By Catherine Walsh, Senior Writer
While it may be unusual for a woman in her mid-30s to be thinking about her will or how to remember the Sisters of Mercy in her estate planning, there’s nothing typical about Amy Keller’s story. Her journey with the sisters began soon after her birth, when her aunt Jane Keller (d. 2016), a former novice with the Sisters of Mercy in Omaha, Nebraska, foretold that her niece would attend Mercy High School, as she had done.
Not only is Amy a Mercy High alumna and a Mercy Associate, she also served in Mercy Volunteers Corps (MVC) and is a graduate of the Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF), a program for women who are passionate about mercy and justice.
“No group has affected my life more. The Sisters of Mercy are my church,” says Amy. “They are the people who inspire me and help me to see God’s presence on Earth.”
As a child she spent countless hours with her Aunt Jane and the sisters who then lived at Mercy High School, a few blocks from Jane’s house – the house where Amy now lives. Although Jane did not continue in religious life, “her joy and passion for their work never dimmed.”
Amy has shared numerous friendships with sisters, beginning with Sister Mary McAuley Gillgannon, RSM (d. 2016), Jane’s former teacher and Amy’s “substitute grandmother,” as well as Sister Jeanne O’Rourke, RSM, then the campus minister of Mercy High School, and Sister Johanna Burnell, RSM (d. 2025), the school’s president. Today, Sister Marie Micheletto, RSM, a retired psychotherapist, is a confidant.
“Being surrounded by sisters reminds you that they are regular people doing extraordinary things in the world.”
Amy became immersed in the local justice work of the sisters while serving in Mercy Volunteer Corps in Detroit, Michigan. Her time as a MELF fellow helped her understand Mercy’s international efforts in peacebuilding.
“I’ve been fortunate to meet Mercy sisters from different communities across the world,” she says. “It makes you realize how large the Mercy network is and how dedicated the sisters across the world are to challenging unjust systems with loving nonviolence.”
Seeing sisters in leadership positions worldwide gives her confidence in her own abilities.
“I’ve been surrounded by women who say, ‘You’re capable. You’re someone who we trust and in whom we see value,’” reflects Amy, who works in alumni relations at Creighton University, where she is pursuing her master’s degree in organizational leadership. “The sisters have empowered me to become better at every chance I can.”
She is also moved by Aunt Jane’s example of remembering Mercy in her will.
“I want to help ensure that future generations of women can benefit from the work of Mercy,” she says.