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THE CATHOLIC WAY TO CELEBRATE

HONORING WHAT MAKES US GOD’S PEOPLE

By FATHER DAMIEN GIAP     2/15/2022

This year, the first week in February was a time of rededication. It was a time to honor and celebrate who we are as devoted Catholics, as committed Christians and as servant leaders for God and His people. It was a time of prayer, emphasizing meditation and reflection and demonstrating service through faith in action.

The initial focus was on invitation. As a community under God, St. John the Baptist Catholic School reached out to the neighborhoods around us welcoming all families to come and discover the plans God has created to give us all hope for the future. As we worked to serve our brothers and sisters, we filled our campus with excited new families.

STUDENTS AT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL ATTEND AN ALL-SCHOOL MASS ON FEBRUARY 3, ON THE FEAST OF ST. BLAISE. THE MASS WAS CELEBRATED BY SCHOOL RECTOR, FR. DAMIEN GIAP, O.PRAEM AND PARISH PASTOR FR. AUGUSTINE PUCHNER, O.PRAEM AND INCLUDED THE BLESSING OF THE THROATS.

Next, we raised our voices in prayer to lift up our nation under God. Our eighth-grade students led the entire student body in a “living” Rosary asking God to inspire our country’s leadership to put Him first in every decision that they make and to follow Mary’s example of humility, patience and trust in His plan for us all.

We celebrated the servant leadership of our teachers and staff members. We offered prayer and humble appreciation for these Catholic Christian role models who guide our students daily in the areas of academic excellence, discovery of their God-given gifts and continual spiritual growth.

We spotlighted the gift of our vocations. As a faith community, we opened our hearts to God’s personal message for each of us, striving to embrace the possibility of religious life and offering thanks and praise for the precious gift of the priests, fraters, and sisters who faithfully serve our community each and every day.

We acknowledged the wonder and beauty of our student body. We celebrated the uniqueness of each of the children entrusted to our care. We joined together in a Holy Mass of thanksgiving for the precious resource of the Catholic Christian Leaders we are blessed to create here at St. John the Baptist Catholic School.

And finally, we rejoiced in the community that serves us and that we are honored to serve in return. We took time to thank those who sacrifice throughout the year so we can continue to learn in this healthy, Christ-centered environment, and to share from our blessings with those in need at our Norbertine sister school.

It was a time of true celebration, a time to pray and sing praises together, a time to say thank you to so many who serve their God without reservation, and a time of sincere joy and faith in God for he knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us, plans to give us hope and a future.