“Work is the vocation of man.”

Long before the celebration of Labor Day came into existence in the United States, God did the greatest work of all, “God created” (Gen 1:27). In his homily given on the feast of Saint Joseph the worker (May 1, 2020), Pope Francis beautifully articulated that God’s greatest work was done through creation – that man was created to continue God’s work: “human work if man’s vocation received from God at the end of the creation of the universe.”

As we prepare for the traditional BBQ and day of rest that Labor Day provides, it is noteworthy for us to reflect on work done in the SCA during these first four weeks of the 2023-2024 school year. The Administrative Team committed themselves to the school year long before the first teacher or student walked back into the building. On Monday, August 7, the faculty was welcomed back to school to begin the great work of educating young women to fulfill their feminine genius – their unique dignity, identity, and gifts as women created in the image of God.

Their week included getting to know St. Catherine, the woman and the school, participating in ALICE training as well as other trainings, attending their annual retreat at Miles Christi, and entering into the theme for the year found in the Butterfly Challenge – that when God created teachers, He also created the butterfly, because like the butterfly, we need strength, courage, wisdom, prosperity, love, and favors in order to be able to mentor our students to grow in these same areas.

Sunday, August 10 was the unofficial kick-off to the school year, with the Back to School Mass and BBQ. Fun was had by all those in attendance, and parents even had a chance to leave a “welcome to school” note in their daughter’s locker. Monday, August 11, with the threat of rain on the horizon, the 9th graders with the Executive Council students as their counselors, spent the day at Our Lady of the Fields Retreat Center. Tuesday, August 12, at Convocation, the students prayed for a good start to the school year and learned about the Butterfly Challenge – their opportunity to live with grit and resilience, just as the butterfly in the cocoon. Since Wednesday, August 13, classes have been in full swing, with everything that a day in the life of an SCA student entails – work, prayer, and community.

The following week, we invited parents into the building to meet their daughter’s teachers and the events of the school year took off. The Mom’s Club kicked off their year with Bunco Night. All five sports teams are in full swing, the robotics team is pulling in new members, the cast for the fall play, Earnestly Earnestine, was selected, and the seniors (with a little help from dads and other family members) painting their parking lot spaces.

Last week, though short, allowed for an introduction to this year’s selection of clubs through the Club Fair and to the Big Sister/Little Sister pairings.

The long holiday weekend of Labor Day was well-deserved by the members of the SCA community.

‍