebrating Mercy Day O ur L ady A cademy , B ay S t . L ouis Our Lady Academy (OLA) Principal Marilyn Pigott will present to senior Alyssa Fayard a Letter of Commendation from OLA and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC ® ). “Those being named Commended Students have demon- strated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. In addition to being commended for her National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) performance, Alyssa was also named AP Scholar with Distinction for her Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores. The AP Scholar with Distinction award is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of three or higher on five of more of these exams. Alyssa posted a score of five on both her Biology and Calculus AP exams and a score of four on her English/Language, U.S. History, and Spanish Language & Culture AP exams. An honors student, Alyssa is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and serves as committee chair for the Youth Legislature. She holds title as captain of the Robotics Team and men- tors the FIRST Lego League members of OLA and Holy Trinity Catholic School. She also volunteers as a counselor for Our Lady of the Gulf Vacation Bible School and assists in the Pink Heart Fundraiser events, supporting breast cancer survivors. As a two-sport athlete, she has lettered both in cross country and archery, and has been a member of the Campus Ministry since ninth grade. Principal Marilyn Pigott said, “What an honor this is for Alyssa, and this is truly a reflection of her outstanding dedication and diligence towards her academic suc- cess. This honor is also a testament of OLA’s commitment to afford the opportunity for each student to receive a stellar college preparatory education and to achieve their God-given potential for their future success.” “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accom- plishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their education opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success,” added the NMSC spokesperson. Alyssa Fayard recognized as a Commended Student in the National Merit ® Scholarship program OLA Principal Marilyn Pigott and Senior Alyssa Fayard