This morning we marked the beginning of Lent with Mass. The ashes we received on our foreheads during Mass are a symbol of repentance, or changing our lives for the better. In their religion classes our students are learning about the season of Lent, its symbols and its rituals.

They have all made Lenten promises to become better Christians by developing a new positive habit and possibly getting rid of a habit that is not good for them. I hope you will take some time during the next few days to ask your child to share his or her Lenten promise with you.

 

As a school wide Lenten project we are working on a Corporal Work of Mercy - Shelter the Homeless. Each class is collecting a particular item that will be included in Care Packages and distributed locally through Catholic Charities. Click here for the list that of items being collected by each class.

 

This project is especially poignant to some of us who have worked at St. Rose for a long time.   We recently became aware that one of our former students, who is now an adult, died homeless and alone in a Sonoma County waterway that was swollen from the recent rain. Most of our students are unaware of the circumstances, but they know our Mass this morning was offered in Alex's name and they are praying for him. As part of our Lenten project, Catholic Charities will be sending speakers to talk with our students about homelessness in age appropriate ways. Once I have the date set I will let you know so you can engage with your child on this subject at home.