Our Children Are Our Most Precious Gift from God

Dear Catholic School parents,
As we are a few weeks into a new school year, while I want to thank and congratulate you on your decision to send your kids to one of our Catholic schools, I feel compelled to again reflect on the heinous tragedy at Annunciation School in Minneapolis, since it continues to be heavy on all our minds. Nothing is more important than the safety of our children, our most precious gift from God, and accordingly, our first and best efforts are directed toward their safety. In this, we regularly review our procedures and seek further guidance from the Kettering Police Department, the State of Ohio Department of Education, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and other experts, always in the pursuit of excellence in protecting our most-valuable possession, our children. This tragedy has further deepened our commitment to excellence in safety. So often, the evil of one brings out the best in others. It has been consoling for me to reflect on the great character of so many of those students at Annunciation. I am especially mindful of the boy that laid over his friend to protect him from harm. How can someone so young be so courageous and loving, why we have our Catholic schools. There have been and will continue to be countless other acts of courage, compassion, consolation and concern that we will never hear about, but life in Christ was very much present in that horrific tragedy and will carry them into the future. Know that we move forward not in fear but in confidence, confident in the power of our prayers, in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in the love that God has for all of us and His will to protect us, especially our children. When we need God the most, we seek Him the most. When we seek God the most, we find Him the most. His presence will be our help and assurance.
Prayer and blessings, Fr. Tom