At our weekly School Mass on Thursday, Father Gary reminded us of the importance of community. He began by asking how many of our students watched the recent Summer Olympic Games, to which the congregation replied in a resounding “yes!” The Olympics, Father reminded us, are a special time of community in which athletes from 220 nations gather together to compete, proudly representing their individual nation. Our student body has just over 220 students, all of whom represent different families, cultures, and backgrounds. The beauty of community is when these individuals come together with a common goal and shared passion, which in our case, is Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School.
It is incredible to think of the different ways God called each of our 225 students to OLL. Some moved from out-of-state, learning of our school from the internet or print publications. Some came from other schools in search of strong academics and social opportunities. Others drive over 40 minutes daily to get to our school. Still others attend OLL because it is family tradition and they are second-generation students. In a similar way, God brought each of our faculty and staff members, calling many out of their comfort zone to embrace a new mission at our wonderful school. Truly, our Lord hand selected every member of the Our Lady of Lourdes Community to be here with us, and we thank Him for each and every one.
Following our school Mass, Father Gary, accompanied by Father Tim, led the procession across our parking lot to the doors of our school, where we prayed a special blessing for our community. As we enter into this fiftieth school year, it is our prayer that every child come to know the love of Christ more deeply each day, and that we as teachers might serve as His hands in the instruction of our little ones, knowing that the Lord himself entrusted us with each child’s education.
“Lord God, Your spirit of wisdom fills the earth and teaches us Your ways. Look upon all of these wonderful children; let them enjoy their learning and take delight in new discoveries. Help them to persevere in their studies, even when things are rather difficult, and give them the desire to learn all things well. Look upon our teachers; let them strive to share their knowledge with gentle patience and endeavor always to bring the Truth to eager minds and hearts. Grant that teachers and students alike may follow Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the unseen Teacher in every classroom of our school.”
