Cincinnati, Ohio, December 4, 2014 – The students of Saint Ursula Academy are embracing this year’s school theme of “becoming a Prophet” by answering the Pope’s call to “share ideas that could contribute to the Church's outreach to young women and support them in meeting today's challenges.”
Students in Saint Ursula religion classes taught by Bill Burnside, Joanne Koehl, Deanna Cahill, and Jennifer Mertens recently participated in “Voices of Young Catholic Women,” a project sponsored by St. Mary’s College. Young women across the country were encouraged to write letters to the Pope explaining the challenges for Catholic women living in a modern world. Additionally, they were asked to share ideas for new, engaging ministries that may be relevant for women living in a society today where violence against woman has become all too common. Students reflected on the pressures of teen media culture and the challenges they face in regards to body image, violence against women, or integrating a healthy sexuality. Some wrote about the lack of confidence, depression, and eating disorders that many teenage women experience.
Ms. Mertens believes this project was a perfect fit for her charge to educate young women. “When I first heard about ‘Voices of Young Catholic Women,’ I was immediately excited by the idea -- the project felt like an invaluable opportunity for the students to offer their voices and experiences as young women in our faith community.”
Freshman Katie Schulte of White Oak was excited to share her thoughts with Pope Francis. “For me, writing a letter to the Pope was the opportunity, the gift of a lifetime. This letter meant the world to me. I was able to share my hopes and dreams for a better world, and found a confidant in Pope Francis to share the struggles I have faced in my own life. At first, I was very intimidated- writing a letter to the Pope? I did not know what to say! Eventually, the words just flowed through my hand and onto the letter, which I hope that the Pope will soon read. I wrote about the challenges young women face in modern day America, hoping that he will be able to help women around the world feel more confident in themselves and in what they contribute to the world. I also would love for him to wear the beautiful stole we sent to him- it would mean he is acknowledging women’s need for liberation and equality.”
Freshman Mary Ellen O’Toole of Anderson Township was also grateful for the opportunity to share her thoughts. “I am so glad I had the opportunity to write a letter to Pope Francis. It was a great chance to tell someone in authority the challenges teenage girls face. My goal for writing to Pope Francis was that the letters would be read and acted upon. I hope he will see the need for change. The theme for this school year is Prophet, which is what my class was being challenged to do by speaking up about these issues.”
The project also asked for other forms of creative expressions. Ms. Mertens wanted the students to be able to offer something to Pope Francis that would represent the hopes and dreams of young women more broadly. Creating a stole for Pope Francis came to mind as a symbolic gesture which could represent the gifts of young women -- and also be easily transported to Rome. St. Ursula Academy Assistant Principal of Academics Mary Ann Meyer developed the design for a stole and students cut and pieced the fabric design together. Maria Rosa Arbona (former biology teacher at SUA) then embroidered and sewed the pieces together to form a beautiful stole. There were many women working on this project across the generations, which was significant!
The letters and the stole were hand delivered to Pope Francis by St. Mary’s College President Carol Mooney, St. Mary's student Kristen Millar and St. Mary's graduate Grace Urankar on November 26. Said Mooney of this opportunity, “We told Pope Francis that the letters contained the joys and hope, griefs and sorrows of our young women. The interchange was brief but truly moving. He asked us to pray for him, he said that he needs our prayers.”
To learn more about St. Ursula Academy, please visit www.saintursula.org.
St. Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. St. Ursula welcomes students from more than 70 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. In 2002 the Academy was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2014 earned college scholarships totaling more than $20-million.