from the pastor
December 2016 Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends, I am so grateful to be the Pastor of St. Mary’s and so proud of our students in both the Elementary School and the High School. As I visit them in our classrooms, see them on the stage, or watch them in the gym or on the turf, I see future leaders in service, business, and society. I reflect upon the vital work we do to educate these young people with a foundation based in the Gospel values of Jesus Christ so that they are well prepared for their journey in education and their life’s work. Each year, indeed each day, our administration and faculty consider what we teach and how we teach it so that our students will reach the next best level of knowledge and understanding, the next higher level of critical thinking, and - at the very core of our mission - the next deeper level of faith, trust, and hope in Our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. We have purposeful and thoughtful discussions about what this means in daily life. How does Jesus Christ enter the lives of our students in all that they do and in all that they learn? At an award ceremony in the spring we heard Colin Dunning, a graduating senior, talk about a core value at Saint Mary’s: Service. His words were deep, meaningful, and faith filled. They reflected the very foundation of an education at The Schools of Saint Mary, which is how our faith in Jesus Christ should and does inform and form our words and deeds for now and for a lifetime. The theme of Colin’s words is one that we continue to hear across the campus and in all grade levels. My prayer is that the foundation in which we play such an important role remains with these students both during their time here at St. Mary’s after for many years thereafter. In this issue of Magnificat, you will read and see the many faces of Saint Mary’s from Elementary School through our High School and our faithful Alumni. I invite you to become active ambassadors of our Schools and our mission in your home and community. Our love for Jesus Christ is unabashed, eternal, and we always strive for the next best level of perfect love for Him. In Jesus & Mary,
Rev. Fr. Robert A. Romeo Pastor
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