As the academic year came to a close at Cristo Rey High School Sacramento, the spark of excitement about the pending summer break rippled among students. Many huddled together in groups across the small campus, relishing their dwindling time together. Senior Diane Hoang sat shoulder to shoulder with several close friends along a row of purple lockers and reflected on their last four years together. “Our senior class is extremely close,” she said. “Like family.”

“Family” is a common theme at Cristo Rey, spanning deep connections between students, teachers and staff, and forged over four years of rigorous study integrated with a unique program that enables students to work one day each week at partner businesses to offset

HorizonsM E R C Y F O U N D A T I O N

Mercy Foundation accomplished so much over the last fiscal year, guided by a comprehensive strategic plan, a committed staff, and by the Sisters of Mercy, whose mission and vision are always at the forefront of our work. The plan instilled great energy into the Foundation’s fundraising efforts over the last couple years, and we must sustain the momentum.

Indeed, we must increase the momentum.

The Foundation has a great responsibility this next year to raise nearly $9 million to keep the Sisters of Mercy ministries thriving. Charitable support keeps alive Sisters of Mercy ministries like Sacramento Loaves & Fishes, which serves the poor. It funds health-care innovations at Mercy hospitals and MercyClinics that save and improve patient lives. Through philanthropy, Sisters of Mercy education ministries such as Cristo Rey High School and Mercy Education Resource Center help children and adults overcome financial, cultural and social barriers to reaching their full potential. Charitable support also provides dignified, enriched environments for our community’s growing elderly population, and for families who cannot afford traditional housing.

Because building connections is at the heart of philanthropy, Mercy Foundation

Diane Hoang, left, said that the Catholic, college-preparatory education she and her friends received at Cristo Rey helps students “learn how to be better people and better- prepared citizens of our community.”

the cost of their education. The school provides a life-changing academic environment to students with limited financial means, seeking to break the cycle of poverty and help them re-imagine themselves as successful and productive leaders who will benefit their families and the community.

Cristo Rey is a co-sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, who more than 150 years ago traveled from Ireland to Sacramento to empower underserved children and women through education —work that is just as critical today. “Education is the way out of poverty—the path to a fulfilled, happy, productive life,” said Sr. Eileen Enright, RSM, Cristo Rey’s president.

Cristo Rey High School: Empowering students to lead productive lives

Inspiring Philanthropy. Changing Lives.

Summer 2011

Inspiring philanthropy: Cimarolis carve enduring Mercy legacy | 5

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President’s message

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Ministry NewsM E R C Y F O U N D A T I O N

Thanks to Cristo Rey, hundreds of young people are walking that path. Sr. Eileen stood in the school’s courtyard pointing at a map of the United States covered in pins and labels. “Each of those pins represents a student in the Cristo Rey family who is attending college,” she beamed. “Several are on full scholarship. We have had only two senior classes, and 99 percent of our graduates were accepted to college. One young man chose to serve this country as a Marine.”

While college attendance is a point of pride and distinction for all high schools, it has deeper significance at Cristo Rey High School. Many, if not most, Cristo Rey students face ongoing and significant social, cultural and financial obstacles to attending school.

“Young people everywhere have challenges, but our students have very practical education barriers to overcome — transportation to school, for example,” said Sr. Eileen. “A lot of existing difficulties have been exacerbated by the bad economy, unemployment, by families losing their homes.”

Many students are the first in their families to attend college—or to finish high school. Some have no regular home to go to at the end of the day, crashing on floors and couches of friends and family members. For others, Cristo Rey is a positive path away from drugs and gangs.

Students find strength and support among each other, and from teachers and staff. “I am amazed at how resilient they are, how they can grow and mature despite any difficulties they face,” Sr. Eileen said. “And this is not an ‘easy’ school! Cristo Rey is very demanding. Students work and go to school. They’re regularly evaluated by a supervisor. They have to dress professionally. They are

given serious responsibilities in their jobs.”

In her valedictorian speech at graduation, Diane shared how balancing academics and work—a tough job for anyone—helps Cristo Rey students “learn more about ourselves and each other…. We’ve done things other high school students have not accomplished. We gained work experience. We learned how to behave in a professional setting. We learned how to serve our community, and—most of all—learned how to be better people and better-prepared citizens of our community.”

Diane’s friend Carlos Owings will continue to serve the community when he enlists in the Marines this summer. He will be Cristo Rey’s first graduate to serve in the military. Carlos feels his education, particularly combined with Work-Study, prepared him well for his future: “I have definitely matured thanks to Cristo Rey,” he said. “Work-Study taught us greater responsibility.”

Cristo Rey plans to increase enrollment to at least 400 students. School administrators not only are stepping up student recruitment efforts, but also actively exploring additional Work-Study

How you can help

Cristo Rey High School plans to expand enrollment to 400 students and enhance its existing curriculum. Philanthropy is critical to the school’s ability to grow its program and meet the educational needs of a growing student body. Current areas for support include: Scholarships; textbooks for all classes; three new vans to transport students to work sites; and athletic equipment. If you would like to make a philanthropic gift to support Cristo Rey High School, contact Mercy Foundation at (916) 851-2700. One-hundred percent of your donation through the Foundation will go directly to the school.

Interested in participating in or sponsoring Work-Study? Contact David Brown, Work-Study director, at (916) 400-3478 or DBrown@crhss.org.

Cristo Rey High SchoolContinued from front page

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partners and sponsors to support a growing student body.

“The regional organizations that hire our students are the cornerstone of Cristo Rey’s program,” said David Brown, Work-Study director. “We have partners in myriad industries, from law firms to state government.” The partnership is a win-win: Students benefit from the work experience, and organizations benefit from the positive imprint the students and program put on corporate culture.

Carlos was wistful as he walked around the campus a few weeks before graduation. While excited to soon begin the next chapter of his life, he was sad to leave Cristo Rey. “This place really has a heart,” he said as one of his many friends gave him a playful slap on the back. “I hope the school continues to grow, while also keeping that feeling of family.”

Observing smiles on the faces of the many students gathered in the courtyard, Sr. Eileen acknowledged the depth of impact that Cristo Rey makes on students. “There is such love here. It is so palpable,” she said. “The students feel safe here. Many tell me it’s their second home. When you’re happy and you feel loved, you don’t see the shortcomings in life.”

2011 Cristo Rey High School Class Valedictorian Diane Hoang will pursue a career in nursing this fall at California State University, Sacramento. “I want to inspire people to build a healthier life,” she said.

“I hope Cristo Rey continues to grow, while also keeping that feeling of family,” said 2011 graduate Carlos Owings, who has chosen a military career in the Marines, with a focus on aviation mechanics.

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Sister Eileen Enright:

A commitment to education

Enthusiastic, committed, compassionate. Ask anyone who knows Sister Eileen Enright, and chances are one or all of those words will be used to describe her.

As president of Cristo Rey High School Sacramento, a post she took just months ago, Sr. Eileen has under her wing nearly 250—and growing—students, most of whom have limited financial means and face other hardships. Because she and her family shared similar economic struggles when she was growing up in Ireland, Sr. Eileen in many ways relates to Cristo Rey students. And like many of them, the action of a compassionate person set her on course for a good education.

“When I was a young girl, the principal at my local school approached my father to tell him how important it was that I continue my education through high school,” she recalled. The memory of that day, still sharp in her mind, brings tears and gratitude. “That man changed my life. He knew that education is the way out of poverty, and I don’t know where I’d be today if it weren’t for his initiative.” She continued on to high school thanks to the principal’s encouragement.

Her interest in Religious Life was piqued after several orders of religious women visited the high school to inform the students about vocational options. At age 15, she asked her father if she could write to the Sisters of Mercy to learn more about their work. She was shocked when he dismissed her. “My father refused!” she recalled. “I was so upset—I felt it was the end of the world.”

Undaunted, Sr. Eileen tenaciously approached him after a few weeks to ask again if she could write to the Sisters. His second refusal again surprised her. But after a few more weeks of

contemplation, her father told her that if she was serious, she should visit the Sisters and truly learn their mission. A trip to Ardfert, Ireland soon after that conversation strengthened her call to Religious Life.

After completing her novitiate at the Sisters of Mercy in Auburn, Calif., Sr. Eileen earned a college degree and launched a long career in education. She taught third grade at Holy Cross School in Sacramento for six years. She later was principal at St. Joseph’s in Auburn and Redding, Calif., and at Sacred Heart School in Sacramento. She was associate superintendant for Catholic schools at the Sacramento Diocese for seven years, and worked for 15 years in Bishop William Weigand’s office, first as director of lay personnel, then as chancellor and director of research and planning.

In 2004, Sr. Eileen directed the Sacramento Diocese’s third diocesan synod – a coming together of laity, priests, deacons, and religious men and women in prayer, dialogue, discernment and deliberation. Her extensive coordination, culminating in a three-day event with 400 attendees

from 104 parishes, was noteworthy and is considered a model for other diocesan synods in the United States.

Sr. Eileen thought that a 2009 sabbatical —which included a four-month study in a structured sabbatical program and a family visit to Ireland—would be the start of a slower pace in her life. But a call to serve once again in the education ministry, this time as president of Cristo Rey, was a welcome opportunity to continue to change lives through learning.

“I am so convinced of and committed to the mission of Cristo Rey,” said Sr. Eileen with characteristic enthusiasm. With the partnership of teachers and staff, she strives to create a safe “home away from home” for students. “Cristo Rey is a community,” she said. “We all collaborate for success.”

Though slowing down is on hold for now, Sr. Eileen has no second thoughts about her choice to accept the new ministry at Cristo Rey, even when looking over her hectic calendar. “It’s rewarding to be at Cristo Rey every day. I am humbled by the students and their families,” she said. “This isn’t work—it’s a privilege.”

The Sisters of MercyM E R C Y F O U N D A T I O N

“It’s rewarding to be at Cristo Rey every day,” said Sr. Eileen Enright, Cristo Rey High School Sacramento president, with 2011 graduate Carlos Owings. “This isn’t work—it’s a privilege.”

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Partners in PhilanthropyM E R C Y F O U N D A T I O N

A Folsom couple whose marriage spanned more than 60 years have established a legacy not only of enduring commitment to each other, but also to Mercy Foundation and the city of Folsom through major contributions over three decades.

Sevarino “Sevy” and Neva Cimaroli have been exceptionally generous in their own donations to Mercy Foundation, and also have been instrumental in generating support for numerous Mercy programs. The couple’s relationship-building led to construction of Mercy Hospital of Folsom and the Mercy Village housing development in Folsom. Although some of the couple’s innumerable donations have been designated for specific projects, most of their gifts have been unrestricted.

“We’ve always had confidence in the Sisters’ ability to determine where the need is greatest,” Neva explained. Sevy, who suffered a fatal heart attack at age 87 in June 2009, left one-third of his charitable estate to Mercy Foundation, and Neva has perpetuated his memory with ongoing donations in the couple’s name.

The Cimarolis and Neva’s late brother, Dale Morris, developed Pinebrook Village, a residential community of manufactured homes for senior citizens on Folsom-Auburn Road, on land they purchased as an investment. More than 500 people live there today.

Sevy, who served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II, was owner of Spotless Dry Cleaners in Sacramento from the mid-1960s until his retirement in 1975. Neva had a successful career as a real estate broker, during which time she was chosen the first female president of the Sacramento Association of Realtors, as well as a regional vice-president of the California Association of Realtors,

Neva and Sevy Cimaroli carve an enduring Mercy legacy

a director of the National Association of Realtors, and a member of Folsom’s redevelopment advisory committee for 20 years. She became involved with Mercy Foundation following the 1980 acquisition of financially ailing Twin Lakes Hospital by the Sisters of Mercy.

On Neva’s recommendation, Angelo Tsakopoulos and Bill Cummings and their families donated the 26-acre Creekside Drive parcel on which the present-day Mercy Hospital of Folsom was built in 1989. Folsom Mayor Jack Kipp recommended that Neva serve as the city’s representative on Mercy’s Folsom board of directors.

Neva became chair of the Folsom board and subsequently, Sr. Bridget McCarthy, then president and CEO of Mercy Healthcare Sacramento and three Mercy hospitals, chose Neva as the first chair of the consolidated governing board that resulted from merger of the regional boards in the late 1980s. Neva’s hospital board service spanned 17 years.

Neva began contributing financially to Mercy Foundation shortly after she began serving on the Folsom board.

“I started donating as I became increasingly aware of the many beneficial services that the Sisters performed throughout the community,” Neva said. “The Sisters sponsor more public service activities than you can count on the fingers of several hands.”

Neva developed a close friendship with Sister Bridget McCarthy after offering to stage the first of several hospital fundraising musical productions at Pinebrook Village.

“Without realizing how busy Sister Bridget was with her administrative duties, I asked her to perform an Irish jig in the show. Not only did she agree, but Sr. Kathleen Dunne joined her in the dance. I became worn out just watching them,” Neva laughed.

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“Neva and Sevy have gifted Mercy Foundation with their love, friendship and loyalty for more than three decades. We are deeply grateful for and humbled by Neva’s longstanding trust

and confidence.”

—Sr. Bridget McCarthy, RSM

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Partners in PhilanthropyM E R C Y F O U N D A T I O N

Mercy Foundation planned giving seminars

Planned gifts, such as bequests and charitable trusts, can help you increase your cash flow, earn valuable income-tax deductions, and reduce or eliminate estate taxes while also supporting the less fortunate in the community.

Mercy Foundation hosts planned giving seminars throughout the year to educate the community about the many benefits of this type of charitable giving.

UPCOMING SEMINARS

Wednesday, Sept. 7 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mercy San Juan Medical Center Luken’s Auditorium 6501 Coyle Avenue Carmichael, Calif.

Thursday, Sept. 8 4 to 5:30 p.m. Mercy Medical Group 6th Floor Conference Room 3000 Q Street Sacramento, Calif.

To sign up for a seminar, e-mail MercyFoundationSac@chw.edu.

For information about making an estate gift to Mercy Foundation, please contact Kevin Duggan, vice president of philanthropy, at (916) 851–2703 or Kevin.Duggan001 @chw.edu.

Cimarolis carve enduring Mercy Legacy Continued from page 5

Sevy was serving as master of ceremonies at one of Pinebrook’s recurrent musical presentations when he collapsed, stricken with his fatal heart attack. Pinebrook residents and his many friends remember him as an avid freshwater fisherman who cast his line in Alaska, Russia, Newfoundland, Labrador and the Amazon River basin. But he rarely brought fish home.

“Over the years Sev became a catch-and-release guy. He said he needed to leave fish for the next guy,” Neva recalled wistfully. Sevy also was an artisan who made stained-glass creations and award-winning wood carvings, and was “a superb cook.”

Neva helped orchestrate the complex acquisition of 10 deteriorating apartment buildings from seven owners on adjoining lots on Duchow Way in Folsom. The Sisters of Mercy, through Mercy Housing, subsequently reconditioned the buildings and rededicated them as the

Mercy Village residential project for low-income families.

“I nudged the city when processes were not as expeditious as I thought they should be,” explained Neva who, at age 84, remains involved in administration at Pinebrook Village. “I’m a failure at retirement,” she quipped.

The 25-bed Cummings Emergency Pavilion at Mercy Hospital of Folsom is named in recognition of the major gift that Bill and Claudia Cummings made to the hospital. The spacious Cimaroli Lobby waiting area at the entry of the Emergency Department is named in recognition of Sevy and Neva’s generosity. The Cimarolis have received innumerable honors, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ National Philanthropy Day Award in 2000. In April, Neva was awarded Mercy Foundation’s first “Inspiring Philanthropy Award” in recognition of her and Sevy’s longstanding generosity.

In April, Neva Cimaroli, right, received Mercy Foundation’s “Inspiring Philanthropy Award” from Sr. Bridget McCarthy, RSM, in recognition of her and late husband Sevy’s more than 30 years of giving. Their gifts have transformed Mercy Hospital of Folsom and provided housing and other support for the underserved.

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launched an effort to connect people with resources to people in need. Our newly established “major gift initiative cabinets” comprise volunteer leaders, physicians, ministry leaders and Sisters of Mercy who share a passion for the following priority initiatives: Mercy Heart & Vascular Institute; Mercy Neurological Institute; Mercy Cancer Institute; orthopedics; Bruceville Terrace; Loaves & Fishes; Cristo Rey and Mercy Education Resource Center.

The role of cabinet members is simple: To elevate philanthropic support to Mercy Foundation through networking and creating greater community awareness about the Sisters of Mercy ministries.

I hope you will join us by inviting your friends, colleagues, family and neighbors into the Mercy mission. Share stories of the people you meet who have benefitted from Sisters of Mercy ministries. Share stories of the Sisters, whose more than 150 years of service in the Sacramento region has had a significant impact on the underserved. In this way, you, too, will make an impact.

All of us at Mercy Foundation and the Sisters of Mercy ministries ask you to spread the word. Your partnership and your connections are a vital part of Mercy Foundation’s fundraising ministry.

I look forward to a year of inspiring philanthropy and changing lives.

Thirteen-year Mercy Hospital of Folsom employee Lou Anne Knepshield is one of those rare people who lights up a room when she enters it. Walking down the corridor from the cafeteria to the Cardiopulmonary Department, she calls hello to visitors and hugs her many friends and co-workers along the way.

Lou Anne’s sunny spirit is welcomed by the dozens of patients she sees each week in the Cardiopulmonary Department at Mercy Hospital of Folsom, where she has worked as a technician for the last 18 months. She previously was a monitor technician in Medical Surge for more than 11 years. In cardiopulmonary, she conducts procedures such as EKGs and treadmill tests.

Many of Lou Anne’s patients can be nervous, and she immediately works to set their minds at ease with her good-natured humor and bright smile. “I want to make people feel comfortable,” she said. “Being a caregiver is my calling. I love serving people.” She lives by the motto once shared with her by a colleague: “Serve with a servant’s heart.”

“It’s a mission to work at Mercy,” Lou Anne said, noting the compassionate care provided at the hospital, the presence of the Sisters of Mercy, and their longstanding care of underserved populations. “I really love working for a faith-based health-care system,” she said. “You really feel the compassion.”

Lou Anne supports Mercy Hospital of Folsom through Mercy Foundation’s Employees Lend a Hand program, making a monthly payroll deduction. “I know that I have been fortunate in my life,” she said. “So I give back to help ensure that others can also have a chance at a good life.”

She encourages her colleagues also to give back through Employees Lend a Hand: “If everyone gave just one hour a week of pay to the Sisters of Mercy ministries, imagine how that could transform lives.”

To learn how you can transform lives through Employees Lend a Hand, contact Dilan Good, annual giving manager, at (916) 851-2782 or Dilan.Good@chw.edu

Employees Lend a Hand: Lou Anne Knepshield

President’s message Continued from front page

President and CEO

3400 Data Drive Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 SupportMercyFoundation.org

Non Profit US Postage Paid Sacramento, CA Permit #296

Questions or comments about this newsletter? We welcome your feedback. Contact us at MercyFoundationSac@chw.edu or (916) 851–2700 to share your comments or sign up for an electronic version.

Officers

William W. Yee Chair

Mark Read Vice Chair

Linda Van Rees Secretary

Michael T. Genovese Treasurer

Katherine Doyle, RSM Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community Representative

Linda Beech Cutler Mercy Foundation President and CEO

2011–12 Mercy Foundation Board of Trustees

Trustees

José Abad, M.D. Gil A. Albiani Stephen Bauer, M.D. Patrice N. Coyle Ken Crawford Brenda W. Davis Eileen Enright, RSM Bob Flautt Joan Gann Lawrence B. Garcia Diane R. Grenz Jack M. Kimmel Mike Kimmel Garry Maisel Sharon A. Margetts Bridget McCarthy, RSM Tim Mickiewicz, DDS Careyann Morris Alice D. Perez Silvio Reggiardo Tim Rogers Elizabeth Leonard Schatz Alan Shatzel, D.O. Terry Street Merrily F. Wong

GALS ON THE GREENJoin Mercy Foundation on October 17 for

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! LADIES—grab your clubs on October 17, 2011, and join Mercy Foundation in the fight against breast cancer at Catta Verdera Country Club in Lincoln, Calif. Proceeds benefit breast cancer education, technological advances, and treatment and prevention services for women throughout greater Sacramento.

For more information, call (916) 851-2716, e-mail Fearon.DeWeese@chw.edu, or visit SupportMercyFoundation.org.

Not a golfer? Consider sponsorship or donating an auction item!

Sacramento’s only all-women charity golf tournament