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Good morning, Kristin,
This weekend, I had the joy of watching my oldest son receive his First Communion. As he approached the altar, I was struck not only by the grace of the moment, but by the quiet miracle of belonging. In that sacred exchange—so simple and yet profound—he was drawn deeper into the body of Christ.
Earlier that day, Pope Leo, in his homily at the Mass inaugurating his pontificate, reminded us that the Church’s mission is not rooted in programs or politics, but in the unity Christ desires for his people. “In the one Christ, we are one,” he proclaimed. This unity, he said, “does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person.” It requires the shepherding love of Peter, who was asked not simply to lead, but to love more.
We are called to be builders of communion—among our students, our staff, within our communities, and across our schools. Unity is not the absence of tension or the triumph of one voice, but the harmony that comes when our hearts, as Pope Leo put it, “vibrate in a single melody.”
That melody of mercy, joy, and humble service is what the world needs from us right now. It is Eucharistic work: to gather, to nourish, and to unify. This is the love that builds the Church.
Thank you for the ways you carry this work forward, with conviction and with heart.
With gratitude,
NICHOLAS FORD | Superintendent
Office for Catholic Schools | Archdiocese of Seattle
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