The Life of Vocation - Faith In Action
The Life of Vocation is central to who we are as Wolfhounds and the way Saint Patrick Catholic School teaches students to embody the principles of servant leadership. We believe that we are called as Christians to put our faith into action and serve others. Student-led service projects and initiatives not only help our students learn to live lives of purpose, but also give them the courage and compassion to better their community and the greater world around them.
On Wednesday, October 2, three Fourth Grade girls - Harper B., Stella D., and Virginia E. - kicked off a service project collecting water for Greeneville, Tennessee, an area affected by Hurricane Helene. The Besachio family - former Wolfhounds that now reside in Greeneville - were willing and able to meet Lower School Religion Teacher Mary McPhillips halfway to assist. The response was overwhelming, with 59 cases of bottled water and 31 gallon jugs donated. One family brought in an entire pallet of bottled water!
By the night of October 4, donations were readied for transport to a midway meeting point in Lexington, VA. The transfer was made Saturday morning, and by Sunday, October 6, 1,500 pounds of donated water had made it to Crossroads Cowboy Church to start its next journey - to people in need in Tennessee. All remaining water donations were taken to a local brewery on the following Monday to be delivered to hard-hit areas in North Carolina. This was a perfect example of three young Wolfhounds, seeing a need and taking the lead!
In addition to transporting water to those affected by Hurricane Helene, the Operation Smile Club held a charity dodgeball tournament on Friday, October 4. The event was held to raise money for Operation Smile and their mission of providing life-saving and life-changing surgeries for children with cleft lips and cleft palates. Students, parents, faculty, and staff filled the gym for a night of fun in support of a great cause. By the end of the evening, the Operation Smile Club had raised a total of $2,200! This is enough for nine surgeries! We would like to thank Fifth and Sixth Grade English Teacher Emily Boas, Fifth and Sixth Grade Math Teacher Jessica Dumm, and Operation Smile Club President and Eighth Grade student Maxim D. for taking the lead in organizing the tournament. We would also like to give a special shout out to the members of the Old Dominion University Men's Soccer Team for serving as referees!
We are truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful Wolfhound community, and it is inspiring to watch our Saint Patrick Catholic School students living out their faith through service. Thank you, Wolfhounds!
