Update January
Dear Parents,
In this email please find:
· Update on the Transition in School Leadership
· Bishop Verot Open House and Parent Request
· Bishop Verot Response to the Earthquake in Haiti
Update on the Transition in School Leadership
Since my announcement last week, I would like to thank the many parents that have taken the time to express their appreciation for the Oblates as well as their confidence in the future of Bishop Verot. One important part of our school community’s proactive response is a letter being sent to all families from our School Board via U.S. mail this morning. Members of our Board will be working closely with Bishop Frank Dewane, Dr. Kathleen Schwartz (the Director of Education), and other officials with the Diocese of Venice as a new school leader is sought. Through our Board, your hopes and concerns as a parent will be heard. Please look for this letter and read it carefully when it arrives.
Many parents have questions that we will seek to address in the days and weeks to come. But one we received shortly after the announcement asked if Verot will still be a Catholic school, and I feel the need to answer this immediately. Whoever is principal, Bishop Verot will always be a Catholic school! It was a Catholic school before the Oblates arrived, and it will be a Catholic school after we leave. As with any diocesan Catholic school, it is the Bishop of Venice who is responsible for the school’s leadership and Catholic identity. Since the founding of Verot, previous bishops invited first the Sisters of St. Francis of Allegheny (1962-1982) and then the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (1982-present) to provide leadership and teachers to implement the mission of the school. But having a principal who is a qualified, articulate and faith-filled Catholic layperson would in no way make the school less Catholic. It may reinforce to our students that we are all called to be leaders in the faith, whether we are male or female, priest or nun, married or single. To quote Saint Francis de Sales, “We all have a vocation. We must believe that God has placed us in our state in life to fulfill as special mission that no one else can accomplish.” Moving forward, I am confident that the Diocesan process will identify the best person to serve Bishop Verot as an academic and spiritual leader, and that our school will continue to provide an outstanding Catholic education in a community that reflects Gospel values.
Please make sure that if you hear rumors, need answers to questions, are simply curious, or have feedback to share, call or e-mail us (some important e-mail addresses appear below). At Bishop Verot, we all value community; and communication is one of the keys to sustaining and strengthening the community we cherish.
Bishop Verot Open House and Parent Request
Our annual Open House for prospective students and families is on Tuesday, January 26th, at 7:00 PM. If you know parents of 7th or 8th graders who are considering Bishop Verot, please encourage them to attend. Our focus at this year’s Open House will be Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders, something we do well by encouraging young people to be leaders in the classroom, on the field, in the community, in the Church, and in the world. Because Christian leadership is defined by service, our education is not only preparation for college and a successful career, it is a challenge to discover the gifts we have been given by God to use for the good of others. Learning always has a spiritual dimension. For this reason, St. Francis de Sales referred to education as the eighth sacrament of the Church. This philosophy will always be at core of a Bishop Verot education.
Every parent has an opportunity to be a leader when it comes to our admissions efforts, which help to build a strong future for the school. Word of mouth has always been our best marketing tool! When opportunities present themselves, let other parents know about what you appreciate about the Verot experience, and what your sons and daughters have enjoyed as students here. Although the sacrifices necessary to attend may be great, I truly believe that our vibrant spiritual life, supportive community, and academic vitality make a major difference in the lives of our students. And in this year of transition, everyone needs to hear this message loud and clear. It is the students, teachers, parents, and staff that will always continue the Verot spirit. Thanks for your help in spreading the word!
Bishop Verot Response to the Earthquake in Haiti
Tuesday evening, the world became aware of the devastating earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti. To a land already challenged, this event is a catastrophe of epic proportions. Those who have heard me speak know that my three brief trips to Haiti have made a deep impression on me, and that Father Tom Hagan, an Oblate priest who has worked in Haiti for 25 years, is a good friend and hero of mine. Father Tom celebrated Mass at Bishop Verot last March and shared an unforgettable homily with the students.
Wednesday morning, we received word that Father Tom has survived, but I am certain that much of his work in Port-au-Prince has been damaged or destroyed, and many of his friends and co-workers may have been lost. Because communication with Haiti is difficult even on a good day, it could be some time before we are aware of the extent of the damage and understand ways in which we might help.
But help we will. Part of our identity as a Catholic school is solidarity with the poor, especially in their time of need. As Father Tom would say, we need to avoid the assumption that we can solve all of Haiti’s problems with money alone. In addition to resources and donations, we must believe that we can learn much even from people at their most vulnerable. Many Haitian people are impoverished, but they are also remarkably resilient. By standing with them in spirit now, we may not only learn ways that we can assist in the near future; we may also learn something of the enduring power of the human spirit.
Haiti’s coat of arms bears the words L’Union Fait La Force, which can be translated Strength Through Unity. Let us pray that the Haitian people, who have suffered so much, will remain unified and strong through this disaster. And let us also pray that God will guide the Verot community to use its generosity, creativity, and compassion to stand unified with the Haitian people in their hour of need. For now, we pray for God’s people in Haiti. Our actions will soon follow. When we can find ways to assist, I know Bishop Verot will do all that we can to help.
In solidarity with the Haitian people, I suggest we adopt Strength Through Unity as our motto for the second semester, seeking to serve the Haitian people even as we face our own challenges and transitions here at home. As we Oblates look ahead to our departure, one of the many ways in which I hope Bishop Verot will stay connected to us is through our ministry in Haiti, particularly Father Tom’s schools in the Cite Soleil slum of Port-au-Prince. Whenever the strong bond of community at Verot is extended beyond our campus, our students learn that they need not wait to answer the call to serve. They also learn life lessons from people they might never have come in contact with, gain the skills and confidence to build community wherever they go, and find God’s presence in those they meet along the way. In so doing, they discover the essential truth at the heart of community: strength through unity.
Sincerely,
Fr. Chris Beretta, OSFS
Principal