It is a Catholic tradition to honor Mary, our Mother, during the month of May by placing on her statue a crown of flowers. This lovely devotional ceremony is a favorite tradition at Holy Family Catholic School. The May Crowning gives the children an opportunity to especially honor the Blessed Mother of Jesus, and to give thanks to her for bringing our Savior into the world.

The May Crowning service was led by our soon-to-be graduating eighth graders and our wonderfully blessed second grade class, most of whom have just received their 1st Holy Communion. The crowning ceremony takes place at Mass today, where a special statue of Mary was placed adjacent to the altar for the occasion.

Each child in the school had the opportunity to place a flower in front of Mary; and two eighth graders were selected to place the crown of flowers on Mary’s head. This year, that honor went to August Anderson and Sophia Muehlhausen. Their essays on Mary were beautifully written and were selected by the faculty to represent the school today.

The gymnasium was filled with parents and community members and we were blessed to have Fr. Arogyam as our celebrant. Many thanks to all the parents and students for their lovely flowers presented to Mary today and their help in this celebration. Congratulations to all of our students that have received Sacraments this Spring!

O Jesus, Divine Master, I thank and bless Your most merciful Heart for having given us Mary most holy as our Mother, Teacher and Queen. From the cross You placed us all in her hands. You gave her a great heart, much wisdom and immense power. May all mankind know her, pray through her! May all permit themselves to be led by her to You, the Savior of mankind! I placed myself in her hands, as You placed Yourself. With this Mother I want to live now, in the hour of my death, and for all eternity.

Amen.

This week has been filled with excitement. Thanks so much to PIE and our school parents that have been spoiling the faculty and staff during this Teacher Appreciation Week as well. Everyone has been enjoying the treats and treasures you have provided.

In addition to May Crowning and Teacher Appreciation week, the staff has also been celebrating two very special occasions among the staff members. Mr. McDonnel is engaged to be married and will be wed this coming July. And we have all been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Mrs. Taylor’s baby boy, Oliver, who will be born very soon! We wish them all much happiness and joy.

Pax et bonum,

Sue Styren, M.Ed.

Principal, HFCS

Today at Mass Fr. Len asked us to think about how subtracting things from our lives may be the road that leads us to holiness. It made me think of that saying – Less is More. Filling our lives of less worldliness and more opportunities to connect with service in our communities, prayer, and family.

We are asked to reflect, today, upon the witness of Judas. Use him as a source of meditation and self-examination this Holy Week. What is it in our lives that we desire more than our Lord? What temptation clouds our thinking and leads us to choices that will hinder our relationship with God? Jesus should be our focus especially this very Holy Week.

My divine Lord, You and You alone must become the focus of my life. You and You alone are of the greatest value in life. Help me to shed all earthly desires in life so that I will not fall into the temptations that lead to empty promises and so that I will embrace the true and fulfilling promises that come from You. Jesus, I trust in You.

This past week, HFCS finished up the final pieces of our Accreditation. We will hear the official word sometime in late June or early July. However, that being said, the school rated highly effective or effective on all of the factors of accreditation. Which means we are accredited as we move forward. I want to thank our fabulous faculty/staff, wonderful parents, and amazing Parents in Education as well as our Advisory Board for their contributions and support. It was truly a team effort and I look forward to working with the Strategic Planning committee as we begin planning for the new year and beyond.

Speaking of the new year, we have a new middle school teacher we will be bringing on board this fall, Meghan Sanchez. She has gone through two interview cycles, her references are of the highest caliber and she is excited about teaching Social Studies and religion to our middle school students. I know you will love her as much as we do! We are scheduling multiple interviews for the many fourth grade candidates that have applied. We will keep you posted. I am excited about the wonderful candidates that have applied thus far. Mrs. Teresa Sanchez has been a great 4th grade teacher and we are sad to lose her – but it makes finding a fabulous teacher to replace her that much more important. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to pop by my office, email, text, or call.

Please watch your email in the next few days for Parent Teacher Conference signup links. Conferences are scheduled for April 26 – 28, 2023.

Have a blessed Holy Week and Easter.

Pax et bonum,

Sue Styren, M.Ed.

Principal, HFCS

This Lent, let us not miss those important opportunities for silence and contemplation. Periods of silence help to create havens where we can prepare to fully hear God’s word. This season of Lent gives us an opportunity to tune out the noise and embrace moments of silence, resting in God’s Holy Word.

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy Kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,

your heavenly Father will forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men,

neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

 

 

Pax et bonum,

Sue Styren, M.Ed.

Today at mass the Homily focused on: How do we show we are Catholic – in our actions, in how we live our lives, in how others perceive us. Is it evident that we are Catholics – called to do Christ work here on earth? It’s not the first time I was humbled by God’s word. The truths that God has revealed to us make up the foundation of our lives.

It can be difficult to see through the challenges of the modern world and focus on the teachings of Christ in our lives. But as we do this, we help model for our children the rich experience of living a truly Catholic way of life. There are many ways to express our Catholic faith. These include prayer, looking to Mary as our model of faith, Eucharistic Adoration, devotions to Mary, the saints and angels, reading sacred scripture, visiting the stations of the cross, observing the many symbols and rituals that comprise the Catholic faith, and in how we treat those we encounter daily.

Dear Father in heaven, living source of all that is eternal in us, we come to you and plead with you to strengthen the gifts you have given us. Grant us the light of life in which we can walk in spite of the many burdens and uncertainties of our earthly life. Protect us from deception and disappointment. Strengthen our hope for your steadfast, firm, and eternal rule in us, in many others, and finally in all people. Amen.

With Christ in our hearts, we look forward to the remainder of our school year and begin planning and preparing for 2023/2024. Please be sure to reach out to the office with any questions you may have regarding applications for new students and registration for returning students. More information can be found below, please be sure to read through it.

I want to also thank our PIE volunteers, Student Council, students, families, and teachers for an amazing Catholic Schools Week last week. God bless you as we move closer to Lent.

 

Pax et bonum,

Sue Styren, M.Ed.