September 2022 Newsletter
Knightly Newsletter
St. Joseph Mission School San Fidel, NM
Hello and Happy Beginning of the School Year,
We excitedly welcome students, staff and families to ring in the 2022 - 2023 school year! The school observed class closure during the month of July, after holding our first summer program in June. We return with much fervor and hope.
In the school we specialize in preparing for a future beyond our current day - this is why we established the Environment as one of our school pillars; on the first of September we join in prayer with our Church during the Season of Creation, to "listen to the voice of creation" which may foster in everyone "a concrete commitment to care for our common home." Link to learn more about the Season of Creation.
In this newsletter you will find a prayer meditation, favorable impacts from the months of April and May, and encountering our Notre Dame community.
Water is life.
We invite you to join us to meditate on the importance of water.
Walking in the desert and the loudest sound around is rushing water. The mountains of Cibola County provide such a striking landscape, and are the source of freshwater to our communities. Dry land-living people have resourced water from these sources for their plots, their homes and their animals. In some instances there are natural waterways present, and water is then carried to and from. Acequias have been carved out to divert water from the sources to homes and plots.
Every drop of water in the acequia is significant. The water is transported through soil ditches where the soil then purifies the water flowing, the water then feeds the root systems of all vegetation in contact with the acequia, and the air carries the cool air from the running water to provide relief for animals and peoples.
Creator, draw us to be stewards of water, so that we can all be refreshed.
In New Mexico, acequias (water ditches) have been the most consistent resource for farmers to rely upon during our planting. The wildfire conditions we have found ourselves under have provided no relief for our neighbors and the vegetation. St Joseph Mission School has participated in praying for the rain and for moisture - in our school feast day through the dances of Harvest and Buffalo and also in the village of San Fidel through the Acequia Blessing on the Feast of San Isidro.
School community members, CC McCullough and Conran Levantonio, clearing growth around village acequia on cleaning day.
Local community members along with SJMS students bless the San Fidel acequia with rose petals on the Feast day of San Isidro.
April 2022 - Hosting Hospitality
Reflections from Veneron Yazzen (SJMS teacher) and Jacqui V (student from Elon University)
As a school we are very grateful to have been able to safely host some wonderful visitors during the month of April. Below you will find reflections from Veneron Yazzen - on our school mass celebration shared alongside traditional leaders from Laguna Pueblo, and from Jacqui V. who visited SJMS with her classmates to volunteer on a service project.
Full school photo in our school chapel with leadership from the Pueblo of Laguna.
Students receive blessing during procession to receive the gift of the Eucharist.
“With safety protocols in line, Students at St. Joseph Mission School engaged in a special mass with college students from Elon University in North Carolina. Along with us were special guests, First Lieutenants from Laguna Pueblo. Father Chris was happy to hold a general mass celebrating in the time of Lent and St. Patrick's Day, the idea of compassion. With a homily about being mindful and helpful to one another in life, and in order to do that was to be concerned of others and expressing our love. Along with Father Chris, Mr. Trujillo spoke more about the current situations going on in the world, whereas prayers coming from the students are more powerful because of their innocence. Followed by a general blessing with words and gifts, The first Lieutenants with their Peace Canes also shared words of encouragement to the St. Joseph Mission School Family. Students were able to take in the spirit of peace by being allowed to touch and absorb the power of the Canes.”
A group of 12 from Elon University, and support staff from Catholic Mission Trips worked to construct a greenhouse and replenish our raised beds at the school, along with painting the portable buildings from our early childhood center. The group stayed in the local area and maintained COVID protocols as we navigated this season of the pandemic. Their time in San Fidel was spent learning about the history of the school and spending time in prayer as a group. We caught up with one of the students from the trip to learn about her experience and the impact she felt.
Jacqui is a sophomore at Elon University, attending as a journalism and global studies major. She is Catholic and says, “I’m really glad I am.” Jacqui shares with many people that the trip left her with a strong feeling of “Trust” in God and that “He will take care of you. He will make you into whatever you need to be to love and serve Him.” Jacqui is bringing this conviction back to Elon’s campus - an environment where there is a great deal of worrying about the future and the next career opportunity. After the trip, she shared that “I do not see the world the same way.” Jacqui was amazed by the projects that were entrusted to her and her group members, remembering one of the project leaders, Bill Inkret’s encouragement to the students to “go ahead and try. If it goes totally wrong, we will fix it.” Jacqui speaks with confidence that she plans to return and visit the school. She shares that this trip has strengthened her prayer life and opened her heart to the Lord in a new and deeper way.
Mission team photo with our principal. To read more about the service trips from Elon University, you can read their blog here.
Notre Dame Visitors
During the months of April and May, we were visited from trusted and some new connections.
SJMS has been a member school of the American Indian Catholic Schools Network (AICSN) which operates under the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) network at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Through this network, the school has received professional development support for all staff members, and also the wonderful opportunity for our middle grade students to be able to travel the campus of Notre Dame for a planned weekend which assists students in their considerations for higher education.
Will Newkirk and Sister Kathleen Carr, C.S.J., who lead the American Indian Catholic School Network (AICSN), visited the school on their trip through the Diocese of Gallup. During this visit SJMS staff and Network staff took time to gather in fellowship and look towards the new school year. Will Newkirk on Twitter @WillatAce shares, “Still glowing from our recent visit to @mission_joseph! Such a special community that is 'all about the heart.' They make AICSN proud!”
Our school network gathered during day visit. More information about AICSN can be found here.
Friends from the Inspired Leadership Initiative. More information about ILI can be found here.
May 2022 - Celebration Rites
Within the last month of the school year we celebrated 14 students' reception of the sacraments, with 9 of these students entering into the Church fully through Baptism, and, of course, also graduations! We keep our most recent graduates, Aryssa and Fabien in our prayers as they enter into high school.
The greatest highlight in Catholic Education is the reception of Sacraments for our children. This past May nine children were initiated into the Catholic Faith through the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Another five students were able to receive the Eucharist for the first time. This sacred event was held in the Mission of San Jose in Laguna, New Mexico where families have been receiving and living out the Sacraments for the past 323 years. San Jose de la Laguna was founded by the Franciscans in 1699. Witnessing children receive the Sacraments and binding their relationship with Jesus was very moving, and meaningful for all who were present at this occasion. As we begin the school year these children now have taken the responsibility to read sacred scripture at Mass and morning prayers, as well as serve during Mass. May our patron St. Joseph continue to help us bring children to know and love Jesus.
Our 14 students sharing their excitement from the reception of their sacraments, celebration held in the San Jose Mission in Laguna.
Audrey, SJMS 21-22 student, during her reception of the rite of baptism.
Our graduating 8th graders placed in front during the graduation mass
Synclair, SJMS 21-22 student, embraced during her transfer ceremony, she attends Santa Fe Indian School this school year.
As a school staff, one of the most difficult realities is the process of graduation of our students. The time and care we will invest in students all leads up to graduation day. As we invite Aryssa and Fabien into our SJMS Alumni community, we leave them with sentiments comparable to John 17: 24; "Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am - they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world."
We hold confidence that our graduating 8th graders have learned the fundamentals and that they will move forward as exceptional leaders. What we hold in prayer is that they never forget how deeply cherished they are within our school community and also with Our Creator.
Reflecting on the end of last school year, we extend much gratitude towards specific groups of our community: for the openness of the Elon University students, to the support of our Network leadership at Notre Dame University, to the tribal leadership from the Pueblo of Acoma and the Pueblo of Laguna, who continue to be in our prayers everyday; to Fr Avella, Fr McCarthy, and Fr Chris who serve the school and students every week.
Thank you for being a part of our school community. We are blessed in the opportunities we can provide to our students, and we understand your impactful contributions to make all this possible.
Please keep our school in prayer, as we celebrate many of our village feast days within this month; hold in special intention the village of Encinal, the village of Paguate, the Pueblo of Acoma, and the Pueblo of Laguna. Let us continue to take care of one another, as we are entrusted to each other.
Pax Et Bonum,
St. Joseph Mission School
St. Joseph, pray for us.