Cincinnati,
Ohio, September 18, 2018 – Over the summer, two Saint Ursula Academy students hosted students from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland as part of the Ulster Project Cincinnati. This peace-building project seeks to foster tolerance, understanding, and friendship between Protestants and Catholics, two groups which, in Ireland, have been at war with each other for eight centuries. The Ulster Project brings students from Northern Ireland to Cincinnati in hopes of creating a better understanding of how Protestants and Catholics can coexist and work together peacefully.
Saint Ursula
Academy students Lauren Pollock ’21
of Anderson Township and Mary Boschert
’21 of Mount Airy hosted Derbhla Duffy and Isuelt Finn-O-Connor from Ireland for the month of July. While Derbhla and Isuelt were in Cincinnati, they took in sights and experiences common to other visitors to Cincinnati. In addition, they reflected on the ease at which Protestants and Catholics interact in the city of Cincinnati. The visitors from Northern Ireland were exposed to a culture in which differences in religions were accepted and embraced. Through “Discovery Mondays”, led by trained counselors from the Ulster Project, the students from very different backgrounds, discussed sensitive topics such as racism, sectarianism, and classism. Through meaningful conversation and exposure to others’ beliefs, many myths were dispelled and a new appreciation for differences was created. Students attended both Catholic Masses and Protestant services while they visited. This experience shed greater light on the similarities between the two groups who struggle for peace in Northern Ireland.
While Derbhla and
Isuelt were learning about a culture much different than their own, the Saint
Ursula Academy students were also learning more about how they can become
peace-makers at home.
“The Ulster Project
Cincinnati Directors Matt and Megan Mull pushed us to be the best we could
be! They encouraged us to take risks,
step out of our comfort zone, and not be discouraged by weaknesses. They encouraged us to be leaders, and gave us
the confidence and skills necessary to do so,” said Mary.
In this “Year of the Prophet” at Saint Ursula Academy, students are encouraged to become modern day prophets by finding ways to become role models for others and encouraging others to step out of their comfort zones to impart positive change in the world. The Ulster Project allowed SUA students Lauren and Mary to meet the challenge laid before them. They have become prophets by sharing their experiences with students from Northern Ireland. Now, those students from Northern Ireland can continue the peaceful conversation, which began in Cincinnati, with their peers in Northern Ireland. This project is just one more way in which students from Saint Ursula Academy are building a better world, across the globe!
The Ulster Project is currently looking for student hosts from Northern Ireland for next summer. If you have a freshman son or daughter who would like to host a student, or for more information about the program, click HERE.
Photo caption:
Saint Ursula Academy students Mary
Boschert ’21 of Mount Airy and Lauren Pollock ’21 of Anderson Township attended
various churches around Cincinnati to demonstrate the peaceful relationships
between denominations while Derbhla Duffy and Iseult Finn-O’Connor visited from
Ireland.
Saint Ursula Academy is a
Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for
academic excellence and rich tradition. Saint Ursula welcomes students from
more than 90 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. The Academy is 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 Saint Ursula Academy
and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2018 earned college scholarships totaling
more than $21-million.