Diocesan high school leaders gathered for a retreat on August 6 to prepare for a new academic year of faith and learning. Presidents and principals from all five diocesan-owned high schools attended: Cleveland Central Catholic, Elyria Catholic, Holy Name, Lake Catholic, and Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
Their time of reflection, planning, and dialogue began with opening prayer led by Bishop Edward Malesic. Bishop Malesic stressed the importance of being a witness to one’s faculty, staff, students, and families, “… for it is by the firmness of our convictions and the goodness of our lives that we convince others to follow Jesus.”
Michael Zelenka, Associate Superintendent for Secondary Schools, facilitated the day’s activities. Retreat sessions focused on the relationship between the Transfiguration, the feast celebrated on August 6 by our Church commemorating the revelation of Christ as the Son of God, and the role of a Catholic school leader.
Zelenka challenged all to consider how they could be agents of transfiguration, of transformation in their schools. “How can we enhance the relationships that exist across our school community? How can we point our communities to the reality that God works in all aspects of our schools? How can we more boldly proclaim the transformative power of Christ and use the Word of God more frequently in our ministries?”
Catholic schools have a very distinct educational mission, one that encompasses both this life and life eternal. Therefore, “From the first moment that a student sets foot in a Catholic school, he or she ought to have the impression of entering a new environment, one illumined by the light of faith, and having its own unique characteristics (Congregation of Catholic Education, 1988, para.25).”
Are you searching for the best school for your child? Would you like to learn more about the mission of Catholic schools? Visit dioceseofcleveland.org/exploreourschools to learn more about a Catholic school near you.