American Province Ministry Connections February 2022

Washington School for Girls (WSG)   Dr. Beth Reaves - Head of School http://www.washingtonschoolforgirls.org/

Celebrating Black Catholic Month November is Black Catholic History Month and this past November, we celebrated the vibrant history of the Black Catholic community during Morning Prayer and in Religion class.

DeMetria White is our Religion Teacher and Director of Campus Ministry, her ninth year at WSG and second year in her current role. Ms. White’s journey into the faith was a deeply personal one. Her late mother was baptized into the Roman Catholic church as an adult, shortly before her death. Driven by a desire to stay spiritually connected with her mother, Ms. White sought out the opportunity to regularly attend mass with an aunt, one of few in her family who actively practiced religion.

A deep and ever-evolving relationship between God and the Catholic Church was launched. As she grew older, Ms. White explored other Christian denominations by attending church with friends, ultimately finding her way back to the Catholic community when she enrolled at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C.   For Ms. White, a personal relationship with God is the driving force in all she does. The “word” becomes the impetus for action, as do homilies and daily prayer. As she often tells her students, “you can still be a fun person, you can still have your free will, but you can do it in such a way that you are still amplifying and glorifying God. Those two things can coexist.”   Last year, Ms. White began studying for her Master’s in Theology from Xavier University’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies. The experience has been an enriching one. Being a student again is shaping how she teaches Religion at WSG. Informed by her experience as the only woman in her cohort, she has been thinking more intentionally about how to help our girls see themselves in Scripture and their inherent value as members of the Church. During this era of polarization, Ms. White encourages students to explore as fully as possible the complexities of religious teachings to better understand the context. She explains, “We tend to deconstruct the Bible, pulling out pieces to prove our point and ignoring the verses before and after that might give more depth and nuance to our understanding.” She hopes her students will learn to take a more holistic approach to their faith practice throughout their lives.

Hope Partnership for Education    Virgil Sheppard - President and CEO http://www.hopepartnershipforeducation.org/

Hope Partnership for Education is an intentionally small 5th through 8th grade middle school in North Philadelphia. Small class sizes allow teachers and staff to form strong bonds with students and families. Our Graduate Support Program (GSP) keeps the relationship well past middle school. GSP is designed to facilitate successful transitions into both high school and college and future careers.

Haaziq graduated in 2016. Since then, he has frequently participated in GSP activities. At Hope, Haaziq was an inquisitive, athletic young man. When asked about his favorite class, Haaziq would passionately respond, “Gym!"   After Hope, Haaziq attended Roxborough High School, where he pursued his passion for fitness and nutrition. At Roxborough, Haaziq played on the football team and took courses in kinesiology and health. Since graduating high school, Haaziq has taken steps to become a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach.   When asked about Hope, Haaziq said: “I come back to Hope for Graduate Support. When I was a high school student, I completed my school work and played basketball in the gym. I’ve gone back to Hope after my high school graduation as well. Since graduating, Graduate Support has helped me do my taxes and study for my driver’s permit test. They also helped me research personal training certificate programs. Hope is a comfortable place, sometimes I just come to the Graduate Support Lounge to chill and relax. My life would look completely different if I had gone to another middle school. I am proud to say that I am a Hope alumnus.”   The Graduate Support Program has had the immense pleasure of watching Haaziq grow from a gym class-loving middle schooler into an adult pursuing a career as a certified personal trainer.

Sponsored Ministries of the Society of Holy Child Jesus  Casa Cornelia Law Center * Providence Center Co-Sponsored Ministries of the Society of Holy Child Jesus South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (LAMP) *  Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep * Hope Partnership for Education *  Cristo Rey New York High School * Washington School for Girls    ~ ~ ~   Ministry Connections is a monthly publication highlighting ministries sponsored or co-sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.