Orland Park Woman Inducted into Mother McAuley's Hall of Honor

The Mother McAuley/Saint Xavier Academy Alumnae Association held the school’s second annual, All-Class Reunion and McAuley Hall Induction ceremony on Saturday, October 25, on the school’s campus, located at 3737 W. 99th Street in Chicago.

The evening began with Mass at 5 p.m. followed by a ceremony recognizing the inductees into McAuley Hall—the school’s Hall of Honor. Established in 2013, McAuley Hall is a permanent installation at the school, serving to educate and inspire current and future students, and all who visit the school. This year, seven women were selected, from more than 100 nominations, for induction into the Hall: Barbara Patrick O’Toole, SXA ’55, Margaret Dee Merrion ’67, Anne Edwards Cotter ’73, Trish Biondo Soltys ’85, Katie Schumacher Cawley ’97, Kerry Ryan Lynch ’98 and faculty member Sister Nancy Houlihan, RSM.

“The impact of a McAuley education can be seen and celebrated in the personal and professional accomplishments of these women,” says Lorri Johnson Nagle ‘81, president of the Mother McAuley & Saint Xavier Academy Alumnae Association. “They put into action and live out every aspect of the Lifetime Advantage that exemplifies a McAuley education. Confidence, compassion and advancement of the Mercy charism are the hallmarks of all McAuley women and their success.”

2014 Honorees

A staunch supporter of women’s education, Barbara Patrick O’Toole (Chicago – Beverly) was a specialist in freedom of speech issues as an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois (ACLU) for more than 40 years. Sadly, Barbara passed away in September 2013. Barbara joined the ACLU of Illinois in 1970 as part-time counsel. She took part in several significant cases for the ACLU and argued before the U.S. Supreme Court four times – a rare feat. Barbara also was the Illinois ACLU’s unofficial archivist and historian.

Margaret Dee Merrion (Kalamazoo, Michigan) known as “Peggy Dee” to her classmates, previously served as the Dean and Professor in the College of Fine Arts at Ball State University. Throughout her 24 years as a university dean, she raised more than $14 million for scholarships, professorships and the campus construction of the Richmond Center for Visual Arts at Western Michigan University, where she is Dean Emerita. She has authored or co-authored five books and more than two dozen articles, chapters and monographs.

Anne Edwards Cotter (Burr Ridge) credits much of her success to her McAuley education and the lifetime advantage it has provided her. An accomplished business owner, Anne’s work and volunteer efforts are well respected within the community and beyond. She is the recipient of the Women of Achievement Award by the Federation of Women Contractors and the Ethel S. Birchland Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, and in 2004 she was inducted into the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

For the past 28 years, Trish Biondo Soltys’s (Orland Park) voice has streamed across the Chicago airwaves for US99 FM Radio. Her work has given her a springboard to help raise awareness and contribution for numerous service organizations, including Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, March of Dimes, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Toys for Tots. Most notably, Trish helped create the framework for the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital annual radio-thon, raising nearly $20 million.

Since 2008, former NCAA All-American and national champion at Penn State, Katie Schumacher-Cawley (Chicago – Beverly) has served as head coach of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) women’s volleyball program. Katie has been inducted into the GCAC Hall of Fame and Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, and is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Katie also can be seen cheering on the Mighty Macs at their volleyball and basketball games and assisting with McAuley’s annual summer camps.

Kerry Ryan Lynch (Chicago – Beverly) has made it her mission to encourage others to “choose kind.” Inspired by her daughter Mary Cate -- born with a rare craniofacial syndrome -- and the book Wonder, Kerry regularly visits Chicago-area grade schools, imparting the book’s message of “choose kind” to encourage children to see beyond physical differences and embrace the beauty in all people. Her story has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Today’s Chicago Parent and the Southtown Star newspaper, and on Windy City Live! and the Today Show in Australia.

For more than 30 years Sister Nancy Houlihan (Chicago – Beverly) has served McAuley as an English teacher, beloved by the thousands of young women who have come to know her as teacher, mentor and friend. Sister Nancy continues to inspire members of the McAuley community to be stewards of Catherine’s vision. In 2002, students and faculty honored Sister Nancy with the Catherine McAuley Leadership Award for her deep faith and commitment to the McAuley community.

The All-Class Reunion was held immediately after the Induction and included food, drink, entertainment and the opportunity for classmates to reconnect. Alumnae classes which graduated in a year ending with a ‘4 or ‘9 were recognized as a “banner year class,” celebrating a 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th+ reunion.

See additional photos from the evening, including a special video highlighting the McAuley Hall inductees, at www.mothermcauley.org.

PHOTO: Pictured from left to right are 2014 McAuley Hall of Honor Inductees Trish Biondo Soltys ‘85, Kerry Ryan Lynch ‘98, Sister Nancy Houlihan, RSM, Patrick O’Toole (son of Barbara Patrick O’Toole, SXA ‘55), president, Mary Acker Klingenberger ‘75, Anne Edwards Cotter ‘73 and Margaret Dee Merrion ‘67.