Catholic Schools Day in Hartford

I was sent with Isabella, and another student and teacher to represent St Joseph's School at Catholic Schools Day in Hartford. We were there to protect state subsidies to Catholic schools such as bus transportation (in CT only the town you live in provides a bus, in NY you were bussed within a 15 mile range) and funds for school nurses. There is also a bill to allow businesses tax credits if they contribute to a scholarship program for children in poor areas to attend Catholic schools. This would include several towns where students at St Joseph live.
Rep Chris Coutu is not intimidated by being a minority Republican, and enthusiastically promoted this bill among his colleagues while we were there. He attended a meeting in Norwich where the imminent closing of 102 year old St Joseph School was discussed. With Superintendent Shine and Asst. Supt. Sr Barbara Gould, (see photo) we discussed the closing of many area Catholic schools and the negative impact it has had on the community. One aspect we stressed was the economic burden ($15K annualy) to educate the Catholic school students who enter public schools.

Catholic schools, especially faithful schools like St Joseph, are a boon to the community, and it's time they were given a break. A tax break with no strings attached.
I will keep you posted here on the progress of this bill.
Thank you Rep Coutu for supporting Catholic shools in CT

Catholic Schools Week

I homeschooled my three girls for ten years. I was not a homeschooler by choice, I was one by default; I could not find a Catholic school worthy of the title Catholic. I did feel that my girls benefitted from the years we grew closer as a family, especially considering that my youngest child, Christina has special needs. We learned our faith together and we had tremendous freedom to travel and to be spontaneous, as well as sleep in a bit late, which, especially on frigid New England mornings, I sorely miss.
However, I am happy Isabella and Gabriela have found the wonderful schools of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church; St Joseph's in Baltic, and the Academy of the Holy Family. They have good Catholic girlfriends, they have caught up on their math skills and have a self confidence which enables them to meet new people easily. I have worked with many of their teachers closely as a substitute and many of them are pure gold, truly teachers by vocation who love their students. The girls relate well to the sisters and are active in school. Bella plays on St Joseph's basketball team and participates in student council, and Gabbi is in the TOP Life Club, softball team and Legion of Mary at the Academy. As a parent I look forward to school events to be able to meet other parents and teachers. I enjoy having my girls' friends at my home and feel that Catholic schools who take the name Catholic seriously like these do, deserve to grow and flourish.
Tomorrow I will join both schools as they attend First Friday Mass together in my parish church, St Mary of the Immaculate Conception.

A Formerly homeschooled child's worst nightmare

For your entire academic career, you have been homeschooled. You wait two years before you and big sister tell Mom you'd really like to go to school.

Mom moves the family three hours from home to a school she deems Catholic enough to educate you, and signs you up for school. You attend school for two weeks, emerging from the classroom each day bursting with talk about new friends and the yucky things the boys in class said. You do your homework enthusiastically and cover your new textbooks.

Then Mom tells you the bad news. She has just gotten a job to help pay your tuition.

It's a teaching job.

It's in your school.

She'll be teaching your class!

This Monday is her first day. . .


NO!! It can't be true! you wail.

But there she is in your classroom, learning the ropes from your teacher who is going out on extended leave for two months, and your new friends pump you for information on how mean your mother is. And you aren't allowed to tell her.

Poor Isabella!

Just in time

To celebrate my birthday this weekend, my husband took us up to Connecticut to go house-hunting. Wanting to capitalize on the fact that it was a Sunday, I suggested we leave home early to make 10AM Mass at St. Mary the Immaculate Church nestled between St. Joseph's School and The Academy of the Holy Family. We were 15 minutes late getting out of the house, but it was God's perfect timing. I awoke from a nap in Bridgeport, and suggested a rest stop.
Just as we emerged from the building, Francisco excitedly pointed to a familiar figure making his way into McDonald's. "Look", he exclaimed, "it's Fr. Benedict Groeschel!" And so it was.
My girls scurried into the car, shy to meet such a famous man, but I was so thrilled to have an opportunity to speak with one of my favorite authors and TV personalities, that I summoned up my courage, and greeted Father by opening the door for him.
Fr. Groeschel was made very feeble by his terrible accident a few years back, and gratefully accepted my help as I told him how much I appreciated his work. I've read nearly all of his books, own many of his CDs and regularly watch his TV shows.
A young woman who didn't know who Father is, came forward to ask for his prayers, and I told her how to access his Sunday Night Live Program on the computer, if she wanted to speak with Father. I shared that we were considering a move to send the girls to Catholic school with the Sisters of Charity of Mary, Mother of the Church in Baltic, and wanted to live near his friends the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in Griswold, CT. Father recognized both these fine religious orders.
Soon we were greeted by Fr. Terry, Father's traveling companion, who remembered me as the lady from Long Island "with a lovely teenage daughter who takes very good care of her little sister". I shared this story from the time we met Fr. Terry at Youth 2000 on Long Island last summer, and he told me he would be missing the event this summer, as he was heading to Australia for World Youth Day.
Fr. Terry went over to greet my family in the van, while I told Fr. Groeschel of the book Monica and I have been working on, "Be Not Afraid: The Vocation to Special Motherhood". He and Fr. Terry gave us their blessing, and we said goodbye. This is the third time I've been so fortunate to meet Fr. Groeschel, he has always been so patient and kind to speak with me.
I wish I had photos to share, but the camera stayed behind in the car with the girls, and I was too excited to remember it.
What a wonderful birthday gift this was!