Blue Letter: March 7th 2008

March 7, 2008
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity

Correction notice – enclosed today you will find an updated version of the calendar. St. Patrick was spelled wrong and the dates for Holy Week were off by a day. I do not have a computer program that makes the calendar easy, so I have to do a lot of cut-n-paste. Thanks for putting up with me!
Daylight Savings Time THIS WEEKEND! Spring Forward.

The Pope gave a talk to families and educators. He had some beautiful things to say, and I couldn’t help but count my blessings for our Saint Augustine Family, a great example of his call. From parents to teachers to students encouraging each other in virtue – the Pope would be elated to see our school.

Education in Goodness Still Possible, Says Pope - Presents Letter to Roman Teachers and Families

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 25, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Although it is difficult to educate the children and youth of today in goodness, it is not impossible, says Benedict XVI. The Pope said this Saturday during a ceremony held in St. Peter’s Square to present families, teachers and young people with the letter he wrote Jan. 21 to the Diocese of Rome concerning the vital importance of education. In his remarks the Holy Father recalled how “education has never been easy, and today it seems to be becoming more difficult than ever.”

This means, he continued, that a lot of parents and teachers “renounce their duty and do not even manage to understand the true nature of the mission entrusted to them. There are, in fact, too may uncertainties, too many doubts circulating in our society and in our culture, too many distorted images propagated by the social communications media.”

Nonetheless, the Pontiff said, “we feel supported by a great hope, a deep trust,” that even in modern times “it is possible to educate in goodness.”

Addressing parents, teachers, priests and catechists, Benedict XVI encouraged them “to joyfully shoulder the responsibility with which the Lord entrusts you, so that the great heritage of faith and culture — which is the most authentic treasure of this our beloved city — may not be lost in the passage from one generation to another, but rather be renewed and strengthened, and become a guide and a stimulus on our journey toward the future.”

The Pope called on parents to remain firm in their love for one another and to show “a coherent witness of life” in order to help new generations “clearly distinguish good from evil and, in their turn, to build solid rules for life that may support them through future trials. Thus you will make your children rich with that most precious and lasting inheritance which consists in the example of the daily practice of faith.”

“Your task,” the Holy Father told teachers, cannot “be limited to supplying notions and information while ignoring the great question of truth, especially of the truth that can be a guide in life.”

He added, “In close association with parents, you are entrusted with the noble art of forming the individual.”

Pointing out how education is not just the responsibility of educators, Benedict XVI reminded children and young people that they too are called “to be participants in your own moral, cultural and spiritual development. It is up to you, then, freely to welcome in your hearts, minds and lives the heritage of truth, goodness and beauty that has accumulated over the centuries and that has its cornerstone in Jesus Christ. “It is up to you to renew and develop this heritage, freeing it from the many lies and distortions that often make it unrecognizable and provoke diffidence and disillusionment in you.” On this difficult journey, the Holy Father told young people, “you are never alone. Not only are your parents, teachers, priests and friends near you, but above all is that God who created us and who is the secret guest of our hearts. “He enlightens from within our intelligence, he orients our freedom to the good, which we often feel to be fragile and inconstant. He is the true hope and the solid foundation of our lives. To him, most of all, can we entrust ourselves.”

“If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble!” — Bob Hope

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALENDAR NOTES
March 14th Report Cards
March 18th-19th CTBS Testing, Grades 4-10
March 17th-19th Parent/Teacher Conferences – make appt.
March 20th-30th Easter Recess
March 31st School Resumes
Feast of the Annunciation – Rosary Procession
April 14th GOLF-A-THON
May 24th 2:00 PM GRADUATION

BASKETBALL –THANKS to our ATHLETES. (Return Uniforms Monday)
Thank you to Coach Dillon and Coach Fox.
To Coach Seeley and Coaches Hildebrandt and Demers.
And thanks to all the student athletes who once again thrilled us with so many great moments
of competition. We cannot wait until next year to see more thrills.

TRACK - Final Athletic Event of the year is a Middle School TRACK MEET. Now signing up 6-8th graders for a meet on April 7th – 9th. We need a parent coach/monitor for each grade. Please contact Mr. Van Hecke on Monday!

Catholics @ Work – Colleen Cason on “Under the Radar: Getting God into Mainstream Media.” at Marie Callender’s THIS Thursday, March 13, 2008. Mass at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
Speaker at 8:00 a.m. Colleen Cason is an award-winning human interest columnist for the Ventura County Star. Her talk will address stories of faith that she is able to tell while writing a column for a general-interest newspaper. Please respond by Tuesday, March 11th, if possible, to Bill Short by phone at 805.640.7640, e-mail at BillShortEsq@earthlink.net or fax at: 805.640.1940

Los Angeles Marathon! – Congratulations to Bernadette Lueck and Jessie Van Hecke who completed the Marathon this weekend – all 26.2 miles – in under 6 hours. This has engendered much interest and we hope to have a whole Saint Augustine Team go next March. Start training!

End Of Year Slide Show/DVD Being Created. Please send in anything – VIDEO, STILL PHOTOS, Vocal recordings. We will get your originals back to you, unless you do not need them back. The McLaughlin Studios will start compiling over the Easter break. (ASAP)

Ora Pro Nobis: For the soul of Sister Edward Francis, MMC and Mrs. Elna Sandoval. Please continue to pray for TAC graduate, Peter Bacik, who does have metastasized cancer, but whose case is not quite as hopeless as earlier reported. For a special intention. We pray for Debbie Raab, Henry Teichert, a student’s grandfather, John Henry C——-, Gabriel V——–, and Joe and Anne Schaffner. We continue to pray for Mrs. Dillon’s mother, for Timothy H—–, for Dominic L—-’s grandfather, and Fr. Love’s father. Let us remember to pray for one another. For our alumni and relatives who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. For all the intentions we hold deep in our heart.