Pinwheels for Peace Planted at Mercy Montessori
Mercy Montessori students celebrated Mercy Day and the International Day of Peace on September 24th by displaying 300 hand-crafted pinwheels in the school’s front yard. Each student, from the preschool through the 8th grade, created a unique pinwheel with his or her messages for world peace and personal peace inscribed on the inside. The goal with this project is to “have our wishes for peace to be blown on the wind to the larger community and beyond, “ said Art Teacher, Cathy Herring. The Pinwheels of Peace event was started in 2005 and takes place annually across the globe. Last year, more than 4 million pinwheels were displayed in over 3,500 locations around the world to celebrate children’s wishes for peace.
“It was truly a collaborative effort”, said principal, Patty Normile. “from our teaching staff integrating the subject matter into their lesson plans down to our older students helping younger children place their pinwheel in the ground. It was a beautiful display of the Mercy Spirit alive and well at our school.”
In addition to the pinwheel art installation, students also collected canned goods and other non-perishable items to donate to Mercy Neighborhood Ministries (MNM) Senior Services. Each month, Mercy Montessori Junior High students volunteer with MNM and help distribute food to underprivileged elderly in the area.
The food donations are collected in honor of Mercy Day and the spirit of Catherine McCauley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. McCauley established the House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland on September 24, 1827 as a place where the poor, especially women and girls, could find safe lodging and faith based education. Her work at the House of Mercy led her to establish the Sisters of Mercy in 1831.
“We are thankful for the peaceful and generous spirits of our students and faculty at Mercy Montessori,” said Sr. Aloyse Gerhardstein. “Today’s events provided a beautiful and meaningful display that the children could easily connect to.”
