HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
Faith
St. Ursula Villa Displays Commitment to Christian Service
in the Classroom and at a Distance
The Christ-centered spirit of St. Angela Merici was displayed by our Villa community
throughout the year with students and families demonstrating their commitment to
helping others through service and prayer. Many of activities took place on campus and
in the community and then later through video and social media.
Villa Families sort through donations at Matthew 25 Ministries.
On February 29th,
the Ursuline Identity
Committee brought Villa
families together for
a day of service to the
community. The Ursuline
Identity Committee
initiates efforts to
integrate the Ursuline
Mission into the daily
life of the school. It is
made up of an Ursuline
Sister, Board of Trustees
representatives, the
principal, a faculty
representative from each
level, the Campus Minister,
and Villa parents.
Although
this school
year brought
unexpected
changes and
challenges,
service to others
and devotion
through prayer
remain an
important part of
St. Ursula Villa’s
commitment to
Christian service.
Amy Stout, Villa parent volunteer and member of the Ursuline Identity Committee, organized the event. She stated,
“It was important to select a service project that included families because we wanted a hands-on volunteer experience
to facilitate our mission of serving others and giving back to the community.” The committee selected Matthew 25
Ministries, a Cincinnati-based international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization, because it welcomed
large groups and had no age requirement. This was important because the committee wanted as many students and
family members as possible to join in this effort. The Villa community responded very enthusiastically and filled 100
volunteer slots in just a few days. The committee received positive feedback from the volunteers who appreciated the
opportunity to come together to build a strong family spirit within the school while helping those in need, and hopes to
make a family service day an annual tradition at the Villa.
Along with the family service day, bringing together our community of faith was evident throughout the year. At the
direction of the Ursuline Identity Committee, Campus Minister Laura Riehle planned weekly prayer services during
Advent and Lent for parents and grandparents to come together in the Manor House Chapel to pray for the needs
of our Villa community. During Advent, morning prayer focused on reflective music, psalms, readings, and quiet
prayer. During Lent, the focus was on the church’s Liturgy of the Hours, a collection of prayers based on the psalms.
In addition, those who attended the Lenten prayer group prayed for the students’ intentions as noted in their religion
class prayer journal. Unfortunately, the Lenten prayer services were cut short because of the school’s closure. We look
forward offering these special prayer opportunities to our Villa community during the 2020-21 school year.
While students were distance learning, the Junior High Religion class was assigned an “at-home” community service
project to raise the spirits of our Villa community and fill the void felt by many from missing Mass or other worship
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