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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
November 21, 2017 | The Valley Catholic
Archbishop Mitty School Celebrates Thanksgiving
By Christina McDougall
Associate Campus Minister
In a country which can often seem
more politically and culturally divid-
ed than it is unifi ed, the Thanksgiving
season serves as a timely reminder that
we have much more in common with
our neighbors than what separates us.
To celebrate our diversity and uphold
our shared commitment to justice,
gratitude, and generosity, Archbishop
Mitty High School (AMHS) students
participated in an interfaith prayer
service in November to celebrate the
Thanksgiving holiday. The liturgical
celebration consisted of readings and
student refl ections from the Jewish,
Hindu, Muslim, and Catholic faith
traditions accompanied by music from
Exodus, Archbishop Mitty’s liturgical
rock band. All students were asked to
refl ect on the question: How does your
faith community use prayers, rituals
and traditions to cultivate gratitude?
In refl ecting on her Jewish faith,
junior Heather Cherniss ’19 led the
school community in the V’ahavta,
a prayer which has helped her to
create small moments of gratitude
throughout her day. Senior Nickhil
Tekwani ’18 shared how the Hindu
belief of reincarnation inspires him to
be thankful for those who have lived
before us. Junior Suroor Nakhoda ’19
explained the signifi cance of two im-
portant words in Islam: “shukr,” which
means gratitude, and “alhamdulillah,”
which means praise be to God, both
of which have been meaningful in her
faith life. Focusing on the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, senior John Lahey ’18
spoke about his experience at World
Youth Day in Krakow, Poland in 2016,
which helped him to grow in his
understanding of mercy, forgiveness
and gratitude in his Catholic faith.
In between each refl ection, the entire
community joined Exodus in signing
the refrain from Chris Tomlin’s song,
“God of Wonders”:
“God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy…”
These lyrics underscore the signifi -
cance of the liturgical celebration dur-
ing the Thanksgiving season. Despite
the diff erences in our religious tradi-
tions, we all share a common belief
that all good gifts are from God, so
we gather together to give thanks and
praise. Regardless of the names we
use to call upon God, our experiences
of faith help us cultivate gratitude and
ultimately, share it with others.
Saint Leo the Great School Shows its Spirit
We have SPIRIT, yes we do!! S.P.I.R.I.T!
At Saint Leo the Great School, we defi -
nitely have school spirit, but that’s not
the “spirit” here. S.P.I.R.I.T. is an acro-
nym for spiritual, prayerful, inspiring,
religious, involved, and teamwork.
On Oct. 26, the SPIRIT Squad