I truly love being involved with the parish school. I have been blessed to be with schools all my priesthood, and the clergy office told me that they knew they had to assign me to a parish with a school when I was last up for transfer. But I have to admit that as much as I love school, one of my favorite days is the last day of school. In fact, being involved with a school makes summer even more of a break. Even when I’m not away on my own vacation, I can tell that things are a little quieter and less hectic. I look at this time as a gift from God to refresh and renew us.
So let me take a moment to look at this coming week. On Wednesday afternoon, our Kindergarten children will finish their year and get ready to move on to first grade. Even for those who have been in pre-school, this year has been an experience of learning what school is all about. Then Wednesday evening we have the eighth grade graduation Mass. Many of our sixteen graduates have been in our school since kindergarten. They are now getting ready to move on to high school and take the next step in their education.
For everyone in between kindergarten and eighth grade, the big day is Friday. They will be back with us next year and will welcome new students to our school. In fact, it looks very much like our enrollment will actually go up a bit next year, making us one of the few schools in the diocese to achieve an increase in enrollment. That is a very real blessing that is one factor in allowing us to hold the line on costs, with no increase in tuition for next year. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The children in St. Malachy School aren’t ready yet to think about the fall. They have a summer ahead of them, and they richly deserve a vacation. And even if they don’t richly deserve it, their teachers certainly do.
So as I conclude my first full school year at St. Malachy, I want to thank our excellent principal, Mrs. Escovitz, and a wonderful faculty. They have shown a true concern for their students and a professional approach toward their jobs. I thank the support staff for all that they do to keep our school running smoothly. I thank the parents, grandparents and other volunteers who give of their time. I thank all the school families who have chosen St. Malachy for an excellent education for their children. Thanks to the entire parish for supporting the school as a vital part of our ministry. And of course, I thank the students themselves, who make our school so special. Have a great summer.
Don’t forget – you have a vacation from school, but church is open all summer. God never takes a vacation.
Father H
