Cathedral Catholic High School prioritizes many values, but one that is sometimes overlooked by students is actually the most important one: Faith. Past principals have highlighted faith as a core value, but Mr. McMurtry has already brought faith in our school to the forefront in classrooms, the sports field, and in each student’s lives.
Our school holds four core values: knowledge, responsibility, character and faith. Each one of these is only possible through faith itself. To be life long learners, we must have faith to inspire our hard work. To be a responsible adult, we must have faith that our good works will change the world. To be a person of good character, we must have faith central to our identity. All of these values work through faith and the Word of God. Mr. McMurtry shared that, “our faith is the most important one because it motivates the rest.” When asked about his goals for the school he also shared that, “in our community, and in the idea of being a Catholic is universal, is that we are called to be one family.” As a student or a teacher reading this you may have seen the principal himself coming into your classroom and engaging with teachers and students. This presence as a principal is extremely important as it makes the school feel more like a family that cares about each other.
Recently honored at our last mass, religion teacher Ms. Lonergan also shares the idea that faith is central to Cathedral’s message and outreach. Ms. Lonergan was recognized by the school as being a silent server. Someone who is constantly looking to help others and give everything she has to the school, yet looking for nothing in return. She shared with me that, “There are times in our life where it can be tough, but if we have that relationship with God, that’s the one who we can cry out to in pain, or we can celebrate with.”
Our principals and teachers believe they are doing a great job at integrating faith and making students feel empowered and included, but what do the students actually think? Seton Scholar, and senior student at Cathedral Catholic, Massimo Santos shared that, “faith creates solidarity here…whether you practice religion or not, it creates community and solidarity which is really cool.”
Students, teachers, and administrators alike are all bound by a shared connection in faith. Together as a community, Cathedral Catholic is something special. As a student, parent, teacher, or administrator reading this, we are all in this together, each and every person contributes a unique identity to this school, but it is through solidarity, and faith, that we are together as one.
