Catholic
Culture
Dear Parents,
The Key is Catholic Culture. If
we were to ask ourselves why we chose Bishop Carroll over other schools the
answer is Catholic Culture. We can
talk about our strong academic formation or our superb extracurricular
activities such as band, drama, sports and the like; yet while we excel in these
areas they are not absolutely unique to BCCHS.
With the proper diligence, students at other schools can achieve good
academic formation as well as participate in strong extracurricular activities.
So the real question is what sets us apart from other schools?
What is the unique contribution BCCHS has that other schools do not have?
The answer is a Catholic Culture.
Here is a simple test: when people refer to BCCHS do they comment on the
faithfulness of its students, faculty and staff to Jesus Christ and our Catholic
heritage or do they speak negatively about our identity?
Some people respond very cynically to BCCHS and its identity.
We are often judged harshly and negatively in reference to our Catholic
Christian Culture but I wager that this is because they only see part of the
picture. The fact is that the
Catholic Culture at BCCHS is alive and well and is thriving very strongly – we
have to make ourselves aware of it. The
old adage ‘it takes ten positive comments to overcome one negative comment’
bears some truth. So here are ten
positive characteristics of Bishop Carroll’s Catholic culture to counteract
the negative comments we can sometimes hear.
- Eucharist,
Eucharist, Eucharist!!! On
average we have 250-350 students attend a non-mandatory daily Mass.
This makes BCCHS’ daily Mass among the largest in the Diocese.
- Confession,
Confession, Confession!
There has been a significant increase in the use of the
sacrament of confession at BCCHS. Lines
are long and students are going frequently and regularly. Even though I have address certain negative behaviors in
the first two letters it should not be forgotten that our students are
seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.
- Adoration.
Twice a year we have a non-mandatory all school adoration in which
nearly 500 students choose to participate.
Not to mention our monthly and weekly adoration in honor of the Year
of the Eucharist.
- Chapel
Visits. Madonna Chapel has become a revolving door for students
before and after school and during lunch.
Many students treat the chapel as a safe haven from the pressures and
anxieties of school and life.
- Prayer.
Prayer is the first and last action of our school day, our
classes and our extracurricular activities.
Does your child remember to say their prayers before they eat lunch?
- Stewardship.
Sunday Mass, CYO, TEC, CLAY, Convention, Steubenville Youth
Conference, March for Life, lectoring, serving, Mission Club, Pro-Life Club,
Handmaids of Mary, Knights of the Holy Queen, GRACE, Angels of the Holy
Queen, Dead Theologians Society, Totus Tuus Camp, Holy Family Camp, Young
Disciples Answering the Call, The Lord’s Dinner, visits to the sick –
these are all ways that many students are actively living out their faith in
the diocese.
- Celebration
of the Liturgical and Sanctoral cycle. We go to great length to
celebrate the liturgical seasons well and to remember the saints in our
daily prayers.
- The
Sign of the Cross. The
Madonna Chapel is the physical center of the BCCHS campus.
In order to remind themselves of the Real Presence of Christ in the
Eucharist students are making the sign of the cross every time they pass the
chapel. Does your student make the sign of the cross when they
pass the chapel?
- God
Squad. Approximately
eighty students participated in the new Lenten Season program where
they met for daily Mass, prayer and meditation.
Today’s students are hungering for spirituality and these students
prove that they want an intense daily prayer life.
Would your student want to join us for God Squad next year?
- Christian
Charity.
We all too often hear about the ‘mean’ things that some students
do and then over look the many acts of kindness that take place each day in
the halls of BCCHS. Students
comfort one another, joke with one another, pray with one another, help one
another in sports or learning difficult material.
In fact I think the old adage can be turned around ‘for every one
mean thing that happens there are probably ten acts of kindness that go
unnoticed.’
This is our Catholic Culture and it is alive and well at
BCCHS. Just look list and see
how many of them are constitutionally banded from the public school system!
Whether we notice it or not the personality of BCCHS is undeniably
Catholic. Let us encourage our kids
not to simply be Catholic but to be Catholic OUT LOUD
by
participating as much as possible in this Catholic Culture.
Every student should see himself or herself as an artist of our Catholic
Culture by using good actions as their paintbrush and virtues as their colors. I am continually humbled by the genuine goodness of the
students of BCCHS. They make me
proud to be a graduate of such a Catholic institution and it is my greatest
privilege to be chaplain of a student body that is striving to become holier
every day.
In Christ,
Rev. C. Jarrod Lies
Chaplain
