The Crusader

Dear Families of Holy Name,

Thank you for taking the time to fill out the parent survey this week. Your feedback is an essential ingredient to best serve you and your family. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAbVz4C_Czkn64Z3s5w3hKMAYqWleQPW32zy-RNQYwz-5RLA/viewform?usp=pp_url)

We have scheduled Grandparents/Special Person day for April 10, 2025. We will have more details to come, but if you could reach out to your loved ones so they can mark the date that would be wonderful.

The High School play was a delight. I hope you can attend Friday or Saturday. It was genuinely funny and the students did a great job in this “Whodunit” show.

I had the opportunity to visit 6th grade religion class this week. It was a joy to see the students grappling with the storytelling of the Bible. They focused on narratives, parables, the law, poetry, genealogy, and apocalyptic writings. I was impressed with the depth of their learning. The new text from the diocese we are piloting was written by the amazing sisters down in Ann Arbor. It helps to frame up Holy Scripture in an accessible way. The diocese is moving this initiative forward and we will benefit from this effort.

God speaks to us in the Holy Word and that Word became Flesh—as we celebrated at Christmas. It is a beautiful reminder that at Holy Mass we get to receive God’s Word and his Flesh in the Eucharist. Every thriving relationship needs strong communication. Prayer through worshiping, asking, and listening to God’s Word is all part of the habit of strong communication we are forming here at Holy Name. We will be tested in this world and we need to be armed with Jesus’s victory of the Cross. I encourage you and
your family to plug into your local parish and receive the Word and Sacrament of Eucharist as often as possible. I promise you will still have troubles, but you will have more peace.

It is a New Year and oftentimes that accompanies goals. I would encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit where He is asking you to grow. It is sometimes surprising, but often it is something you already know.

Just a simple prayer to help guide you is all it takes.

Peace and joy,

Nathan Vande Hey
Principal