Hawk Happenings

News from the Holy Rosary/Juan Diego Community

Message from the Principal: Feb. 22

Happy Wednesday!

This week's Smore is a little different. I have just one message. It is about the current situation with immigration and some plans that we have in the Holy Rosary/Juan Diego Community. Please read below (in English and Spanish).

Blessings,

Katie Dempsey, Principal

Immigration Message in English

Greetings,
I am writing to you today to discuss a matter not only seriously impacting our greater society, but also impacting our school community in a very specific way. That issue is the recent political/legislative and legal movement around immigration. We are blessed to be in a school community that is one of the most diverse in the Archdiocese of Seattle, in terms of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This is what makes our community so special. It is also what makes our bilingual program so high-quality.

Because of this richly diverse community, we have an opportunity before us. I am not sure how many of you have read the letter from the Archbishop of Seattle on Feb. 2nd (http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Archdiocese/sartain/columns.aspx) regarding the recent Executive Order surrounding immigrants and refugees. In the letter, Archbishop Sartain identified, in a very eloquent way, the complexity of the issue. I have attached the letter, in both English and Spanish, so that those who have not had the opportunity to read it may do so. While it is truly a complex issue, there is one fundamental aspect that we, as a Catholic community must address: the dignity of the human person. In the letter, we are reminded that “we are called to live Christian charity and to protect and defend the dignity of every human person, especially the poor and most vulnerable. Immigrants and refugees are among the poorest and most vulnerable people in our age, and the Catholic Church in the United States has, for many years, been a source of welcome and solace to those who are displaced.”

In the past week, I have met with many families about this issue. While it is obviously a time of great fear and anxiety for many in our community who may be directly impacted by the ICE raids and other issues going on in the Immigrant community, I have also seen the beauty, generosity, and selflessness of many in our community who want to help. This is the reason for my letter. First and foremost, I would like to let the Immigrant Community here at Holy Rosary know that we support you and value the richness and cultural diversity that you bring to this community. This is your home and we are a family. Beyond this, however, I have spoken with a number of parents who are involved in supporting the Immigrant Community and would like to offer their assistance. With Father Wichert’s blessing, I would like to put together a group of individuals who can offer guidance so that any in our community who are impacted by immigration issues will be able to find the assistance they need. These people would have knowledge of community resources in this area. Four people have stepped up already and I would like to offer this opportunity to others in the community who may not have spoken with me yet. If you feel that you have skills or connections to be able to assist us in this matter, please contact me in person or via email or phone. I would like to pull together a group of individuals who could provide information and resources to the families in our community who may have questions or need assistance.

The other group that I would like to put together is a support / prayer group. This would be an opportunity for people to come together in our community before Mass on Thursdays and just share some time together in support of one another and in prayer. We will provide a space for people to meet between 8 and 9 o'clock every Thursday morning before we go over to the church for Mass. If you would like to be a part of this group, just show up at the school anytime between 8 and 9 o'clock on Thursday mornings and we will direct you to the meeting location.

As I said, I understand that this is a complex issue and one that is filled with many political ideologies. The intention of these groups is not to engage in a political discussion around the intricacies of the current immigration system or immigration reform. It is simply a way to offer support for those in our community who are experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety right now. This, I believe, is what we are called to do not only from our Archbishop and our Pope, but also from Jesus. It is what the Gospel directs us to do... To love and care for one another. We are all neighbors.

If you have any questions or would like to offer your help, please don't hesitate to contact me and I would be happy to discuss things further.

With Blessings,
Katie Dempsey
Principal, Holy Rosary Regional School

Holy Rosary’s Mission:
Founded to serve any family committed to Catholic education, Holy Rosary Regional School strives to educate every child in a Christ-centered environment providing both an excellent education and a strong moral foundation in a culturally diverse Catholic community.

Immigration Letter in Spanish

Saludos:

Les escribo hoy para hablar de un asunto que no solo afecta a la mayor parte de la sociedad general, sino que también afecta a nuestra comunidad escolar de una manera específica. Este asunto es el movimiento político/legislativo y legal acerca de la inmigración. Estamos bendecidos de formar parte de una comunidad escolar que es una de las más diversas en el Archidiocesano de Seattle, en cuanto a la raza, etnicidad y estatus socioeconómico. Esto es lo que nos hace tan especial. Es también lo que nos ayuda a ofrecer un programa bilingüe de tan alta calidad.

Debida a nuestra comunidad diversa, tenemos una oportunidad ante nosotros. No estoy segura de cuántos de ustedes han leído la carta del arzobispo de Seattle del 2 de febrero (http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Archdiocese/sartain/columns.aspx) acerca de la orden ejecutiva sobre los inmigrantes y los refugiados. En su carta, el arzobispo Sartain identificó, de manera elocuente, la complejidad del asunto. Les adjunto la carta, en inglés y en español, para que los que todavía no han tenido la oportunidad de leerla puedan. En la carta, nos recuerda que “estamos llamados a vivir la caridad cristiana y a proteger y defender la dignidad de cada persona, especialmente los más pobres y vulnerables. Los inmigrantes y refugiados están entre los más pobres y vulnerables hoy día, y la Iglesia Católica en los Estados Unidos ha sido por muchos años una fuente de bienvenida y consuelo para los desplazados.”

Durante la última semana, me he reunido con muchas familias sobre este asunto. Mientras es obviamente una época de gran miedo y ansiedad para los de nuestra comunidad que pueden ser directamente afectados por las redadas de la Agencia de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE en inglés) y otros temas que afectan a la comunidad inmigrante, he experimentado también la belleza, generosidad y abnegación de tantos en nuestra comunidad que quieren ayudar. Por eso, escribo esta carta. Antes que nada, quiero que la comunidad inmigrante de Holy Rosary sepa que la apoyamos y valoramos la diversidad cultural rica que ofrece a nuestra comunidad. Este es su hogar y somos su familia. Más allá de esto, sin embargo, he hablado con varios papás que están involucrados en apoyar a la comunidad inmigrante que quieren ofrecer su ayuda. Con la bendición del Padre Wichert, quiero formar un grupo de individuos que puede ofrecer su consejo para cualquiera en nuestra comunidad que sea afectada por cuestiones de inmigración pueda encontrar ayuda necesaria. Estas personas estarán familiarizadas con recursos comunitarios en esta área. Cuatro personas ya han ofrecido su ayuda y quiero invitarles a otros que todavía no han hablado conmigo a juntarse. Si se siente usted que tiene la habilidad o las conexiones para poder ayudarnos, póngase en contacto conmigo en persona, por correo electrónico o por teléfono. Me gustaría formar un grupo que pueda proveer información y recursos a las familias en nuestra comunidad que tienen preguntas o necesitan ayuda.

El otro grupo que quiero formar es uno de apoyo / oración. Sería una oportunidad para reunirse antes de la misa los jueves y compartir tiempo apoyándose y rezando juntos. Proporcionaremos un espacio de las 8 hasta las 9 cada jueves antes de ir a misa. Si quiere juntarse a este grupo, simplemente llegue a la escuela entre las 8 y 9 de la mañana los jueves y le indicaremos el lugar de encuentro.

Como ya he mencionado, entiendo que es un asunto complejo y uno lleno de muchas ideologías políticas. La intención de estos grupos no es meternos en discusiones políticas sobre las complejidades del sistema de inmigración actual o la reforma migratoria. Es simplemente una manera de apoyar a las personas en nuestra comunidad que tienen miedo y están ansiosos ahora mismo. Esto, creo yo, es lo que nos llama a hacer no solo nuestro arzobispo y el Papa Francisco sino también Jesús. Es lo que el Evangelio nos dirige hacer...Amarnos y cuidar al prójimo. Todos somos vecinos.

Si tiene cualquier pregunta o quiere ofrecer su ayuda, no dude en contactarme y hablamos más.

Con bendiciones,

Katie Dempsey

Directora, Holy Rosary Regional School

La misión de la escuela Holy Rosary:

Fundada para servir a cualquier familia comprometida con la educación católica, Holy Rosary Regional School se esfuerza a educar a cada niño en un ambiente centrado en Cristo, proveyendo una educación excelente y una fundación moral fuerte en una comunidad culturalmente diversa y católica.

Letter from the Archbishop

http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Assets/ARCH/11103_LHarchbishopImmigrationV2.pdf (English)

http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Assets/ARCH/11104_LHABSImmSpaV3.pdf (Spanish)

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday:

Tuition Contract Meetings from 8 - 4.

Thursday:

Immigration Prayer/Support Group from 8 - 9
All School Mass at 9 am
Tuition Contract Meetings from 11 - 7
Jamba Juice after School

Friday:

Pay2Dress ($2.00 for "free dress")
Last Day to "Lock in" Registration for 2017-18 (Registration opens to new families on Monday)
Tuition Contract Meetings from 8 - 4

Event Information

Read-a-Thon

This fundraiser is run by Shanan O'Driscoll Hedges. Please contact her if you would like to help out or have any questions. She can be reached at: shanano2016@gmail.com

When?