Catholic Identity at Central

It is such a privilege for students to experience first hand catholic traditions right on campus. Experiencing a faith so rich in tradition and so deeply personal is a blessing. Have you taken time today to read scripture off the walls in the hallway? Or think about who drew it? Our halls are filled with the tradition and culture of central, with which each passing year traditions continue. We may mistake our role as students as just to receive a diploma and forget that God has called each of us to a higher role. Central teaches that there is so much more then just walking across a stage and flipping a tassel with the help of catholic identity. Many students count down the days and share their excitement of the end of school years but lose sight of the everyday blessings Central shares.
Mrs. Kelly expresses her gratitude for the everyday implements of catholic identity on campus. “My personal favorite [of the things we implement] would have to be the presence of the blessed sacrament in the chapel, definitely. When I pass by there everyday I look at the flame and remind myself Jesus is present.” There are some things that make Central, Central and the chapel is one of them. Every Monday morning students and faculty are invited to attend chapel mass. You may also pass the hall and see some making the sign of the cross in acknowledgement of the blessed sacrament. In our conversation about her calling from God she giggled recalling how she first wanted to be a nun. Mrs. Kelly also shared how important her influence on her students is for her. “I hope to help them on their journey of faith in their lives because its a life long journey. I’m hoping to help that journey along with, of course, the strength of the Holy Spirit. It’s not me, it’s the Holy Spirit. I’m hoping they opening their lives and listen [to the holy spirit], making that positive step in their faith journey.” Mrs. Kelly and all other teachers embrace their calling from Christ to help students identify their own. What students fail to acknowledge is that attending our school is so much more then just an average high school experience. Faculty help us institute our love for Christ and others so that we discover our calling by the help of our schools catholic identity.
As easy as it is to praise the catholic identity Central exploits, learning that it isn’t always perfect is important. Acknowledge and embrace that catholic identity doesn’t mean you are signing up to be a saint, but you are practicing and partaking in a culture so versatile that it improves you. “The way we conduct ourselves on the court, the way we conduct ourselves as fans in the student section and to the officials. But I also think too being a catholic school doesn’t mean we can’t be competitive. Being catholic doesn’t mean losing, you can still give it your all but to do it in a way that’s grounded and that’s respectful of your opponents.” Father John points out examples of a popular type of culture, sports. He highlighted that the importance of catholic identity is to condone yourself in a positive way. “Hopefully teams notice a difference when they play us cause its like yeah they [opponents] know we’re going to give it our best shot but we’re also going to be respectful and be kind and help pick them up off the mat.” At the end of the day the culture of central isn’t perfect, and yes people will most definitely judge. It is important for everyone to understand that in our actions and words we are leading to a better life with Christ. To do that we must let our catholic identity guide us on that path.
2 Timothy 1:10 “He has called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” Implementing Gods grace through catholic identity in our culture at Central allows our students to experience virtuous lives in Christ. All with the help of our teachers and the rest of the staff. The ability to implement catholic identity in our culture at Central aids in our calling to Christ. We are reminded of just how important our actions of our daily lives can influence our journey to Gods kingdom. We are blessed to be students not only of Central but of Christ.