Dear Parents, 
 
Thank you for considering St. Mary’s School as an option for your child or children. I want you to know what makes a Catholic school different. The Catholic Church and Catholic Schools have always been prophetic witnesses to the inherent dignity of every person, especially children. Children understand their inherent value, not always by what they are taught, but how they are actually treated.  This influence leads to what is popularly known as self-esteem. Everyone wants it. Everyone needs it. Every parent desires it for their child. It gives confidence in abilities and decisions.  But what is self-esteem exactly? Self-esteem is how a person perceives their own value based on the people in their surroundings. And most of us know that self perceived value is elusive because we are not always treated in accordance with that dignity.       

An authentic understanding of the human person, consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church, is that every human person has inherent dignity.  Too often today, we base our value on self-esteem.  Self-esteem often depends only on what we are able to do, what we have, how we look, what we can accomplish, the value that other people place on us, etc.  While each of these is important, none of them are actually infinite. In other words, we can’t depend on them as an absolute measurement in determining our value. At some fundamental level we all know that. This is why our culture can leave us with a sense of fear of failure. Value based on self-esteem alone can never properly assess the infinite value we have in the eyes of God. Determining our own value by finite standards, would be like using a yard stick to measure the universe. Value based on the dignity and value God gives us creates a stable and lasting confidence.       

This is what makes Catholic Schools different. At St. Mary’s Catholic School, we want to demonstrate that difference. We are dedicated to ensure our students recognize how to know, love and serve God. And in knowing, loving and serving God, they will recognize, in a real way, their infinite value. In the freedom this knowledge and relationship offers, they will excel in whatever challenge they face spiritually, academically, or personally not only in their time at St. Mary’s Catholic School, but for life. This is what makes St. Mary’s different. 
 
Peace and Blessings, 
 
Fr. Michael