Our Team
Dr. Mary S. Laver
Dr. Mary S. Laver (she/her) is Director and Co-Founder of 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 is an active member of St Vincent de Paul Parish in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
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.
Stacy Williams
Stacy Williams (she/her) holds a Master’s degree in History from Southern New Hampshire University. In addition, she holds a certificate in Youth Ministry from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, and a certificate in Teaching for Spiritual Growth from Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Stacy has dedicated her career to Catholic education, ministry, faith-based service and social justice, with a focus on advancing equity in both Church and community contexts. From 1989 to 2009, she taught elementary and junior high school in inner-city communities, integrating African American history into her curriculum and advocating for diversity and inclusion among faculty and staff. From 2009-2023, Stacy was formally engaged in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work in her role as Director of Religious Education and Pastoral Associate at St. Malachy Church in North Philadelphia.
Since 2024, Stacy has served as the Director of the Office for Black Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where she leads initiatives to support formation, leadership development, and cultural engagement within the Black Catholic community.
In addition to her academic and ministerial work, Stacy has a strong background in choral music and dance. She continues to mentor and train students in the performing arts while furthering her studies in Diversity and Ministry.
Megan Carey
Megan is originally from Delaware County, PA. She is a graduate of Immaculata University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Driven by a deep commitment to social justice, Megan completed a year of service with the Augustinian Volunteers, working to support underserved communities and promote meaningful change. Megan has dedicated the past six years to parish youth and young adult ministry, fostering community and spiritual growth among emerging generations.
Continuing to build on this foundation of faith and service, Megan will begin a Master’s program in Church Management at Villanova University this summer, with the goal of strengthening leadership and organizational impact within ministry settings. Megan also serves on the Archbishop’s Commission on Racial Healing.
Emma Edwards
Emma (she/her) grew up in Connecticut before attending Catholic University in Washington, DC, where she studied media. She did a year of service with the Augustinian Volunteers in Lawrence, MA serving as Volunteer 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. Currently living in North Jersey, Emma enjoys movie nights with her husband, baking with her two little boys, and finding ways to get into good trouble.
Stephanie Lubert
Stephanie Lubert (she/her) is a Managing Attorney at HIAS Pennsylvania where her work focuses on providing 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 la 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.She is a parishioner at St. Thomas of Villanova where she serves as a Eucharistic Minister and is active on various parish committees.
Elisa Oliver
Elisa (she/her) is is an educator with over a decade of experience working in curriculum development and delivery, instructional coaching, and change management. Her current role at Financial Scholars focuses on access to financial empowerment education as a critical lever in overcoming systemic economic barriers. She began her career teaching high school math in rural North Carolina through Teach for America. She then returned home to Philadelphia where she taught statistics at KIPP DuBois. After years of honing her content expertise, she designed AP Statistics curriculum and assessments used nationally in 250+ KIPP schools. During her time at KIPP, she also ran a course for seniors about college and career pathways, with a focus on personal finance. Eventually Elisa expanded her impact beyond her own classroom working with Skyrocket Education as an instructional leadership coach. As a coach, she worked with public, public charter, and faith-based schools across the country in urban and suburban contexts, directly impacting over 5000 students. This wide breadth of experience has allowed her to analyze and codify high quality instructional practices and pedagogical approaches that drive student outcomes, no matter the context. She has a passion for making curriculum culturally and socially relevant and believes that all students deserve access to a classroom that welcomes their whole self. Coming from a family full of educators and financial experts, she roots her work in the belief that financial education and empowerment are key levers to create and sustain a thriving community.
Alize Rozsnyai
Alize (she/her) is proud to serve New Encounters Catholics as their Business & Communications Manager and to help serve the mission of uniting all people for greater racial healing and unity, both in Philadelphia, and around the globe. She is a classical singer, actor, and voice teacher, and alumna of The Curtis Institute of Music (B.M./ M.M.). Alize has years of experience in Administration for local and international organizations in the arts sector, as well as graphic design and web maintenance. As an artist dedicated to spreading awareness and connection with other cultures, she has been a part of the Cultures in Harmony musical diplomacy program in Zimbabwe and The Philippines. She has engaged in cultural performances and connections in Mexico and Vietnam. As an opera singer, she has performed in over 15 countries, and including venues like Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and with companies including Opera Philadelphia, San Diego Opera, The Rossini Opera Festival in Italy, and Neu Oper in Norway. She is the Artistic Director of Alter Ego Chamber Opera, based in Philadelphia. Alize looks forward to helping New Encounters expand its reach the Philadelphia Community and to make an impact at-large. www.AlizeSoprano.com.