Our Team
Marisabel Alonso
Marisabel Alonso (she/her), a practicing immigration attorney, has been part of the New Encounters leadership team since the Winter of 2021. Raised in a devout and loving family, Marisabel witnessed rich faith from a young age. She credits her lived experiences with Franciscan communities and their beautiful charism as pivotal in her faith journey. As a member of Saint Malachy parish in North Philadelphia, Marisabel finds energy in people committed to faith in action and joy in vibrant and inclusive community worship and fellowship.
Megan Carey
Megan (she/her) is originally from Delaware County, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Immaculata University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Megan did a year of service with the Augustinian Volunteers where she lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts and worked in a Catholic grade school as a teacher. She now works as a youth minister for a parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania with a friend from first grade! Megan enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering at her home parish of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Bryn Mawr, and hiking with her four siblings and parents.
Emma Edwards
Emma (she/her) grew up with her large family in Connecticut before attending Catholic University in Washington, DC, for her undergraduate studies. She did a year of service with the Augustinian Volunteers in Lawrence, MA where she served as Service Coordinator at Merrimack College. Emma found her passion for working with young adults on their journey of faith and activism during that year. She worked in Campus Ministry for the next six years and completed her Masters in Counseling Psychology and Theology. Emma currently serves as Associate Director of Franciscan Volunteer Ministry, a faith formation and service program based out of Philadelphia. Married in 2019 to her husband, Edwyn, they welcomed their first child in November 2021. Emma lives in central New Jersey, but try not to hold that against her.
Dr. Mary S. Laver
Dr. Mary S. Laver (she/her) is a co-founder and a coordinator for New Encounters: Catholics Confronting Racism. Since earning her PhD in Religion at Temple University and a certificate in Catholic thought at Washington Theological Union, she has worked in various fields to bridge the gap between the ideals of faith and the lived reality of it in our communities, especially here in Philadelphia. She comes to the work of New Encounters with a background in experiential higher education, campus ministry, undergraduate and graduate-level teaching, and faith-based community organizing anchored in Catholic Social Teaching. She serves on the parish council at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Germantown, Philadelphia. For down-time, Mary loves having coffee with friends, listening to the blues, and playing with her two young grand-daughters.
Stephanie Lubert
Stephanie Lubert (she/her) is the Managing Attorney of HIAS Pennsylvania’s Immigrant Youth Advocacy Project where she provides direct representation to immigrant youth in removal proceedings. She obtained her law degree from Villanova University and her undergraduate degree from Fordham University. During college, Stephanie studied in El Salvador through Casa de Solidaridad (Spring 2007), an immersive praxis-based program inspired by the lives of the 6 martyred Jesuits and their companions at the University of Central America. She is a former Jesuit Volunteer (Houston ’08-09). Stephanie hails from Knoxville, TN. On Sundays, you can find her attending Mass at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish where she is a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the parish's Anti-Racism Committee.
Marcelle McGuirk
Marcelle (she/her/ella) grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania with her 8 siblings, where she and her family were part of a Latin Mass Community. Later, she moved to Philadelphia to continue her education and to begin her career as a Classical Singer. She is currently a Principal Cantor and Section Leader at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, where she also coordinates the parish’s Faith & Justice Ministry. She was named to the Archbishop’s Commission on Racial Healing in 2021, and also serves on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. Her ministry in the Church has a special focus in creating cross-cultural relationship and dialogue, particularly with the Spanish-speaking community, as she is of Puerto Rican descent.
Lacie Ann Michaelson Fischley
Lacie Ann Michaelson Fischley (she/her) is originally from Cape Cod, MA and attended Stonehill College for her undergraduate degree. Following college, she lived in Chulucanas, Peru for a year as an Augustinian Volunteer before moving to Philadelphia for graduate school at Villanova University in 2015. Today, she is the executive director of the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor, a non-profit in South Philadelphia. Lacie married her sweetheart, Duncan, in 2019 and they are happy dog parents to Sandy, the American Akita.
Elisa Oliver
Elisa (she/her) is a born and bred Philadelphian and returned home to teach statistics at KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy after several years of learning and teaching in North Carolina. Elisa graduated from Duke University in 2015 with a degree in public policy and a focus on education. She began teaching through Teach for America (ENC ‘15) in rural North Carolina and earned her masters in education from Johns Hopkins University. Her passion is bringing perspective-building and culturally-responsive pedagogy to mathematics curriculum. Now at home in Philadelphia, Elisa can be found spending quality time with one of her dozens of cousins that live in the area, walking the entirety of the Schuylkill River Trail on nice days, or enjoying her favorite neighborhood restaurants like Sally and Carina. (Talk to her about any and all exciting restaurant openings - she will leave her 10-block radius for incredible food!)
Stacy Williams
Stacy Williams (she/her) received her BS in education from LaSalle University, Mandeville, LA after attending Williams College, Williamstown, MA for three years. Her second Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in History are from Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH. She also earned a certificate in Youth Ministry from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary of Philadelphia, PA and a certificate in Teaching for Spiritual Growth from the Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, MA. Stacy has been formally working in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion since 2009 when she accepted the position of Pastoral Associate at St. Malachy Church in North Philadelphia. However, for twenty-four years prior she taught elementary and junior high school in the inner-city, which provided many opportunities to instruct in African American history and advocate for diversity within the faculty with which she taught. She recently opened A MORE PERFECT UNION, LLC., a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consulting and education company. Stacy also has a background in choral singing and dance. Stacy continues to be involved in the training of students in the performing arts. She is also furthering her knowledge in Diversity Studies and African American history.