First Day Blessing

Being from the south, I'm very accustomed to religious beliefs finding their way in the school one way or the other.  Up until a few years ago, our school year officially began with prayer before the back to school staff breakfast.  We've also always had a group of strong Christian leaders in our student body to share their faith in the school.  I am very much missing the daily morning announcement "FCA would like to invite everyone to join them for prayer in the Senior hallway." I don't miss feeling the need hurry to get in and out of the staff bathroom before they prayed (I always felt like I was disrespecting their prayer time), but I do miss that being a part of my school's daily routine.

The community here would fit well in the Bible Belt with their own faith practices.  Attendance is typically lowest for the school during the week before and the week after Easter because so many students are in church.  I think that's a pretty nice problem to have.  So, of course, they are going to start the school year out ensuring they have God's blessing, figuratively and literally.  A community member prayed with our students before the school day began.  Then Father surprised us with a visit to bless the school building itself, one room at a time.  Then students and teachers who wished to be blessed lined up so that he could sprinkle holy water on them and bless them each individually.  With that start, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a good year.