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ST. LOUISE SCHOOL PARENT BULLETIN
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We've all heard about the stomach-churning stories this summer involving priests' sexual abuse, including abuse of children, teenagers, and seminarians, and then the disgraceful coverup among some Catholic Church leadership. There was the
Pennsylvania grand jury issuing a report
detailing 70 years of sexual abuse. There was also the
news of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick
, who not only had a history of having sexual relations with teenage boys, seminarians, and priests, but used his power and Archdiocesan money to make secret settlements to those who pressed charges after they were abused. It was dreadful enough to learn that many fellow bishops had known of McCarrick's homosexual-predator activities and the payouts to victims, but it was even more alarming to hear
the third big story of the summer
in late August. Allegedly,
Pope Francis was personally told of McCarrick
, but the Pope not only ignored doing anything about this, but supposedly
endorsed McCarrick's role as the top Cardinal in the U.S.
At our teacher inservice last month, I led the faculty through an hour-long education, discussion, and prayer time concerning all these scandals. I wanted to make sure you, too, were educated on this subject and could hear a bit on how the St. Louise faculty has approached these horrific accounts and how it has affected our and the entire parish's prayer-focus. It's important as Catholic educators that our teachers know what is going on, and it's important as parents who are "customers" of a Catholic school that you can trust the safety of your children here at St. Louise (and elsewhere in our Archdiocese).
It's impossible to find any silver-lining in the sexual abuse and cover-up stories, but it was somewhat heartening to see in the Pennsylvania report that the incidence of child sex abuse by priests or lay workers in church ministry began dropping after the reforms of 2002 - the reforms that came out of the Boston Archdiocese's terrible incidents. It was back in 2002 that the Safe Environment Program was mandated in all dioceses, and the Virtus background checks and sexual abuse awareness training we have all come to know was initiated. Because of Safe Environment Program policies for the past 16 years, our Catholic schools are safer than ever.
As for the latest story of Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano making public to the world
an 11-page letter
detailing how he allegedly showed documents to and talked directly with Pope Francis about McCarrick's appalling history, but the Pope not only didn't punish McCarrick, but validated him, these claims in the letter remain unsubstantiated as of now. No conclusive evidence has been presented. It's the Archbishop's word against the Pope's. Unfortunately, Pope Francis himself has chosen to remain silent.
What a mess!
Since it is some bishops who have used everything from hush money to abuse of power and sexual abuse over subordinates, our faculty discussed how we lay Catholics might not be able to tolerate bishops on their own investigating these newest scandals. I didn't see how it could be confidence-inspiring to have the Bishops on their own come up with a plan to get to the bottom of the corruption and decadence and to stop it from harming any more victims and harming the Catholic Church any more than it already has. Thus, it was encouraging to read soon after our teacher inservice the statement from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, that called for "a national lay commission granted independent authority, to seek the truth."
Our own
Archbishop, Peter Sartain
asked all the pastors of the Seattle Archdiocese to read his letter from the pulpit this past weekend. Part of it read, "To all of you, the faithful of the Archdiocese, I apologize for the effect the current scandals are having on your faith, your trust in us bishops and the Church, and your peace of mind. I can only imagine the outrage and embarrassment you must feel as a result of the recent revelations. We bishops let you down, and I offer you my heartfelt word that we will make clear efforts at reparation and repair. Part of those efforts will include a special reparation and healing service scheduled for early October in St. James Cathedral. ...The bishops recognize that this is a moment that cannot be squandered, and that it is a time to act for the healing and credibility of the Church in the name of Christ. The bishops also know that such action must include deeper involvement of the laity."
Here at home, Father Gary gave a homily two Sundays ago which spoke to how our faith is a gift from God, and we must do all we can to guard and protect it.
Click on this link
to read or listen to Father's
September 2nd homily
. At this same link, you'll find other information on local and national Catholic leadership's response to the sexual abuse crisis.
St. Louise Parish will have a "Mass of Sorrow" on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, this Saturday, September 15, at 9:00 am. This will be preceded by an 8:30 Rosary. Father Gary also plans to schedule a parish listening session at a future date.
As I concluded our interchange with our teachers at our inservice, it was obvious to see that our St. Louise teachers and I, although shaken, are resolute in our faith. We don't belong to the Catholic Church because we love our Bishop or adore the latest Pope. We belong to the Catholic Church because we love our God and we adore Jesus.
In the long history of so-called "leaders" of the Church, we can start with the Apostles themselves and recall that of the 12, one denied Jesus, one betrayed Jesus, and only one stood next to Jesus when He was crucified. Although we expect strong, moral, Gospel-following leaders today (and there are indeed some out there who fit this description), we recognize that the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." Our Lord is there in the Eucharist, regardless of the sins of the priest, or the bishop who ordained that priest.
I shared with the teachers that it was not coincidence, but providence, that on Sunday, August 26, only a few weeks after the Pennsylvania Grand Jury and the McCarrick stories had broken, and only a few hours after the Vigano letter was made public, the first reading at Mass consisted of a famous testament from Joshua:
"As for me and my household, I will serve the Lord."
Then, even more powerful, the Gospel that Sunday was the reading from John where he detailed a conversation with Jesus and the Apostles:
"...Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?'
Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
The last few months have not been easy. The coming months will be harder. It may even be difficult to identify as Catholic, lest we get judged and ridiculed. You can imagine the uncomfortableness of our own Father Gary and Father Fabian, who along with the other thousands of wonderful, holy priests, are linked to the lesser number of "bad priests," simply because all priests wear the same white collar and some people can't distinguish.
If you want some more inspiration to "keep the faith," take a look at
this 3-minute video
the teachers and I viewed during our discussion time. It's inspiring words such as these in the video which confirm my vow to stay with Jesus and His Church, regardless of the Judases in Church leadership who betray Him by their crimes and sins.
Finally, I've put in today's red Family Envelope a prayer the teachers and I prayed at the conclusion of our conversation a few weeks ago. Please pray this as a family if you feel called.
Pax et bonum,
Mr. Fitz
p.s.
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The black box to present your keycard to for entry is located directly beneath the doorbell button. With your keycard, you parents
now won't have to press the doorbell.
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Besides pulling out the prayer sheet from today's red Family Envelope your youngest child is
bringing home today, also grab from the envelope the special "gifts" you are receiving. In today's envelope you'll find two valuable things - a keycard for mom and a keycard for dad (or for whomever is the second adult in your child's life at school, such as grandparent or nanny). Please keep these keycards secure in your wallet or glovebox; they are specifically numbered and assigned to your family. With a keycard, you will be able to present it in front of the black box at the new silver-colored parent/visitor entry door to the main school building, and let yourself into our secured building.
Once you enter the silver parent/visitor door, you will be at the front desk in the school office, where you'll need to put on a yellow nametag if you are staying on campus. (No need to put on a nametag if you're simply doing business at the office, such as dropping off or picking up something. There is also no need to put on a nametag for a large event such as a school Mass.)
Please note that your keycards allow you access only to this silver-colored parent/visitor door (and not any of the red-colored student/staff doors) and only on school days from 7:45AM-3:45PM. Furthermore, keycards are for the two adults in your family; please do not allow children to use them.
If you have any questions about your keycards or about building security, please address them to Lola Bazan, Mindy Morgan, Mike Fuerte, or me. Thanks for your cooperation in helping to keep our school rooms more secure.
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Upcoming Calendar of Events
Today
- Charger Gear will be selling fleece sweaters and Friday-wear hoodies and track jackets from 2:00-3:30 at their office in the central hallway of the original school
- Bake Sale during PK-8th grade lunch times; most items cost 50 cents or a dollar for parents who want to give their kids cash to spend; proceeds benefit junior high activities
- School Commission and Parents' Club Executive Sessions; regular meetings of these two groups - open to all parents - begin in October
- Red Family Envelopes come home today and enclosed will be 2 keycards for each school family; these keycards will let school parents/guardians into the new silver-colored parent/visitor entry door during school hours; school parents will not need to "ring the doorbell" to be let into the silver-colored parent/visitor entry door, but parents still must stop at the office desk to fill out a nametag to wear when on campus
Friday, September 14
- Volunteer Playground Supervisors - if you have signed up to volunteer to supervise lunch recesses (or you would like to sign up), please attend the mandatory training session either on the 10th at 6:30PM or on the 14th at 8:30AM; training is held in the Faculty Room; please contact Lisa McKenna for more information
Saturday, September 15
- Safe Environment "Called to Protect" Class at 8AM in parish hall; all moms/dads/guardians new to St. Louise School must take a "Called to Protect" class by September; please register in advance and find a list of all the available classes by scrolling to the Seattle Archdiocese list HERE.
Sunday, September 16
- Today is Catechetical Sunday, and all the St. Louise faculty will be attending either the 9AM, 1PM, or 6PM Masses to be recognized by the congregation for their vocation as catechists (faith formation ministers) and to receive a blessing; please attend one of these Masses if you are able
Monday, September 17
- Auction donated items and procurement forms are both due in to the auction office by 3:00 today; the auction office is located at the east end of the north wing of the original school
Tuesday, September 18
- Technology Committee Dinner Meeting, 6PM in the faculty room; all current and new Tech Committee members are encouraged to attend; please RSVP to Dan Kirby if you will be attending
Wednesday, September 19
- Parents in Prayer begins its regular weekly gathering today, meeting at 8:30AM in the faith formation office near the school lobby (see article below)
Friday, September 21
- Our first all-school Mass is today - the Mass of the Holy Spirit! Mass is at 9AM, and parents who want to sit with their children are asked to meet the homeroom outside of the main building or outside of church at 8:45; please do not enter the school building
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School Photos to Be Shot by New Photographer this October
We are excited to be partnering with the iconic Yuen Lui Studios this year for our school photos! Both individual student photos and class photos are scheduled for Wednesday, October 10. Throughout the day, each student will have their individual photo taken, regardless if the student is purchasing photos to keep or not. These are used for our school Yearbook in June.
Students are to come to school in their complete uniform on the 10th, wearing the traditional red sweater or fleece (no hoodies or track jackets).
The preferred method is for you to pre-order online. Simply go HERE to place your order. All photo packages you purchase will include a complimentary class photo. If you have any questions concerning school photos, please contact Cindy Wagner in our development office.
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Thanks for Volunteering
Thank you for the extraordinary help you have already provided or will soon be providing by volunteering throughout the school year! We couldn't be such a fantastic school without your wonderful assistance!
On Saturday, we had all of these volunteers here for our first Fall Fix-Up of the year, spreading bark, weeding, pruning, etc.:
Miguel Gil, Gary Studt, Arturo Diaz, Imelda Medina, Hortencia Lopez, Maria Gabriella Morena, Jeff Kujath, Michelle Kujath, Dick Hess, Eric Lund, Natalie Remedios, Patrick Cimprich, Maria Juarez, Bryan Veloz, Christie Allemand, Nicholle Mineiro, Sheldon Sequeira, Lisa McKenna, and our head volunteer landscaper, Jeffrey Hummer. Thanks for your work to beautify the grounds!
The next Fall Fix-Up is Saturday, October 27. But you don't have to wait that long if yardwork of the campus grounds is a way you would like to earn volunteer hours. If you "adopt-a-garden," you can come any day, any time and spruce up a designated, small section of the grounds. Contact Eric Lund to join the adopt-a-garden team.
If during the year you have questions about volunteering, please contact the Parents' Club's Volunteer Coordinator, Jennifer Sharp, at Volunteeradmin@stlouiseschool.org.
You can also check out the Volunteering page on our school website, where Jennifer posts ongoing volunteer opportunities. Of course, this Parent Bulletin and your child's teachers will also inform you of volunteer help we need on a routine basis.
When you are ready to begin recording your hours as you begin volunteering for the new school year, you may do this at the "submit hours" link at http://web2.stlouiseschool.org/volunteer. Remember, you have to volunteer for at least 40 hours from now through next June. If you have questions about volunteering, please contact Jennifer.
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Registration Now Open for Preparing for First Communion
At St. Louise, all the children of our parish come together with their families to prepare for celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion. Children must be at least seven years of age and be enrolled in our Faith Formation program or St. Louise Parish School.
Parents and children are invited to attend six sessions for the immediate preparation of the sacraments. These sessions are held on Saturday mornings in November and in April. Parents must attend an initial meeting on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, at 7PM in the Parish Hall.
Registration is available at the Parish Office or contact Geri Hanley at 425-214-5464 or geri@stlouise.org.
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Earn Bonus Rebates on Charger Cards This Monday
Use MyScripWallet mobile website or log on to www.shopwithscrip.com and purchase online Ecards (ScripNow or ReloadNow) on Monday, September 17, and earn big bonus rebates on eGift cards and reloads to your physical gift cards across a variety of shopping categories.
Checklist for Earning Big
Start making more purchases with Charger cards instead of cash or credit card and earn rebates that's helps our school.
- Create your ShopWithScrip account if you don't have one yet, as bonus rebates are only available for online orders. Go to ShopWithScrip.com, create your online account and enroll in online payments (AKA "PrestoPay").
- Plan your upcoming purchases so you can take advantage of exclusive bonus rebates on eGift cards and reloads to your physical cards.
- Register reloadable gift cards you previously purchased from ShopWithScrip. If you don't have reloadable gift cards, order them now to earn bonus rebates.
What's New?
We're excited to announce DSW is our newest scrip partner. DSW $25 physical gift cards are available to order with a great 8% rebate, and ScripNow eCards are available to order in $10 increments, from $10 - $500, with the same rebate.
The Charger Cards' sales-window will be open on all school Fridays from 8:15-9:00AM. You'll find the Charger Cards office in the central hallway of the original school.
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Tech Committee Gathering for First Time This Year
This coming Tuesday, September 18, the school's Technology Committee will hold a dinner meeting at 6PM in the faculty room. All current and new Tech Committee members are encouraged to attend. You'll be treated to dinner and spend time talking with our IT head, Dan Kirby, about how you can help with the school's current technology needs and to brainstorm regarding future technology. Please
RSVP to Dan Kirby if you will be attending, as he needs an exact dinner count.
Thank you in advance, Tech Committee parents, for all the help you'll be providing Dan, the teachers, and the students this year with your software and hardware expertise!
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FINAL Reminder to Complete Training
A required task for each school parent to complete is an online background check process. This process helps confirm the safety of our students when parents are helping at school, coaching a team, supervising an after-school program, or even driving on a fieldtrip. (By the way, all of our employees undergo this same background check process.) Background checks are run through the "VIRTUS" program as part of the Seattle Archdiocese's "Safe Environment" policy. If you haven't yet done so, to begin this background check process please click on the Volunteering link on our website.
NOTE: EACH NEW SCHOOL PARENT MUST REGISTER SEPARATELY WITH VIRTUS when initially enrolling in St. Louise School. This process includes attending a live training class.
NOTE: EVERY 3 YEARS THEREAFTER, EACH VETERAN SCHOOL PARENT MUST RENEW IN VIRTUS his/her background check and complete a Safe Environment online training.
When completing the background check answering questions, both you and your spouse (if applicable) will also be asked to read Archdiocesan policies on safety, and then to each register for an initial 3-hour training session - called "Protecting God's Children for Adults." This live training session is only taken once, followed up with online training every three years. Please CLICK HERE to sign up for a training session at a Seattle Archdiocese parish that works with your schedule - but that takes place no later than September.
NOTE: There is a training session scheduled to take place right here at St. Louise this Saturday, but if it fills up or if that morning doesn't work for your schedule, you can pick another location/date. For example, next Saturday, September 22, you'll find a "Protecting God's Children for Adults" class at St. Anthony Parish in Renton.
Thank you for keeping our school in compliance with this required process of everyone registering with VIRTUS and taking an initial 3-hour training session!
Please direct any questions to the Archdiocese's Safe Environment Office at (206) 274-3188 or to the St. Louise Parish office through SafeEnvironment@StLouise.org.
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CROWD Is Moving to Sundays!
St. Louise CROWD has some exciting news to share - we're moving to SUNDAYS! Starting September 23, CROWD - the youth ministry program for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders - will begin 2018-2019 with a new day and time, Sundays from 4-5:30pm. We are looking forward to weaving our programming more seamlessly into the "Sunday experience" with informed age-appropriate catechesis flowing both from and into our Catholic Mass.
Registration for CROWD 2018-19 is now open online at https://stlouise.org/crowd. Be sure to register your child HERE. Then sign up to receive updates on our events and activities through the Flocknote app
.
We can't wait to see you!
Annarose Jowenson
Pastoral Assistant for Youth Ministry
425-214-5465
work week: Sunday-Thursday
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Hello, St. Louise Families!
It's a Wonderful Life at St. Louise is just 8 weeks away! While there is much to do before the big night, there are a few things you can do this week to get ready. Here they are:
* Item Donations Due Monday
Donations Due! Turn in any items you have committed to donating for the auction. All items are due no later than 3pm this coming Monday, Sept. 17!
* What to Wear?!
Think about what you want to wear for the big event. We recommend getting that 40s holiday-vibe going, plus wear red, black or white and show your STL colors. More info is here.
* Reserve Your Room
Make your hotel reservation now so you don't have to drive home late at night! Click this link to get the St. Louise special rate at the Seattle Marriott Bellevue.
*Glassybabys Are in Limited Supply
We have limited stock left of Charger Blessings (gray) and Charger Spirit (red) glassbabys, so get yours before they are all gone! They make wonderful Christmas, First Communion, and Graduation gifts! Just $85 for these limited edition glassybabys! Email the auction office today to order.
There will be lots more auction info coming home in the next Red Envelope! Watch for the invitation request form, Black & White Photo order form, and more!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask or stop by!
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Parents Invited to All-School Liturgies
As you'll see on the sheet coming home in today's red-colored Family Envelope, there are numerous times this year the entire school will get together for a Mass or Liturgy in the church. (Note that Pre-K only attends some of these.) Parents are encouraged to attend and sit with their children.
If you are coming to a school Liturgy, at 8:45 (for a 9:00 start time), please meet your child's homeroom either outside the school or outside the church. Please do not enter the school building prior to the Liturgy. We do not expect parents to enter the school office to put on a yellow nametag if you're here only for attending a service in the church or other large-scale event such as this (such as a concert).
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Calling 5th-8th Grade Students
Altar Serving is not just a service but a prayerful celebration of Jesus Christ! Our
grades 5 or older students who are baptized Catholics are welcome to join the altar server ministry team. Training is scheduled for Thursday, October 4, 3:00-4:15pm in the Church. Parents are not required to stay for the training need to be in the church by 4:15 to receive crucial scheduling information. If your child is interested but has a conflict with attending this training, please contact Gaby Gonzalez or Mary Herridge.
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Meet Our Newest School Parents
We are excited to have 50 new school families join the St. Louise School community this fall! Each week we'll be showing your some of the new faces and names. Thank you, veteran St. Louisers, for making these newest parents feel welcome.
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| Rikka and Christopher Halili, daughter in kindergarten |
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| Jason Lau and Vicky Kan, daughter in kindergarten |
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| Tony Ponwin Jeparatnam and Shiji Varuthattil, son in kindergarten |
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| Jenny Santos and Chris Jensen, sons in 5th and 6th grades |
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Join Cub Scouts at St. Louise
Adventure awaits! Pinewood derby race, camping, hiking, and all kinds of outdoor activities are a part of Cub Scouts. Come join us for our St. Louise Cub Scout Pack kick-off meeting for kindergarteners through 5th graders.
When: Monday September 17
Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Place: St. Louise Parish Hall
Learn more about Cub Scouting at St. Louise and all of the fun activities planned for the year.
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Parents in Prayer Begins This Coming Wednesday
Come pray with fellow school parents, Wednesday school days from 8:30-9:30am beginning on September 19. The mission of Parents in Prayer (Padres en Oracion) is to pray for our families, teachers, staff, and greater St. Louise community in a spirit of confidentiality.
This weekly program meets in the main school building. Simply enter the parent door outside the front entrance, sign in at the office, put on your yellow nametag, and head to the Faith Formation room, located near the lobby just
before the 1st grade classrooms. Join us when you can; all are welcome! If you can't join us for a meeting, but have a prayer petition, please email or text it to Susie Goett (206-795-1252) or to Carmen Castillo (925-389-8926; habla Espanol).
O Lord, you search me and you know me.
You know my resting and my rising.
You discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down.
All my ways lie open to you.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and dwell at the sea's furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
~Psalm 139: 1-3, 9-10
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Prayer Aid for the Week
"Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness. Listen to God. Adore Him in the Eucharist.
~Pope Benedict XVI
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See what's happening on our St. Louise Facebook page
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