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“Let us thank all those who teach in Catholic schools. Educating is an act of love; it is like giving life.”
— Pope Francis
“Educating the
mind without
educating the heart is
no education at all.”
— Aristotle
EXTENDING OUR HEARTS & HANDS
In his social encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis draws upon the words of St. Francis of Assisi and urges us to unite “as a single human family” in which we are “brothers and sisters all.” Through ministerial outreach, our Sisters extend their hearts and hands to God’s diverse people, doing their small part to achieve social justice for all.
Unfinished Business
Sister Maria Derecola carries on our community's
century-long tradition in the Catholic school classroom.

As a second grade teacher, Sister Maria Derecola carries on our community’s heritage of teaching and caring for young children. She shares both the classroom curriculum and the spiritual lessons to prepare her students at St. Matthias School and Parish in Somerset, N.J., to receive the Sacraments and to take on the real world.

“Every day, I can see the face of God in each student,” she says. “They are a bright sign of what’s important in life.”

Sister’s work pays tribute to the earliest days of our congregation’s presence in the United States — dating back more than 108 years — as teachers and caregivers to the young children of Eastern European immigrants. There are far fewer Catholic schools these days, but the mission is ongoing.

“I love that I can personally carry on our mission of teaching and forming young minds into citizens and disciples of Christ,” Sister Maria says. “The children bring joy, innocence and a love of learning. They are a blessing from God to me and our school.”
Sister Carol Ann’s art class at Northside Catholic Assumption Academy in Pittsburgh prepares a sign to be displayed in St. Cyril’s Church for Catholic Schools Week.
Celebrating Catholic Schools
Catholic schools have a specific purpose — to form students to be good citizens of the world, love God and neighbor, and enrich society with the leaven of the gospel and by example of faith.

Sisters Maria Derecola, Carol Ann Papp, Rosann Velas, Patricia Brennan and Rosemarie Bartnicki and the students in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey schools where they serve celebrated National Catholic Schools Week January 30-February 5, along with thousands of other schools nationwide. With the theme Catholic Schools: Faith, Excellence, Service, the week designates a special time to honor the year-round work of Catholic schools in our communities.

It's work that our Sisters have taken to heart for more than 100 years. Let us all continue to work together to bring the Kingdom of God to earth and to raise up the next generation to do the same.
Other students at Northside Catholic expressed their love for their school in their drawing.
Holy Cow, That’s Creative!
Sister Barbara Ann Webster (formerly Sister David) is looking to reconnect with the first-graders from St. Gabriel School on Pittsburgh’s North Side who helped her to make this cow in the late 1960s. The class project won first place in the Buhl Planetarium Science Show that year.
 
“We used a carpenter horse for the base and lots of wrapping paper rolls and masking tape to form the body,” Sister recalls. “The body got a little ‘far out’ on the posterior. And to everyone’s ‘udder’ delight, the rubber glove filled with chalk water actually gave ‘milk.’ What a glorious time!”
 
If you were part of that moo-velous class, drop us a line here or call 412-761-2855.
“We paper-mached the project, our shoes, the floor, the wall and, sometimes, our faces,” Sister Barbara Ann remembers. “Don’t ask how we managed to get this down to Buhl. Guess who took it? The Milk Man (yes, that’s true)!”