"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13
Now more than ever, we all need to pull together as a Catholic Christian community to pray for one another, support one another, and love one another. While we are practicing social distancing, our faith and belief in the Communion of Saints, reminds us that we are never alone. Before each school year begins, I prayerfully discern a patron saint to journey with throughout the upcoming year. How appropriate that this year, St. Joan of Arc is my companion. She was and is a prayer warrior who did not back down when her faith and strength were tested. During this time of social isolation and distancing, it is easy for our faith and strength to be challenged.
I find that I am a glass half-full type of person and even I have wrestled with the uncertainty of this virus and its impact on every aspect of our lives. As an optimist, I look for blessings in the challenges and obstacles placed before us. Much gratitude goes to our parents who quickly responded to the Diocesan survey put out last Wednesday. Your feedback and affirmation has been truly uplifting, even amidst growing pains for this new way of learning. Here are just a few compliments we received last week:
"I absolutely know and feel the teachers, staff, and administration are working so hard for our children and I just love them even more for that."
"The school's leadership, transparency, and dedication to continuing both scholastic education and faith formation should be commended. They truly exemplify the saying of "teaching is a vocation!" I am so proud and honored to be part of the St. Francis of Assisi Community!"
"I am so impressed at the way SFA got us up and running with distance learning. The staff from preschool to 3rd are all incredibly accessible. The resources we have are engaging. The additional resources they share with us daily (free websites) are an added bonus. They are very understanding as we all learn together. The social media posts and SFA school texts continue to make me feel a part of the SFA family- which is one of my favorite parts about this school."
"Absolutely and tremendously impressed with our teacher, our principal, the IT and tech team and all of SFA!! I cannot express how excellent their response has been. Clear, efficient, compassionate and top-notch! Not a moment has been wasted and never have they left us feeling unsure or uneasy about anything. It's as though distance learning had been set up and ready to go months ago."
I felt that you too needed to hear some words of hope and inspiration this week. We contacted Fr. Fred, our lead pastor at Santa Clara de Asis Church, and he quickly headed up the hill to prepare a message for you. I hope that his words lift your spirits and remind you that our pastoral shepherds are here for us, even when we are unable to present in person.
In the words of St. Joan of Arc, "Go forward bravely, Fear nothing, trust in God, and all will be well."
St. Joan of Arc, pray for us.
Jeannette Lambert
Principal
