A Letter From Our Pastor: The Blessings of Our Catholic School

Dear Parishioners,

This year, St. Vincent de Paul celebrates 20 years of supporting a Catholic school. After having a Catholic school for 20 years, it is now a part of our mission. Parish support and, most importantly, the goodness of God contributes to the continuation of our Catholic school.

I have only been your pastor for three years, but I have heard numerous accounts of the blessings of our Catholic school. My first year here, a young high school student told about the blessings received from the school. The knowledge of the Catholic faith, passed on by the School Sisters of Christ the King, helped answer questions from non-Catholic classmates. Other former students recount how their faith grew during their time at our school.

The blessings of our Catholic school reach beyond knowledge of our Catholic faith. Knowledge of our faith is the beginning, then we choose to apply it in everyday life. God gives us freedom to choose, and we hope the choice will be to use it. Beyond this gift of faith, there is the gift of community and vitality in parish life.

A Catholic school flourishes due to the support of many people. The resources needed to keep a school going are huge and regardless of the size of the school, it relies on the support of everyone. A Catholic school is truly a community effort, and its presence builds and strengthens the community by working together for its success. Many people come together through the activity of the school. Whether it is a Christmas program, a graduation ceremony, or a veterans’ celebration, people from the community come together and encounter the blessings of the school. Through yearly school events, a vibrancy comes to the parish and community and is one of the blessings of a Catholic school.

Since I have been a part of this parish, the one thing that sets this community apart is music. This must be a community thing, because I heard the same thing from other pastors in a recent Ministerial Association meeting that gets all of the minsters in the area together. People in this community love to sing! I noticed this right away when I came to this parish, and I noticed it in the school too. One of the great joys that I miss due to the COVID pandemic is daily Mass with the school kids. I learned early that they like to sing, so I incorporate song into the Mass daily. We sing the Hosanna, the Memorial Acclamation, the Lamb of God and other songs during Mass. Their voices are so beautiful and pure, and they drown out the old, rough voice of their pastor. I enjoy that so much, and it is a true gift, a blessing offered to God each day. This is the greatest part of a Catholic School. I experienced it when I was in McDaid Elementary and St. Patrick’s High School as a child. The greatest moment for me then was Mass, and it is still today. The adage “those who sing pray twice” is true, and the kids of St. Vincent de Paul School love to sing and offer a tremendous blessing to all in their gift of prayer.

As we begin our 20th year of Catholic school education, this is the beginning of gratitude and reflection on the blessings of the school, and we will continue throughout the year. Thank you for your support and continue to pray for our school and its staff. God Bless you.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Msgr. Robert Tucker, Pastor

The blessings of our Catholic school reach beyond knowledge of our Catholic faith. Knowledge of our faith is the beginning, then we choose to apply it in everyday life. God gives us freedom to choose, and we hope the choice will be to use it. Beyond this gift of faith, there is the gift of community and vitality in parish life.