Volume IV
Dear Saint Andrew Families,

Greetings to you all! 
 
I hope that you have had a blessed beginning to the New Year! Last Thursday, we began our school day  with a Faith Family Assembly introducing the virtue and saints of the month of January. Following the assembly, students transitioned into their Faith Family groups. These groups are of mixed age levels and may be with a different teacher from their usual homeroom teacher. During Faith Families, the students completed activities focused on learning the virtue and about life of one of our saints of the month. In this way, our students continue to grow in faith together, learning about the lives of the saints and the virtues of our faith. 
 
During the month of January we will be focusing on the virtue of Fortitude. We defined the virtue of Fortitude as being brave and strong in the face of difficulties and trials. So often in our daily lives we find ourselves in need of this virtue, especially when we are taking a stand to defend those things that are true, good, and beautiful. It takes Fortitude to stand up for a classmate who is being picked on. It takes Fortitude to withstand peer pressure. It takes Fortitude to stand up and read or sing in front of your classmates at Mass. It takes Fortitude to, as Tolkien states, “rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill.” By our Baptism we are called to this mission, to lead one another to an ever greater love of Christ, and that requires a great deal of Fortitude. This essential and much relied upon virtue will continue to be our focus for the month of January. 
 
We also discussed the lives of three saints whose lives are great examples of how to practice the virtue of Fortitude.  Saint Bernadette, Saint Joan of Arc, and Saint Paul Miki were saints who, by their words and actions, showed Fortitude and deep faith in God. In their own unique ways, each of these saints went to extraordinary lengths to defend their faith and share their faith, even when others opposed them.
 
Our students, teachers, and families will all continue to practice and learn about the virtue of Fortitude this month. Please find ways this month to celebrate and discuss and practice the virtue of Fortitude in your homes as we continue to grow in this virtue together as a community of faith! 
 
May God continue to bless you all in this new year! 
 
Paul Vanasse
Campus Ministries
Saint Bernadette
(1844-1879, France)
Feast: April 16

Saint Bernadette was from a poor family with five children. She was often absent from school because her asthma made her very sick.

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette, but no one would believe her. They said she was lying and threatened to punish her. One time, Mary asked her to drink water from a stream in the ground. All Bernadette could find was mud. When she tried to drink it, people made fun of her. But later the water came flowing out, and many sick people who drank it or washed in it received miracles of healing.
Saint Joan of Arc
(1412-1431, France)
Feast: May 30

Born a simple peasant, Joan of Arc began hearing the voices of Saint Margaret , Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Saint Michael the Archangel speak to her as a young girl. The voices began telling her to go the man born to be King of France and lead the army to re-conquer his kingdom. Many people thought she was crazy, and that it was inappropriate for a young girl to dress in armor like a man. But her faith soon changed their hearts. She demanded that everyone in the army lead lives of purity so that God could work through them, and though she was very afraid she led them into battle with a flag that said "Jesus, Maria."

After many battles Joan was wounded, but victorious. France was re-united and Charles VII was crowned king. Unfortunately, Joan was captured and accused of heresy, but the king did not defend her. She was put on trial for heresy (telling lies about the faith) because she would not deny that the voices that spoke to her were sent by God. It was an unfair trial with many trick questions, but she answered them all with simplicity and truth. Still, she was condemned and was burned at the stake. Later, her trial was re­ investigated and she was declared innocent. In 1920 she was canonized a saint.

Saint Paul Miki and Companions
(1562-1597, Japan)
Feast: February 6

Saint Paul Miki was a missionary to his own people in Japan. He became a Jesuit brother at a young age, and was known for his preaching. The Jesuits converted many souls to Christ, and at first the government and tradesmen sup­ported them. This changed when a Spanish ship wrecked on the coast of Japan, and as the Japanese took the goods the ship had carried, the angry captain showed the Japanese how powerful Spain was by pointing to a map and showing all the lands they had conquered. He warned them that the first step to conquering a land was sending in priests to convert the people. This made the Japanese see the Jesuits as a threat, and Christianity was outlawed.

As a demonstration to frighten other Christians into abandoning their faith, Saint Paul Miki and 25 of his companions were forced to march 600 miles from Kyoto to Nagasaki, and were tortured along the way. With God as their strength, they overcame their exhaustion and fear, and as they marched they sang the Te Deum, an ancient hymn of praise to God. When they reached Nagasaki, they were crucified.

Saint Paul Miki is known for giving his last sermon from the cross on which he died. The onlookers were told that the people being killed were foreigners who wanted to conquer Japan, but Paul Miki proclaimed from the cross that he was Japanese by birth, and a fol­lower of Christ. He forgave his persecutors and prayed for their conversion.
Talk with your students about the lives of the saints, the virtues they exemplified, and the virtues the saints struggled with in their lives. With your help, your children will continue to grow deeper in their Catholic faith and will be encouraged and formed to live virtuous lives, leading them to someday join all of the saints in heaven.
Please join us on Sunday, January 29th at the 12:30 PM Mass to kick off Catholic School’s Week! Bishop Michael Olson will be presiding at this special Mass for the school and parish community and many of our students will be involved in preparing and participating in the Mass.

Following the Mass, please join us at the school for a special blessing as Bishop Olson blesses and dedicates each of the new buildings on our campus. This will be a wonderful day for Saint Andrew and a perfect way to start our Catholic School’s Week celebrations. Thank you to all of our donors and to all of those who helped lead the Second Spring Capital Campaign! 
 
In our most recent Faith Family Assembly, one student per homeroom (Kindergarten - 8th) was recognized with a certificate for exemplifying the October virtue of Friendship - sharing a mutual love that seeks the good of the other.

Congratulations to the following Wildcats and to all of our Wildcats who are living their faith everyday!
John Alanis
Keathley Berry
Sarah Cisneros
Mia Coffey
Caroline Dally
Sebastian Davis
Tom Drabicky
Victoria Fenyes
Sophia Galindo
Quinton Griffin
Layla Haddad
Aidan Hallman
Alex Hughes
Gabe Jacobi
Gabby Lewis
Marlene Maldonado
Audrey Marquez
Madi Matous
Bryant Moncrief
Htoinuring Nba
Sophia Paur
Bea Reyes
Harrison Schultz
Mary Kate Taylor
Owen Taylor 
Alex Tyree
Matthew Williams Rhyder Zapata
How do we successfully instill virtue in our own children? We know, and God knows, the most influential way a child learns virtue is by witnessing the behaviors of the people they most love, the people God has entrusted them to – us – their parents. As we move into the month of Fortitude— being brave and strong in the face of trials— I cannot help but think of our role as parents when reflecting on fortitude. Parenting is a trial of its own, a trial we have chosen, but more importantly, a trial accountable by God.
 
Each child is given to us as parents by God, and that God has entrusted them to us, but essentially, these children are not “ours” but rather God’s. It is our role to raise them for God and to teach them to know and live with God, which can only happen in the light of virtue.
 
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph #2223…
 
Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery - the preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to subordinate the “material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones.” Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them:

He who loves his son will not spare the rod....
He who disciplines his son will profit him.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (CCC, #2223)
 
Connecting home and school is so important in this mission of modeling and reinforcing virtue, and we are blessed to be able to practice our faith and pursuit for virtues within our Catholic school. One area of focus this year has been on our round table communication with families for all grade levels when students are struggling with virtue. This early intervention with families has helped us provide support and resources to help our students both in and out of the classroom.
 
This round table philosophy has also extended into our Virtues, Behavior & Discipline Program in 4th-8th grades. In comparing data from last year and this year with first semester detentions (detention is earned by 3 demerits in either “responsible behavior” or “work habits”), we have seen a significant decrease in students earning multiple detentions. What changed? This year we incorporated a parent meeting after the first detention with a two-fold purpose:
  1. To allow the student to read his/her reflection and to share any support he/she may need moving forward from the parent and/or school.
  2. To model to the student that home and school are working together to support the practice of virtues in his/her life.
This reiterates the importance of our community’s fortitude and partnership in raising our children with virtue. The Saint Andrew School community is doing God’s work, and because of this, we are truly blessed.
 
Saint Andrew Catholic School is “Paws-itively” moving forward!

In Christ,
Alison Daley, M.A., M.Ed.
Saint Andrew Catholic School
Assistant Principal
Great fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good, it gives strength and resolve to resist temptation and avoid obstacles in leading a moral life (Catechism paragraph 1808).

It is important that our children develop fortitude as they eventually move beyond our reach and must navigate the world on their own. Helping our children identify areas of their life where they fail to do what they know they should be doing will help them with this navigation.

  • First and foremost, as with all virtues, parents must model fortitude for their children.

  • We can also help our children build fortitude by practicing fortitude and pointing out specifically when you hear or see them practice fortitude. Examples include sticking up for others, praying in public, and overcoming fears. If your child comes home with a story of another student being mistreated, recognize your child for standing up by saying “that took great fortitude for you to (be specific here), that was showing great fortitude” or help them to see how they could have used fortitude by saying “Sometimes it is scary to take up for someone, but God gives us fortitude to do what is right in difficult times, next time I know that you will be able to do what is right”.

  • It is also important to give examples of others using fortitude, tell them stories of things you have experienced or talk/read about saints who were martyred or persecuted.

  • And lastly, you may help them to memorize a scripture to guide the practice of fortitude. Such as, Bear your share of hardship along with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:3
 
In Christ,
Angela Klütz
Counselor
817-924-8917 x2010
aklutz@standrewsch.org
 
As we begin 2023 with great intentions and resolutions, I wanted to invite you the families of SAS to share in a school-wide initiative that hopefully will draw us closer to each other, to our families, and to our faith. We live in a time where many of us have hectic lives taking us in many directions. It is difficult to make time for all that we need to do, including make time for a day of rest.

Sunday is often thought of as a holy day of obligation, and it is a day where we are called to attend Mass, to spend more time with family, in prayer, and in joy. This may seem an overwhelming calling when our schedules are already so full. In this New Year, I invite all SAS families to come to see Sundays as holy days of opportunity and I have a wonderful resource to help each of us with that.

In 2020, the Archdiocese of Detroit responded to the challenge of helping modern day families live Sunday better, to live the Lord’s Day in such a way that it is truly set apart for God. That diocese launched an initiative to help today’s families make the most out of Sunday Mass by offering easily accessed resources and podcasts. The online content of activities, prayers, recipes, and information on the saints allows families to easily pick and choose the content that will work best for them and coinciding with Sunday Mass readings. This initiative was called “52 Sundays” and is now available in either English or Spanish to anyone with an internet connection. 

“52 Sundays” will help if:
  • You are a family hoping to come back to regular Sunday Mass attendance but need encouragement.
  • You are a family looking for assistance in living the Lord’s Day fully.
  • You are a family that attends Mass but doesn’t feel really engaged in the faith.
  • You are a family that is looking for a resource to live Sundays even more fully than you already do.

This program allows each family to go at their own pace using resources that are a personal fit for their home life. “52 Sundays” is for everyone wherever they are in their faith journey. This program acknowledges that families may need resources to live Sunday in a way that nurtures them and sustains them in their busy lives. 

I hope you will find a moment to look at the links below and consider how these resources might help your family. I hope to unite with you and all our SAS families in a resolution to deepen our personal relationship with Christ this new year. May God bless us all.



 
Blessings,

Laura Behee, M.Ed.
Principal
Very soon your child will be bringing home a box of offertory envelopes.

We wish for the students to gain an understanding of Catholic Stewardship, which is the outcome of being a committed Disciple of Jesus Christ. Stewardship is not just for adults. It is important that young people also learn that they are greatly blessed by God and that God, in turn, expects them to share their blessings. The envelopes will be collected at the School Mass your child attends on either Tuesday or Wednesday mornings.

As you look at the envelope, you see three lines for your child to express what they have done as a steward of the gifts and blessings God has given to them. Your child can complete any or all of the lines.

The envelopes are pre-printed with an envelope number, the area for Time, Talent, and Treasure, and the child’s name. We will not be tracking envelope use, by number or child’s name. Rather we hope to inform children of how Catholics demonstrate and share the gifts and blessings we have been given by God. In Parish correspondence, you will see the words: Prayer – Service – Generosity used in lieu of Time, Talent, and Treasure.

  • Time – Was there an amount of time when the child was devoted to a particular activity to give glory and honor to God?  Prayer would fall into this category as would doing chores or tasks around the home that required little parental guidance or doing something without being told, rather because they could be of help.
  • Talent – How did the child use a skill or talent to help out another or better someone’s situation? Reading to a sibling, helping a friend play a sport better, singing in a choir.
  • Treasure – Adults understand the need for money to pay bills. Understanding Stewardship is NOT just about the money. Yes, the Church and School have lots of bills to pay! Salaries, benefits, utilities, repairs, etc. We don’t want the child to raid their piggy bank or ask you for money for the envelope (you are already participating!) but rather – if they get some birthday money, or when the tooth fairy leaves behind some money, this is the opportunity to share their gift. It is more important that a child puts in change from his or her own allowance and feels proud of that contribution.

In the early weeks of the program having your child just complete any one line is completely acceptable. We want to build the habit of stewardship in their life as they learn and grow in their faith. One of the primary purposes of this effort is to teach children that it does indeed feel good to give. It is good for our self-esteem to know that we have something to offer back to the world.
 
Some benefits of the stewardship way of life:

  • Stewardship can help build self-esteem. They need to hear that God has already blessed them with all the gifts and talents that they will need. In fact, God has given them an abundance of good things and they have enough to share.
  • Stewardship can make children happier. Unfortunately, in today’s world, children are bombarded with materialistic messages that often lead to a sense of entitlement and to frustration, and dissatisfaction with life. In contrast, stewardship encourages an attitude of gratitude. Experts tell us that children usually form their attitudes about sharing sometime between the ages of 6 and 10. They will either develop an entitlement attitude – “The world owes me.” “I don’t have enough.” Or a stewardship attitude – “I have been blessed.” “I am happy to share.” 
  • Stewardship helps children set priorities. As children learn that they are called to give back something to God they also learn that they must let go of some of their own wants. Stewardship teaches children the difference between needs and wants. Children learn to concentrate on their blessings rather than on what they want.
  • Stewardship prepares children for their adult role in the Church. Children need to learn that stewardship is not just a service project that needs to be done. Stewardship is a way of life. It is the way a good Christian lives every day of every year.
 
Children need to hear the stewardship message. They need to hear that God has already given them many unique and special gifts. They need to hear that Jesus loves them just as they are. And they need to realize that they are very blessed as they are right now. In fact, they are so blessed that they even have something to share with the rest of the world. For this reason, we are beginning the Children’s Offertory Envelope Program, which will allow our children to acknowledge, each week, how they have been blessed and how they live as disciples of Christ.

Deacon Kevin Bagley
Saint Andrew Parish & School
Executive Director of Evangelization & Ministries
This month:

  • Talk to your children about some things that make them scared and teach them small steps they can make this month to be stronger when they are afraid.

  • Fortitude means being strong enough to stand up for others. Ask your child if there is someone in their class who is hurt by others? Talk to them about how they can be strong enough to help.

  • Are your kids strong if others are bothering them? Teach your kids how to say "please stop" in a way that is polite but strong, and when to use it if someone does something that bothers them.
You are invited to join our Saint Andrew Community at one of our Christ Renews His Parish Renewal Weekends!!!
"The Catholic school’s task is fundamentally a synthesis of culture and faith, and a synthesis of faith and life: the first is reached by integrating all the different aspects of human knowledge through the subjects taught, in the light of the Gospel; the second is the growth of the virtues characteristic of the Christian.” 
(Congregation for Catholic Education, The Catholic School 37)

Saint Andrew Catholic School | 817.924.8917 | 3304 Dryden Road
www.standrewsch.org