Brick by Brick: News and Notes from Pope John Paul II High School

Guest Blogger -- Hannah Dulmaine, '11 on the Washington D.C. March For Life

In mid-January, 14 freshmen -- nearly 40% of our student body -- participated in the Washington, D.C. March for Life led by Bishop Coleman. Hannah Dulmaine, '11, a participant on the March, offers the following reflections:

"On January 20-22, the 35th anniversary of Roe v.Wade, I joined thirteen of my classmates on a journey to Washington, D.C. where I participated in a momentous event, the March for Life.

The pilgrimage began early in the morning when I boarded a bus and began the eight-hour drive to Washington, D.C. The bus stopped at Bishop Connolly High School, where we joined many other students from Fall River Diocesan schools for a Mass. The Mass unified the group as one body in Christ, got us excited about our faith, and encouraged us to stand up for what we believe in.

Once we arrived in D.C., everyone was quickly grabbing their sleeping bags, crash pads, pillows, and bags. Along with the other girls from the Fall River Diocesan schools, I piled in the gymnasium of Bishop O'Connell High School where we slept for two nights. That evening, in the auditorium of Bishop O'Connell HS, nearly 450 high schools students from Cape Cod to Boston spent an hour of prayer, praise, and adoration with Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston. Cardinal O'Malley talked to us and encouraged us to live our faith and stand up for our beliefs. That is exactly what we did.

The next day, we toured Washington, and that night, we joined bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians, and thousands of religious and lay people for a Vigil Mass celebrated at the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The basilica was breath-taking but the number of people that overflowed the basilica meant even more.

Early that final morning, we joined over 20,000 people in the Verizon Center Sports Arena for a Rally and Mass. We celebrated Mass, sang along with songs of praise and adoration, listened to motivational speakers, and became ready to prove that we are Pro-Life Catholics. This event lifted my spirits and made me eager for the March. When the March came, I was shocked at the number of people who made the journey. Over 200,000 people marched and I was honored to be among them.

It was an emotional journey and truly made me closer with God. It helped me realize the importance of standing up for your faith and making a difference in the world. We are not too young to make a difference and our participation on the March for Life proved just that."

Not another auction!

Yes it's true...JPII will be presenting a silent auction this spring, on Saturday, May 17. No doubt many families have 'previous auction experience' due to their involvement with other schools. They are fun, but a lot of work, too. I know I'll go to more than one this spring.

But our auction comes with a twist. Piggybacking on last year's enormously successful major fund-raiser, JPII will present this spring An Evening with Livingston Taylor Concert and Auction. Not to use the term lightly, but last year's Livingston Taylor concert was , dare I say, profitable magical.  Liv Taylor's a great fit for our splendid auditorium and a terrific entertainer. Last year we were sure to tell him "Let's do it again next year", and so it shall be.  Last year's event sold out, so, don't wait 'til the final weeks to get your tickets. Check the main website for details as they become available.

Not familiar with Livingston Taylor (other than is well-know, folk-singing brother)? Check out his website here.

To support the Cape's only Catholic high school, to enjoy a great concert experience, to see the school and its beautiful renovations, or perhaps to win some first-class auction items, join us on May 17. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Some Nice Words

Let the buzz begin. The Register, a weekly newspaper serving Dennis, Yarmouth and Barnstable, praised the school's recent hiring of Coach Paul "Spanky" Demanche to inaugurate football and baseball.

See the editor's blog here.

Experience: The Best Teacher

It's obvious (I hope!) that, along with college preparation, helping young people know God is our core mission.

But how do we help people know God? Many might imagine daily religious instruction in the classroom to be the central component. Maybe. But in my experience, not really.

Don't get me wrong: The work of the classroom is needed and forms an important foundation for knowing God. But for the most part, it doesn't get you there. To use the terms of classical logic, daily religious instruction is a necessary, but not sufficient, cause.

The gift of Catholic education, in my experience, is the gift of experience -- namely, that Catholic schools provide opportunities where experiences of God has the power to transform. Retreats, prayer rituals, acts of service and the like provide opportunities for God to break through our barriers. One such opportunity took place these last three days as fourteen of our students joined hundreds from our Diocese and many thousands from across the nation attending the March for Life in Washington, D.C. They were remembered in prayer at school this morning.

Was theirs a transformative experience?  Did our pilgrims know God in a special way these past three days? God knows...(God does know!). We'll find out. Our pilgrims return late tonight.

It's the Journey, Not the Destination...

Along the way to adulthood I learned that happiness is not a destination to be achieved, but is found in the journey itself. Not an easy truth for our linear way of seeing things, but one that many adults may find themselves nodding with in agreement. As I write this post on Wednesday, January 16, 2008, two of today's events bring this truth squarely to mind.

First, it was a great day for JPII as we surprised our students with an afternoon announcement and introduction. As you may have read elsewhere (Download demanche_press_release.doc), the school has hired Mr. Paul "Spanky" Demanche as Baseball Head Coach and Football Head Coach, effectivel immediately. Coach Demanche, well-known across the Cape for his success at Barnstable High School, addressed the students and shared his enthusiasm for JPII and the job ahead. Our students were visibly "pumped" at what is clearly a big step forward for our athletic program. After the announcement, a ring of students could be found around Coach Demanche. Their excitement was obvious.

Second, I received a brief, rather comical letter from a Boston TV/Radio conglomerate thanking me for my inquiry about storm cancellation announcements, but telling me that they cannot list our school because "the enrollment number of your school is too small to merit an account with us."

In some ways, this big news and this little letter speak to the same things: who we are and where we are going. The letter reminds us that, right now, we are indeed a small school. The announcement and introduction of Coach Demanche points to where we are going: A school with strong, established programs that help young people be their best.

It's the journey, not the destination. Pride in JPII isn't something that can only be achieved when we "get there" -- It can be had in the getting there, with big events like today's. There will be many more announcements as we build our school, but there's no need to wait for happiness. It was a good day on the journey.

A Young Family

Part of my "stump speech" in the year leading up to our opening was to point out that Pope John Paul II High School is the seventh Catholic school I have been involved with as student, teacher, or administrator. Most recent and formative was my experience in Cleveland, Ohio. As a rust-belt urban area, greater Cleveland features numerous Catholic schools, some with histories approaching a century. When Principal of Padua Franciscan High School, I occasionally felt our school was a "new kid" for having only forty years of existence.

One by-product of numerous schools with long histories is that years of Catholic school graduates embedded in the community creates an oft-reinforced sense of unity -- ("Ohh, you're at Padua? My wife went to Nazareth and I went to St. Ignatius..."). More than simply experience of shared locations, this fellow-feeling taps a deeper set of shared values and Catholic identity. In an unexpected way, these different schools reinforce our unity as one Church. School loyalty becomes Catholic unity.   

With the opening of JPII, there are now five Catholic schools on Cape Cod. None of these schools existed even fifteen years ago. I believe that, with this young family of schools, we have the real opportunity to revitalize the Church on Cape Cod. Catholic Schools Week is celebrated annually at the end of January. This year, a special Mass of unity will take place bringing together students and staff from all five Cape Catholic schools. On January 29, nearly one thousand students and staff from St. Margaret's (Buzzards Bay), St. Francis Xavier (Hyannis), Holy Trinity (Harwich), St. Pius X (Yarmouth), and JPII will join Bishop Coleman in a celebration of Catholic education on Cape Cod. Why wait for unity?

Blog readers are welcome to attend this special event. Go to www.pjp2hs.org for more information. 

Let There Be Lights

A common theme around Christmastime is that the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and hence the day with the least amount of light, is a proper time for God's humble entry into the world; it is Christ, after all, who brings light to our darkness. A little happening over Christmas recess brings this truth to mind once again, in a funny way.

On December 28, 2007, representatives from the Hyannis Mets "flipped the switch" on the long-awaited field lighting of McKeon Park. Our Athletic Director, Mr. Al Catelli, was on hand to witness and celebrate the sharply-illuminated field that will be the springtime home of the JPII Lions and the summer home of the Hyannis Mets. The accomplishment of this lighting project is due to the hard work of the Hyannis Athletic Association and generous funding from Pope John Paul II High School and the Yawkey Foundation. There's a palpable sense of excitement shared by friends of JPII and the Mets as we look forward to night baseball for years to come. This is great stuff and I am grateful to the hard-working volunteers of the Hyannis Athletic Association for making it happen.

This little bit of light in the winter darkness definitely brings hope to JPII and the Mets. Let there be lights!

Advent and a Little Grace

A funny thing happens as Christmas recess approaches: Whatever stresses ordinary life provides tend to melt away into good feelings amongst staff and students alike. Sure, a ten-day vacation from school will do that. But I choose to believe that, in addition to the gift of time, a little of God's grace relieves us of the useless anxieties of the day.

At Pope John Paul II High School, we end our calendar year with Advent liturgy. This liturgy helps sharpen awareness in all of us of God's role in helping us let go of our burdens. It sure did today.

Below is an excerpt of my remarks given to families and students at our Advent Liturgy:

"Today is our Advent Liturgy and the close of the first 74 days of our school's life. Advent is about watching and waiting, and also working. Watching and waiting for the Messiah, for the Incarnation, for God in his majesty to become human for our sake. But it's not just about waiting passively for God to do something. It's about working to make ready and make room for Him.

With this school we know about waiting and watching and working. Getting the doors of our school open involved plenty of waiting, watching, and working. As we now build our school culture with real students and real families, we realize still that good things require waiting, watching and working.

Jesus was born as a baby. Our school begins this way too. My prayer this Advent is than now and always we make room for Him at Pope John Paul II High School."

Blessings of Peace and All Good this Advent and Christmas season!

Lion Pride?

Coming into a pair of tickets to Friday's Celtics game had me reminiscing about the team's glory days. As a boy I had an album called Celtic Pride(free from A&P, or something like that), a compilation of Johnny Most's descriptions of team accomplishments ("Havliceck stole the ball!") which created a palpable sense of Celtic pride for me and I imagine for many a New Englander.This pride, of course, had its source in the team's winning tradition and multiple championships. This is a privileged position; to be able to take pride based on real evidence of accomplishments linked to a clear standard of success.

These reminiscences brought me around to the question of pride at (and in) Pope John Paul II High School. A reality of our new school, in my observation, is that some or perhaps many students do not yet feel pride in JP II. This isn't to say that they feel negatively -- its only to say that, as ninth-graders in a environment without tradition and an established identity, feelings come slowly and cautiously. All of us but young people especially "look around" to others to see how to feel. They're at a tough age to decide who we are and what we are and derive pride without the helpful validation of older students.

What's tough for freshmen to see, but no less authentic a source of pride, is pride in responding to the call and pride in meeting the challenge. My desire is to see our first class of thirty-six to take pride that it is they who have been called and they who are  meeting the challenge -- The challenge of building  without forebears and from their own strength and character. I see our students responding to the call and meeting the challenge, yet I see students unsure how to feel about their unique role. 

Time and patience. It will be gratifying indeed to see students proud of themselves and proud of their school. I look forward to the day when student articulate, in whatever manner they are able to, that "We made it happen" and "It is good." That'll be Lion Pride!

This is only a test...

First attempt at 'mobile blogging'. I'm interested to see its ease (or lack thereof) and appearance once posted. Could be an example of too much technology... Thanks for your indulgence!