The education that St. Francis High School provides has many purposes: it nurtures students’ faith and trust in God, it readies them for success in college, and it provides a safe environment to develop socially. Since we tend to not walk around with copies of the school’s mission and philosophy, we’ve distilled these central ideas to a handy catch phrase – “A community of faith, excellence, leadership, and service” – that provides a ready reminder of our purpose as we go through each day.

This commitment to action, whether in fully developing the talents given to us by God or in serving the needs of others, is amplified through the yearly themes we adopt based on the principles of Catholic social teaching. This year the principles of “Life and Dignity of the Human Person” and “Call to Family, Community, and Participation” are brought together in the theme of “Together for Each Other.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes the call to value life and the dignity of each person as “the foundation of a moral vision for society” and “the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. Every person is precious . . . and the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.” (source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Social Development and World Peace, Catholic Social Teaching) The call to family and community, according to the USCCB, is rooted in the belief that “the person is not only sacred but also social. Marriage and family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened... People have a right and duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.”

Throughout the school year – in the classrooms and at assemblies, in morning prayers and at school-wide masses – these issues will be highlighted. Each of us will be challenged to bring life to these words, to turn them from concept to action. The young women of St. Francis High School are our hope for a just and compassionate world in the future, one that fully embraces the call to action articulated by Jesus in the Beatitudes. The faculty and staff of St. Francis look forward to partnering with you, the primary educators of your daughters, throughout this coming year as we nurture these future leaders to have the wisdom to see what is good and the courage to speak and act for what is right.