Last week, Holy Cross had the distinct privilege of hosting several Holy Cross educators from across the country as part of a Mission assessment conducted by the Congregation of Holy Cross, the religious organization that sponsors Holy Cross, as well as many other schools and colleges across the globe.
Our Mission has always been to educate the hearts and minds of young people by following the educational and spiritual vision of Blessed Father Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross.
We embrace students who reflect social and economic diversity and strive to instill within each student a desire to identify and fully develop God-given talents while pursuing excellence in all endeavors through varied academic programs and activities that nurture and promote spiritual, intellectual, creative, social and psychological growth and development.
The Mission of all Holy Cross schools includes the following 4 pillars:
- Educating Hearts and Minds
- Being Family
- Building Respect
- Bringing Hope
Our Mission is best encapsulated by Blessed Father Basil Moreau, who wrote in 1856, “Education is the art of helping young people to completeness.”
The visiting Mission assessment team included:
Teresa Billings
Principal, Holy Cross School in New Orleans, Louisiana
Rene Escobedo
Principal, Holy Cross of San Antonio, Texas
Sal Chavez
Retired Campus Ministry, Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California
Jurenne Belanio
Director of Campus Ministry, Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California
Terry Lee
Director of School Sponsorship, Moreau Province
The Missions assessment team arrived on Sunday, March 16th, and was greeted by Mr. Edward Burns ’84 ’P 19, and were joined by our President, Mr. Mark Mongelluzzo ’92, Principal, Dr. Weedens Blanchard ’89, Ms. Ana Diez, Mrs. Maria Nitti, Mr. Jack Rampulla, Mr. Christopher Baer ’00 and our VP for Mission, Mr. Edward Burns at a welcome dinner at Mad for Chicken on Northern Boulevard in Flushing, Queens.
On Monday, March 17th, the Mission assessment team was able to meet throughout the day with our faculty, staff, administration and students in order to have candid conversations about their experiences at Holy Cross. Team members also were able to observe teachers and students in classroom settings and sit in on lessons. At the end of the first day, our guests were joined by teachers and staff for a corned beef and cabbage dinner in honor of St. Patrick’s Day in our 4th-floor dining hall catered by Corato Food Services.
On the second day of the assessment team’s visit, we came together as we celebrated a school-wide mass to honor Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary , the patron saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross. After mass, our guests were able to continue their observations and discussions with members of our school community.
After our students’ dismissal, faculty and staff came together in our newly renovated cafeteria to attend the Mission assessment’s team presentation and findings during their visit. Terry Lee, the Director of School Sponsorship for the Moreau Province, shared how impressed he and the rest of the team were with the visit, and shared how incredibly welcoming everyone had been during the visit with us.
Terry stressed the importance we all have not only in the lives of our students but each other as well, as we are blessed to all be Holy Cross educators and live the Mission of Blessed Father Basil Moreau in our daily lives.
Ave Crux, Spes Unica
(Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope)
