Both campuses of St. Benedict School rolled out the welcome mat on Feb. 25 for Bishop Nelson Perez.
St. Benedict’s was established seven years ago when St. Monica School in Garfield Heights and St. Martin of Tours School in neighboring Maple Heights combined.
Principal Lisa Oriti said St. Benedict’s has 387 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The former St. Monica School on Rockside Road houses grades 1-8, while the former St. Martin of Tours School on Turney Road provides a home for the youngest pupils in the pre-k and kindergarten classes.
Father Lou Miola, St. Martin’s pastor, said he and Father Tom Haren, St. Monica’s pastor, work closely with Oriti and the school’s governing board to ensure a quality, Catholic education for all students. About 40 percent of the students are Catholic. Weekly Mass is celebrated and the students have a wide range of science, math, technology and other classes and activities available.
The bishop visited classrooms and chatted with some of the students and teachers at the Rockside (St. Monica) campus before heading to the Turney (St. Martin) campus.
There he greeted pre-kindergarteners and chatted briefly with the kindergarteners – called “kinders” -- who sang him a song and recited a special prayer.
The next stop was St. Martin’s Church, where first- through eighth-graders assembled for a Mass celebrated by the bishop, who was assisted by Father Miola. Deacon Bruce Battista served as the bishop’s emcee.
As he often does, the bishop asked students to tell him what makes St. Benedict’s such a special school. Their answers included the opportunity to attend regular Masses, religion, opportunities to pray, the priests – Father Lou and Father Tom – the principal and teachers, activities and more.
“How’s lunch?” the bishop asked. “Good,” the students replied. He asked what were some of their favorite things to eat and student said tacos, cheese-stuffed pretzels and chicken.
“You are fed in your mind, your heart and your stomach here,” he told them.
“When things get tough, the Lord is always there to answer our prayers,” he said, referring to the Gospel. A man had asked that his sick son be cured, something the disciples could not do, but Jesus did.
“There are some things than can only change through the power of prayer,” Bishop Perez said, “so pray for things that are the most important.” He said students might pray that they pass a test, but they have an obligation to study first, then they can pray for help to get a good score. “When you’ve done what you can, then you can turn to the Lord.”
He promised to pray for the students and their families and asked them to remember him in their prayers, also.
The Mass was offered in remembrance of the bishop’s father, David Perez, who died last fall.
After Mass, the bishop went outside and blessed the church, which recently underwent some improvements before school board members, Father Lou, the bishop and others enjoyed lunch and conversation.