Dear Friends,
I hear so many say, “I can’t believe summer is over!” When we keep ourselves very busy, I think it is only natural that we don’t realize the passing of time. So here we are stepping into September. That means our school and campus will be more alive as we happily welcome back our students, parents, teachers and administrators for the new school year. The summer vacation was the ideal time to do all the maintenance work for the school building – cleaning, waxing, painting etc. The classrooms, bathrooms, hallways and cafeteria – in fact the whole school building looks very inviting – thanks to the hard work of Julio Montero and team, and Mary Pat Burke-Grospin, our Business Administrator, who oversaw it.
Parents, students and teachers must have been going through what experts call “back to school stressors” – making them feel nervous, worried, anxious about changing the easy summer routine and adjust to the schedule of going back to school. But, it is important for us to realize that returning to St. Matthias School should be producing, not stress and anxiety, but hope and comfort. What makes us different from public schools, charter schools, and other private schools is that we teach the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith. We provide for the spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional needs of our students and so parents are at ease to leave their children with us. Thank you parents for making sacrifices to send your children to St. Matthias. Thank you to Mrs. Mary Lynch, our Principal, and our staff and faculty for caring for the holistic formation of each and every student entrusted to our care. It was so edifying for me to see teachers spending many days to prepare their classrooms, making them as attractive and welcoming as possible. Our students will certainly feel very welcomed and loved.
Keeping our St. Matthias School open, welcoming and going is the happy fruit of the united effort of all of us in this Catholic Community of St. Matthias. Thanks in a special way to all our parishioners and Tuition Angels who contribute so generously to promote Catholic education which is an integral part of the mission of our parish.
All this flurry of activity – be it for back to school, back to regular work after vacation, or continuing work with no vacation – is more meaningful when we realize that this is the Labor Day weekend and that it provides us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the deeper meaning of our work. The Catholic Church proclaims the dignity, meaning and redemptive value of all human work which was transformed by Christ the carpenter-worker.
Hence in the midst of resting and celebrating this Labor Day weekend, let us take a few minutes to reflect on the deeper meaning of our labor, and how our faith shapes our understanding of the value of our jobs: “How is my job creating good in the little world I find myself in? In my family? In my work place? In my friendship circle? In my own heart?”
Happy Labor Day!
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal