It’s hard to believe that six months have passed since Pope Francis visited Partnership school, Our Lady Queen of Angels, on September 25th. His visit is still very much on the minds and in the hearts of all who were present and even those who were not. Indeed, his message of service exists in our own mission and is celebrated each and every day in all six of our schools.
As we head into this Easter weekend, it seems fitting that we share how powerfully his universal messages of service, love and opportunity continue to manifest in our classrooms and in our 2,066 students’ service to their communities.
Here are a few highlights from each school:
Our Lady Queen of Angels: In January, classes brought in a variety of ingredients and made sandwiches for the local soup kitchen. Over the course of the week, our students fed over 100 of Harlem’s residents in need.
St. Athanasius: Students regularly spend time with the elderly at a neighborhood nursing home. During these visits, 7th graders entertain and share stories with residents and Pre-K students keep them smiling with their songs and dances.
Sacred Heart: Each class showed appreciation for staff and administrators by making gifts, cards, and faculty room decorations. Nineteen people were honored, including people whose hard work often too often goes unacknowledged, such as the maintenance staff.
Immaculate Conception: The entire school participated in the annual Yankees Food Drive, collecting over 3,000 lbs of canned foods for local food banks.
Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary: Through Heifer International, each class raised money to allow a family in the developing world to purchase an animal in an effort to help them gain some financial stability in their often tenuous circumstances.
St. Mark the Evangelist: 7th graders coordinated a school-wide clothing drive for infants. In two months, they collected over 50 pounds of clothing for babies at Harlem Hospital!
We are proud that our schools foster our students’ commitment to service, their determination to make a difference in the lives of others and their hard work.
To revisit photos and news coverage of the Papal visit, click here.