Kate Lorio wins Daughters of Isabella scholarship

Archbishop Chapelle High School senior Kate Lorio has been named the 2016 winner of the $2,000 Gregory Brunet Memorial Scholarship from the Daughters of Isabella. The Daughters of Isabella are proponents of furthering the Catholic education of young women. Kate’s winning essay and her actions as a Chapelle student convey her active pursuit of mercy according to Pope Francis’ directives in this Jubilee Year of Mercy.  She explored what Mercy means to her in an essay, touching on themes of compassion, forgiveness, and love. She writes: “Love is strong and not weak-willed, which means that to treat others with love is to give them what they need, not necessarily what they want. In the same way, being merciful is not being a pushover, letting people go scot-free, or ignoring justice. It is not ‘forgive and forget’. It is setting an example of how to love as God, the ultimate bestower of mercy, does. Being merciful is an act of empathy in a way, because it requires the bestower to put his or herself in an offender’s place, understand their motives and feelings, and remember that we are all incredibly flawed and in need of mercy. Rather than being a weak action, bestowing mercy on someone is an act of incredible strength and courage because it requires empathy and love.”  Kate placed first overall for English IV at District Literary Rally earlier this year.