“A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and a little more just.” This quote said by Pope Francis to represent his New Year of Mercy, and our Catholic School’s Week theme. At St. Vincent Martyr School, the aspect of mercy and faith is found in all that the school represents. Through the leadership of Monsignor George, the Parish interaction and the instruction of both our Principal, Sister Noreen, and our teachers, St. Vincent Martyr is an inspiring place to be. Father George has been at SVMS for around seven years, and throughout those years, he has been a huge influence to us. He emphasizes so much positivity throughout his homilies, and our religion classes he has with us, the eighth graders. Father George does not have a
In his book, Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope, Jonathan Kozol pulls back the veil and provides readers with a glimpse of the harsh conditions and unrelenting hope that exists in a community located in the South Bronx called Mott Haven. Mr. Kozol provides his own socially conscious and very informative view of the issues facing the children and educators in this poverty ravaged neighborhood. Just his commentary would paint a very bleak picture of the future. It is the words of the children that give this book optimism and meaning. The courage and care exhibited by the volunteers of St. Ann's after school program and the creativity of the teachers at P.S. 30 are utterly inspiring. They work long hours and go beyond the call of duty to protect the innocence and cultivate the hope that resides in the hearts of Mott Haven's youngest residents.
Before Father Gerber came to my parish, I had trouble going to mass every Sunday and praying as often as I should as a Catholic. Even though he might not have known it, Father Gerber helped me to go to mass and pray as often as I could. I look forward to going to mass every day to listen to him speak. His homilies to me are very inspirational, and they taught me how to pray in
Jacopo del Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John is a characteristically iconographic tempera panel painting of Madonna, the Christ Child, and the infant St. John from the early renaissance, dating to the early 1480s. Sellaio was a Florentine painter under the apprenticeship of Sandro Botticelli, which reflects through his style and symbolism in the painting. In this work, he depicts a classically devotional scene filled with biblical symbolism. Sellaio’s Virgin, Child, and St. John expresses Mary’s loving role as Christ’s mother, the protective power and warmth of her maternal bond, and the significance of the birth of Christ.
Massaro, Thomas, S.J. Living Justice: Catholic Social Teaching in Action. Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. 70+. Print.
He loves being able to celebrate mass everyday and “enrich his relationship with the Lord.” He is able to use his gifts to walk with many in the community through hard times such as parents who loose their children or vice versa. With God’s guidance he can bring them to a place of understanding and peace. This past Holy week he was given the opportunity to give the homily for the Youth Rally mass. Being able to preach and exhibit a faithful fatherhood to over thirteen hundred youths was immensely exciting. He was luckily given the chance to expand his wings and further his call to not only priesthood, but
Around the world,, there are those who don’t have access to food, shelter or even clothes. Although most people wouldn't lift a finger to help the situation, the work of Caritas, Oasis and the Brotherhood of St. Laurence has a major impact on the lives of these people and although they may come from different denominations, they still work towards a common goal: helping all those in need. Their work reflects the teachings of the New Testament as well as the Catholic Social teachings, this essay will have a look at how they do that.
With the endorsement of the Holy See, Courage now with more than 95 Chapters worldwide, over 500 persons participating in its ListServs and hundreds of persons per day receiving assistance from the main office and website, has become a mainstream Catholic Apostolate helping thousands of men and women find peace through fellowship, prayer and commitment toward understanding and following church teaching. The Courage main office operates through the prayerful and financial support of the Archdiocese of New York as well as contributions and volunteer work from Courage members and others committed to advancing its efforts. Individual chapters throughout the world are self supporting and have the approval of their local Archdiocese.
“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” Corrie ten Boom has spoken these words more times then she can count on her fingers; they encouraged her through heartbreak and pain, World War II and the risk of hiding Jews, concentration camps, and even the death of her sister. Corrie was brave when others were weak; she fought when others hid. She always knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was supposed to help others when they could not help themselves. Through troubles and tribulations, foreign stranger lives saved and loved family lives lost, Corrie ten Boom stood strong and persevered to live a bold life, and have an outstanding ministry. Corrie experienced one of the darkest times in the history of the world, but she strove to be a light that shone through.
Eighty-thousand children, under the age of twelve, left for the Holy Lands and never returned. The Children's Crusade, 1212 AD, occured in the midst of the Fourth and Fifth Crusades, while the Crusade spirit was dwindling down. One French and one German Crusade formed the Children’s Crusade (Alchin). The French Crusade got led by Stephen of Cloyes, a shepherd with no reading or writing skills. Stephen of Cloyes called children to action by calling them in the name of Jesus. However, the German's Children Crusade did not consist of only children. The Germans were led by a young boy name Nicholas. Nicholas led fifty thousand people: religious men, unmarried women, and young children. The plan pertained of marching to Vendom, then to board a ship and sail to Mariseilles, and to walk to the Holy Land (Trueman). Both these crusades were powered by the children's faith in god, neither money nor fame mattered (Alchin). Compared to other crusades, the Children's Crusade remained a single-minded attempt to save the Holy Land.
Theme in “Defender of the Faith” can be interpreted in many varying ways, some of which are life-long lessons and others to the relation between faith and the individual.
The crusades were a series of holy wars, which spanned almost 200 years from 1096-1272. The aim of the crusades was to aid the Byzantines and to recapture the holy city of Jerusalem from the Muslims in the name of God. In order to get his message across, Pope Urban II delivered a powerful speech in Clermont about the importance of people joining the crusade. He also highlighted the acts of brutality that the Muslims had committed.
The charism “bringing God into the lives of the poor” is shown in many ways at St Peters. Each year students are encouraged to donate spare change to Project Compassion, an organisation that helps fight poverty and promote social justice for vulnerable communities worldwide. The school also holds multiple fundraisers throughout the year which donates every cent raised to charities. Staff teach their students about poverty and the lack of education some children receive and the school group “Social Justice” discusses key issues like poverty and attempts to find ways to improve its current state.
Saint Francis of Assisi had a simple message to all in his time and in ours; live a life of humble simplicity in service to others to the glory of God. He came from a background of wealth and privilege yet put it behind him for the privilege of serving God and all His creation. To Francis everything sang out in praise to God; every person, plant, and bird to which he compelled us to be good stewards of the earth and its resources. He conveyed the truth of God’s love for us and all of creation and led by his example of service.
Because some of you are willing to take up the bishop’s challenge, we are preparing to go into the schools and make a difference.
Another thing to consider when pondering the cultural change in Catholic Schools was the change from immigrant-segregated schools to American born students in those schools. As time moved on the amount of immigrants leveled off and the amount of American born Catholics, increased. These changes would influence the Parish schools even more and move them from segregated schools based on nationalities to Catholic schools grown in Patriotism. Interestingly the Catholic Clergy leaders understood the attraction that people had to the American culture and while it divided the types of Catholic schools, the leaders understood the need for Catholics in this new world to adapt and grow in their new setting. America had a lot to offer and people were