SCHOOL SISTERS OF CHRIST THE KING: A Gift to Our Parish Community

from St. Peter Catholic Church Newsletter — November 2021

A Letter from Our Pastor: What Is The Real Purpose Of Our Lives?

On Nov. 21, the Church celebrates the Feast of Christ the King. As we join in her jubilant celebration of the sovereign reign of Our Lord over all of creation, we should also celebrate the fact that we have faithful followers of this same King, dwelling in our midst. Over the years, our parish school has been richly blessed with the presence of the School Sisters of Christ the King. The light, peace, grace, and wisdom they bring to our faith community is truly a unique gift from God.

The School Sisters of Christ the King are a Roman Catholic community of contemplative/active women religious who consecrate themselves in a special way to Jesus Christ the King. As they explain on their official website: “The spirit of our community is joyful fidelity to Christ the King. This spirit flows from a constant awareness of our total belonging to Him: He has loved us into existence, redeemed us at the price of His Blood, and has called us to lay down our lives totally as a holocaust of love with Him to our Heavenly Father.”

Their charism involves a profound love and veneration for the Holy Eucharist and for the priesthood. They also cherish a special devotion to Mary as Queen and to the Passion of the Crucified King, in the spirit of St. Alphonsus Liguori.

Presently, five School Sisters of Christ the King live at St. Peter Convent and four of them work at St. Peter School – Sr. Mary Michael, Sr. John Marion, Sr. Mary Clare, and Sr. Mary Guadalupe.

“In all of our schools, we typically teach the sacramental grades, so as to emphasize the importance of these formative years and help children learn the Catholic faith well during that time,” says Sr. Mary Michael, Principal of St. Peter School. “I appreciate the support that the parents and parishioners give to our school. It is such a blessing. Our school could not exist without them. I also appreciate the willingness that our parish priest has to bring our children the sacraments.”

Their teaching apostolate flows from the purpose of their existence — that Christ may reign in the hearts of all. As their website further explains, “In our apostolate of Catholic education, we share in a particular way the heart of the Church’s existence. In his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, the mission of Christ the Redeemer, Pope Saint John Paul II states, ‘The Church is missionary by her very nature’ (§ 5). According to the spirit of our charism, we are contemplatives who teach. Though we strive for excellence in teaching, it is our interior life that ultimately makes our apostolate fruitful. By our manner with those whom we serve, we make Christ the Teacher present: His wisdom, knowledge, patience, and most especially His special love for children.”

“Catholic education is so important, especially because of the culture we live in, which is becoming more and more separated from the daily life of a Christian,” Sr. Mary Michael says. “As Catholics, we not only have to be different, but we have to be bold in our willingness to be different. Children need a strong foundation in order to move toward that goal, and our families need the support of a Catholic school.”