Dear Bishop McNamara High School Family and Friends,
Think back to your high school years about the many quotes, words of wisdom, and sound-bytes that helped to shape the culture of the
school and provide guidance for a way of life. "To Think with Christ." "The mind must not be cultivated at the expense of the heart." "To
whom much is given, much is required." "With thee our hearts ever will remain, Hail, fount of truth, LaReine." "Lift High the Cross!"
Whatever it was during your time as a student, teacher, or parent at Bishop McNamara or at LaReine, no doubt these powerful words made
a lasting impact on you and your personal formation.
The words or phrases that have dominated the conversation most recently at Bishop McNamara have been focused on two simple, yet
profound, words: "and through." To give a better understanding of the scrutiny, let's put it into the proper context: over the past 18 months,
Bishop McNamara High School has undergone a thorough self-study in preparation for our Middle States Association Reaccreditation.
One part of this process involved a thorough self-reflection on our mission, philosophy, guiding principles, and core values.
As a Catholic school in the Holy Cross tradition, we take great pride in the role we have in the faith formation and spiritual development
of our students. In fact, the Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, challenged Holy Cross
educators to teach our students to see all reality through the eyes of faith. As such, the school community and administration evaluated
closely the school's mission statement and felt that it was time for a slight change to reflect the importance of teaching our students to see
all reality through the eyes of faith. As a result of this self-reflection and after approval from our Board of Directors and the Congregation of
Holy Cross, Moreau Province, the opening sentence to our mission statement now reads:
“Bishop McNamara High School, a college preparatory school in the Holy Cross tradition, exists to educate and to form young men and
women in and through the Catholic faith.”
The two words, 'in' and 'through,' are not significant themselves, but placed in a new context have profound implications. As we seek to
educate and to form our students in and through the Catholic faith, we are teaching them to see with the eyes of Christ, to help with the
hands of Christ, to work with heart of Christ, and to love and serve through the body of Christ. Whether in the classroom, on the athletic
field, in the service of others, or on stage, we seek to teach our students to do all this in and through the eyes of faith.
This issue of the Mustang Messenger is another example of how this community has been showered with so many blessings. From our
graduates who are making a difference in this world to our current students whose accomplishments glorify God, Bishop McNamara is
truly a special place whose time has come! I ask that you continue to pray for this school community — our students, teachers, staff, parents,
administrators, alumni, friends, and benefactors — that we continue with great zeal to make God known, loved, and served in and through
all that we do. Thank you for the continued support you give us and I look forward to seeing each of you soon. Go Mustangs!
Graciously yours, in Holy Cross,
Marco J. Clark ‘85
President/CEO
@mustangprez
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THE MUSTANG MESSENGER
THE MUSTANG MESSENGER
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