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Dear Families,

I certainly understand that there are a lot of activities and events taking place between now and Christmas. Please know that we have reflected on the purpose and timing of each event, and our goal is to ensure that every undertaking is a valuable extension of our mission. We do not require nor expect parents to attend them all; having said that, there are some unique opportunities available. We also want to use the gifts that God has given us, most especially this wonderful campus. Mr. Broom frequently discussed the need to evangelize by using our facility as community spa...

Dear Families,

Lost in the shuffle of re-scheduling the week so our school can honor the legacy of Mr. Broom was the fact that our annual spirit week is next week. Spirit week is a longstanding tradition at MRA, as it gives students an occasion to both celebrate life and their vocation as students. So often I get stuck in a moment in which I think, "Wow, God really has this whole plan thing under control." I will recount the last two weeks to illustrate what I mean, and then announce the plan for spirit week.

I say this because while sharing the news with the students on Monday ...

Dear Families,

It is with a heavy heart that I report Ed Broom has gone home to his eternal rest. He passed away on Saturday, October 1st, the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux. I had the privilege of attending Mass with Mr. Broom this summer during the customary visit of Fr. Ed Broom (his son, an Oblate of the Virgin Mary), and I can honestly share that his love for our Lord originated from a childlike devotion.  He had nothing to gain, except for the salvation of souls.

Mr. Broom has been a longtime board member and benefactor of the school. 

This morning, I was lectoring at St. Pa...

Dear Families,

St. Thomas Aquinas taught me quite a lot about the differences between secondary and primary ends. Aquinas frequently referenced secondary ends as meaningful only to the extent that their achievement is ordered towards the accomplishment of the primary end. He applied this principle to philosophy, theology, and of course morality. Now that our journey has begun, I would like to take a moment to illustrate the implications of this educational and formative journey of a school year by consulting Aquinas.

Secondary goals usually deal with the 'how' of the journey. These are...

Dear Families,
 
We were fortunate to have Auxiliary Bishop Francis Christian on campus this week for our annual back to school liturgy.  Bishop Christian led the school community in renewing our baptismal vows and the faculty in the reading of an oath of fidelity to the Church.  As I was reading the oath, I was reminded of our responsibility to model the faith for our students and of my gratitude in sharing that mission with such committed teachers.  Traditions like our opening Mass are so important to maintaining perspective and priorities.  Already, it seems like the rush of sports and homewo...

There were plenty of smiles today when students welcomed Mr. John Riley to help launch the new Latin program. Students in grades K-6 will participate in the Latin and Greek Roots Challenge, a program pioneered by Maureen Riley. Mrs. Riley comments on the life-long impact of learning Latin at an age-appropriate level:

We hope that you, too, will discover the benefits of teaching Latin and Greek etymology to your students or children or, perhaps, you will be intrigued enough to learn it yourself.  We hope that our program, The Latin and Greek Roots Challenge, is your program of choice. How...

Dear Families,

On Tuesday, we gathered to pray the first rosary of the school year. I commented to the students that Tuesday marked the beginning of a one hundred and eighty day journey. I don't often think of this - which is quite befuddling - but teachers and students will soon be interacting before, during, and after school at such a high frequency that the relationship develops into a borderline parent-child dynamic. For me personally, this is no cause for worry or alarm. I really do consider each child here one of my own, and now that I am entering my eighth year at MRA, I sense the diffe...