Mercy McAuley High School aims to instill key core values in its students, and evidence indicates it is succeeding. During Lent, the school’s campus ministry sponsored a contest among homerooms to collect the most layettes (a bag of necessities for newborn babies) to donate to Pregnancy Center West. The students came through with 65, each including one receiving blanket, one newborn onesie, two pairs of newborn socks, one pacifier or teether, one pack of newborn diapers and one footed sleeper. And students donated other newborn necessities as well.

Director of Campus Ministry Dave Nissen was pleased to see the students once again participate in a worthy cause.

“I’m blessed to work here. The students are awesome, faith-filled and really do want to serve the community,” he said. “They love one another and they love the people on the outside as well. It’s easy for me to find volunteers to serve.”

Haley Cook, a senior who participated, said the pro-life movement at the school comes in part from Mercy McAuley’s core values: Compelled by mercy; educational courage; inspired by faith; principled leadership; and a voice for dignity and respect.

“We want to help out with anything to do with life,” Cook said. “I know that some people still get abortions all the way through the third trimester … Through our Catholic faith, we know that life is always precious throughout.”

While many programs help instill an opposition to abortion in Catholic students, Nissen said it is important to go even further. “Life issues don’t stop at just preventing abortion,” he said. “It includes helping moms to have what they need to bring a life into the world.”

Linda Trenn, Executive Director of Pregnancy Center West, agrees. She said collections like the one from Mercy McAuley make a big difference in their ministry.

“It is extremely helpful,” she said. “We run on donations only, and it’s very important to give these baby bags out to the girls when they come in because it makes it all become real when they see the baby clothes or the rattle.”

Trenn noted that several Catholic schools previously donated and such efforts seem to be increasing. She hopes to see more schools join Pregnancy Center West in its mission.

Going forward at Mercy McAuley, Nissen anticipates his students will continue to impact local ministry efforts. He does the legwork, finding ministries that align with Mercy McAuley’s Catholic values, asks what they need, then turns it over to the student body.

“It’s easy to find students to participate,” Nissen said, “when you’re a school compelled by Mercy.”

This article appeared in the October 2023 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.