January 18th, 2009
Catholic Schools Week begins on Monday, January 26, 2009. St. Mary High School will begin celebrations with the students and the staff attending the 12:00 Mass on Sunday, January 25, at St. Mary Church. Sunday also will be the last Open House for the High School.
This year's theme for Catholic School Week is Service. Webster's Dictionary defines service as "a state of being a servant; work done for the benefit conferred
on another; act of kindness." Homer writes, "Light is the task where many share the toil." St. Mary High School has had Service as its mantra since its inception in 1929. We, as a school and community, have maintained this ethos as part of our daily lives. The students and staff have consistently demonstrated service through their actions during our daily morning assemblies, where prayer and attention to moral consciousness is preached and discussed. It is initiated by our religious educators and by our student peer ministers to raise the level of awareness and translate it into action. Religious holidays are appropriately celebrated through thought and prayer and attendance at Mass. The staff has accepted their obligation to engrain this sense of responsibility into our students and make it part of the moral fabric of our religious and academic school community.
During the first half of the school year, we have promoted service as the liturgy emphasizes in the Bible. According to the Epistle of St. Paul, the Apostle, to the Galatians, he teaches that "The Mosaic Law is not permanent, but gives place to the Christian Doctrine of justification through faith and good works." These past several months, the students and faculty have participated in the following:
- Several food drives for the Food Pantry
- Adopted a family for the Christmas Holidays
- Contributed food for families during Thanksgiving Day
- Raised money for the needy
- Assisted in a variety of school projects through the St. Joseph's Club
- Made monetary donations to various programs
- Celebrations of St. Nicholas, St. Martin DiPores, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Advent
- Presentations from Student Peer Ministers during assemblies
- Participated in Red Ribbon Week
The students and faculty will be raising funds for several worthy organizations through competitive student activities during the week. In addition, they will be providing a senior citizen organization with a breakfast for their members, visiting schools (offering assistance to the students and teachers, including St. Mary Elementary School), assisting service organizations (in several communities), and painting and decorating in the high school. Through the Religion Department, there will be special prayers and reflections for the students during morning assemblies. Kindness through service will be emphasized through deeds and actions during this special Catholic Schools Week at Saint Mary High School.
Mr. Roy J. Corso
Principal