December 2021 Newsletter
Knightly Newsletter
St. Joseph Mission School San Fidel, NM
DECEMBER 2021
Blessings to all! We pray you have had a pleasant month filled with family and blessings. During the month of November, here at St. Joseph Mission School, we celebrated a duality of intentions respective to our identity as a school which upholds our Catholic values, alongside our Native American heritage.
During the month of November we remember all those who have passed from this life onto the next.
We especially remember Fr. Gerry Steinmetz who served as Pastor of the Acoma and Laguna Missions, as well as Mrs. Louise Amos who served as a teacher’s aide here at St. Joseph Mission School. We hold so many dear memories of these beloved friends of our school - we would like to share a reflection on our honoring of them:
Mrs. Louise Amos came from Acoma. She had been part of the St. Joseph family for the past 11 years. In that time she served as the teacher assistant to our Primary grades of Kindergarten, First and Second grade. In many ways she was still of the old school of teaching, but she still had the patience to sit with an individual student to help them with pronouncing words, learning their numbers and being a grandma to them. Actually, she was everyone’s grandma here at St. Joseph’s. She gave words of advice, helped out with the small things, brought treats to everyone and smiled when we would call her grandma. She truly showed us the face of God, when she prayed with us, helped each child in their academics, shared her culture through language and tradition, helped with maintaining the environment of the school, and served the children with love and compassion.
Fr. Gerry began his ministry in the Southwest 50 years ago when he was ordained in 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His first assignment was St. Teresa Church in Grants, New Mexico. Mr. Trujillo, our Principal, remembers being his altar server when he was attending St. Teresa’s Elementary School. After his assignment in Grants, Fr. Gerry became the vocation director for the Franciscans. It was during this time that he was able to get many young men from Acoma, Laguna and the surrounding Spanish villages to attend St. Francis High School Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio including our very own Principal Antonio Trujillo. In 1992 Fr. Gerry would make a choice to serve in the Amazon region of Peru where he would serve for eleven years. In May of 2003, Fr. Gerry returned to the U.S. to start treatment for cancer. In his recovery he would serve another 18 years of ministry in which his last assignment would be in the communities of Acoma and Laguna.
His time at St. Joseph Mission School included his visits to the classrooms, having Mass in our chapel, coming to our school events such as our Annual Gala, Fall & Spring festivals or just having coffee with the staff.
We invite you into prayer with us, to keep Fr. Gerry Steinmetz OFM, Mrs. Louise Amos and their loved ones in your intentions. They passed away in the month of September. Both lived out their vocations to bring the message of Jesus to the children of our communities, and to serve the Lord in love and compassion.
"I always believed that our Catholic beliefs and our cultural traditions are like train tracks - they run parallel though do not cross, they will run side-by-side."
Ann Rose Ray, SJMS Staff and Alum
In the month of November we celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
St Joseph Mission School participated in the worldwide social media event “Rock your Mocs.” This is a positive opportunity to be “united and celebrate tribal individuality by wearing moccasins. We honor our ancestors, and indigenous peoples worldwide, during Rock Your Mocs events and commemorate National Native American Heritage Month.” We loved this opportunity for our students to be able to wear their beautiful dress to celebrate. This year has been especially difficult in the opportunity to be able to celebrate the traditional feast days, with processions and throws, so we wanted for the students to have smaller and safer experiences in the way of a marked day to honor their heritage.
Students gathered in front of our chapel altarcito on Rock your Mocs day.
This year’s Annual Report is on the way!
Please keep St Joseph's School in consideration to support us in our mission to serve the communities of Acoma, Laguna and the surrounding Spanish Villages. Our Annual Report has wonderful stories of our past school year as stories of alumni who continue to feel the effects of St. Joseph in their lives. We also share glimpses of the efforts made to keep our school running as well an appeal to support our needs and mission to educate the children of our area.
Thank you, to our St. Joseph Mission School community! Please keep the students, staff, and families in your prayers, for protection and healing during this Advent season. Be assured of our prayers for you and your intentions.
We invite you to celebrate this last week of the Year of St. Joseph, ending on December 8th. This beloved saint, is not only our Patron but also our Spiritual role-model in caring for the children, and relying on the Lord.
Pax et Bonum,
St. Joseph Mission School
St. Joseph, pray for us.