newsletter March 04 revised 3-2-04 - St. Scholastica Academy

Please keep the monks, his two sisters, and the Teresian Sisters inyour prayers as they deal with this great loss.From the PresidentThis weekend we celebrate the feast of All Saints. In areflection about this feast Dorothee Soelle writes, “Into thecloak of my life is woven all the affection and tenderness ofthe people who are no longer here and whom I remember.”What a wonderful thought! I am reminded that I carry in methe spirit of those I loved and who have loved me. I amstrengthened by remembering how they handled life’sdifficulties, instilled faith and values into my life, supportedme in everything I attempted, challenged me when my thinkingand actions needed correction. The “strengthening blessings”we’ve received from those who once journeyed with us in thislife continue for our lifetime because we believe in theResurrection! Those who have gone before us are with us inspirit to bring us God’s love. It is how we live the ordinarydaily events of our lives in an extraordinary way that bringsus closer to God. Let us remember in prayer all those whohave gone before us and receive grace from their intercessionfor us.In memory of Father Thomas Perrier, O.S.B. We are allshocked and saddened by the untimely death of our dear friend,Father Thomas who passed away suddenly this past Sunday. Iwas reflecting on a passage from Ephesians 4:7, “Grace wasgiven to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”We were all born with a mission that only we can accomplish.God counts on us to fulfill this mission. I believe that Fr.Thomas truly received great grace from God and that he fulfilledhis mission as only he could. For a monk who lived “within themonastery walls”, he touched the hearts and souls of so verymany people through his retreat ministry, his missionary trips,and through his very persona.Father Thomas had just celebrated Mass for our student bodyon October 15, the feast of St. Teresa. It had been a very longtime since he said our all-school Mass. Again, I believe this wasall part of the plan of God. For this gift we should be grateful.We have been so deeply blessed to have shared his life and hisgifts. May we continue to carry out our mission in life byfollowing his example.On a humorous note, Father Thomas absolutely loved the NewOrleans Saints and followed them passionately. I know he wasplanning to watch the Saints game this past Sunday. I believethat he saw that game, whether in this life or the next! Maybe itwas he who helped them win!!While we are sad at his passing, we should rejoice that we had theopportunity to know him in life...and we are richer for this gift.Here at SSA our November activities offer us many opportunitiesto reflect on the abundance of God’s many gifts to us. In theupcoming liturgy on Veterans Day we will be mindful of theimmense sacrifice incurred by our service men and women andtheir families for the cause of freedom. Their courage andbravery, their selfless, generous spirit can never truly be repaid.We offer our prayers for God’s blessing to help them duringthis time of conflict.As our thoughts turn to Thanksgiving we immediately thank Godfor the gifts and talents of our students that are so evident dailyon our campus. One of the joys of being educators is to seebright faces light up when they suddenly “get” a concept we havebeen trying to teach. Another reward for us is to witness theremarkable creativity displayed in a project or paper, an exceptionalperformance on the court, the dance team, cheerleading squad,in the choir, or on the stage. We are truly blessed by the multiple“random acts of kindness” demonstrated routinely by our students,parents, and staff. The thing that most warms my heart is seeingthe multiple ways in which our students, faculty, and parents givesof themselves in service to those in need in our community. Trulyour student body is carrying out Jesus’ call: “When you did it tothose in need, you did it for me.” Our seniors recently participatedin Outreach Day. Not only did they accomplish a lot of work forthe places they went, but in the process they became so muchmore aware of the needs of suffering humanity. Through theirexperience they have walked in the shoes of those who are differentfrom themselves and who need their support and compassion.TRUE GREATNESS is manifested in SERVICE. Jesus was amodel of service—coming not to be served but to serve. (Mark10:45). Followers of Jesus are to be shaped in his image. This iswhat Thanksgiving is all about: being so grateful for what wehave that we can be generous in giving to others.We are called to be goods stewards of all that God has given us.As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I thank you for all you do for St.Scholastica Academy. We truly could not be where we are todaywithout the generosity and the service of so many of you.During this time of Thanksgiving we pray that God may blessyou and your family abundantly, helping you to see how muchHe is with you in the daily moments of your lives.Marguerite S. Celestin