Dear Families of Holy Name Catholic School,

Change is hard. It is one of the many reasons that we have Lent. It is a reboot of our New Year’s resolution. The one constant in this world is change.

I want to start by thanking all the people who came before my time. This school has a strong foundation starting with Jesus. Our teachers and staff have dedicated themselves to serving Jesus. At some point, a new staff member came on to replace another. We were all new here once. It is always hard to say goodbye; however, goodbyes are also a new beginning. I am confident that our school will continue to thrive through the staffing changes.

At the school Mass on Thursday, there were three things that struck my heart.

1) The first reading was from the book of Esther. If you do not know the story, I highly recommend it. Esther is called to intercede for the lives of the Israelites before the king. She prays to God, “Turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.” It will take time to mourn those who are leaving Holy Name Catholic School. It is healthy and okay to mourn. With His Grace, we will be made whole again. We are fractured, sinful, sorrowful, and lacking in many areas of virtue, but Jesus makes us all things new.

2) Psalm 138 was this: “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.” That is a clear message. I almost chuckled when I heard it. We have not even posted the open position and people have inquired. God will send us the right person for our school. The Lord asks us to trust. I can almost guarantee that we won’t understand at first, but that it will be revealed. When we understand the revelation, we can clearly see God’s hand in it.

3) The Gospel was Matthew 7: “Ask and it will be given to you.” And later, “Which one of you would hand his son a snake when he asked for a fish?” Our Heavenly Father is a generous and loving God. He will give us what we need. It will not be a snake. He is ever faithful and we can trust Him. Our job is to remain faithful to Him. While we will do everything within our abilities to hire the right people, please pray that the Holy Spirit sends us the staff to best serve your child. I thank you for your continued support.

Peace and Joy,
Nathan Vande Hey – Principal