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Mercy High School to Unveil New Look, Receive "Spirit of Midtown" Award
A steady force in Catholic education, Midtown Omaha's Mercy High School will start the new school year with a fresh look. The school is set to bless its new reception plaza, the Eileen Krebs Ryan Plaza, a $550,000 investment, on Aug. 10.
"Mercy High School is absolutely doing its part to make Midtown Omaha a destination of choice, a great place to live, work and play," said Jamie Grayson-Berglund, Destination Midtown's executive director. "Destination Midtown is a community effort, and we are grateful to have such a good community partner as Mercy and its faculty."
"We made a decision about 25 years ago that this is our home; this is where we're going to stay," said Sister Johanna Burnell, president of Mercy High School.
In recognition of that dedication and in conjunction with the plaza blessing, Grayson-Berglund and Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey will present Mercy with the quarterly "Spirit of Midtown" Award. Sr. Burnell said the school is astounded and flattered.
"We are very proud to receive this award, and we're grateful for the support and affirmation that Destination Midtown has given us," she said.
Mercy began educating young women at 1501 S. 48th St. in 1955. Over the last several years, the school's interior has received a modern makeover. The original entryway remained untouched.
"People are always amazed at how modern, beautiful and updated the inside of the building is. Internally, we've renovated every stitch of it. We added the gymnasium and expanded the library, chapel and auditorium. It's really quite lovely inside. But outside, it looked kind of drab," added Burnell
The finished plaza will include a new front entrance with a two-story glass enclosure, a paved drive, fresh landscaping and eight new light poles. Sr. Burnell said special lighting will "enhance the appearance of the block."
"We tried to be sure the lighting replicated lighting used in other parts of Destination Midtown," she said. "We stressed with the architects that we wanted to be in-line with anything Destination Midtown was doing."
The reception plaza's namesake, Eileen Krebs Ryan, funded the entire project with a $550,000 donation, the largest individual donation in the school's history. Ryan is a 1945 graduate of St. Mary High School. St. Mary's merged with St. John High School in 1955 to form Mercy High School.
"I loved the Mercy nuns and the girls," said Ryan. "I made lifelong friends and have wonderful memories of St. Mary's."
"I am so grateful to Eileen. This plaza has been in our long-range plans and we were able to do it now, rather than wait five or six years," said Sr. Burnell. "Mercy is truly blessed to have such a tremendous support network of the Sisters of Mercy, alumnae, family and friends."
Kiewit is expected to finish plaza construction by Aug. 1. The blessing on Aug. 10 will include an ice cream social featuring Petrow's homemade ice cream, music by Tom LaHood, tours of the school and children's activities. The event, which is open to the public, is scheduled from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
To nominate a Midtown business, institution or individual for a Spirit of Midtown Award, contact Destination Midtown at info@destinationmidtown.org. The award recognizes establishments that embody the spirit of Midtown through investment and active involvement in the community.