Bridging the Church and School Communities

Hi All,

I have spoken about this at Mass, but I am writing once more today about the school auction. The purpose of this article is really to speak on my desire to bridge the two communities of the church and school.

As I have said, and need, all of you to place on your hearts that these two communities are one. We are and always will be, under my watch, Our Lady of Refuge Parish. The “Parish” is made up of both the school and church communities. With the school auction happening in March, this is a perfect opportunity for the two communities to come together and show their solidarity.

The auction happens on March 24, 2023. This is a Friday evening and will be held at The Henry Ford Museum. I hope that when I arrive, I will see both members of the school and church community. This auction is for the kids in the school, helping them to have a better opportunity for a Catholic Education.

To find out more information about the auction and how to obtain tickets for the event, contact the school and they can give you that info.

Peace and God Bless
Fr Ron Richards

Catholic Schools Week 2023

Hi All,

This weekend is Catholic Schools Week, a week dedicated to celebrating Catholic Schools and the education they provide. Over the last couple of years, as a result of the pandemic, the strengths of a child being educated in a Catholic School have become more apparent. Our schools do phenomenal work, with far fewer resources, then other learning institutions. As a former Catholic high school teacher, I noticed this even in the 90’s.

If you look around the world at people who are highly successful in their professional life, many of them credit the education they received through a catholic school. Beyond education is the faith. Any school, public or private, can yield a great education, but when education is coupled with faith, it cannot be beat!

I believe OUR school, Our Lady of Refuge, under the leadership of Lauri Hoffman, truly puts the faith of our children first and foremost. This should always be the first priority for our children’s lives, especially when attending Catholic school.

The teachers here at Refuge work very hard and I commend them for all they do. Over the next few weeks please find time to show your appreciation to the community of Catholic School leaders and educators, especially those here at Our Lady of Refuge.

Peace and God Bless
Fr. Ron Richards

School Spotlight – January 29th

This week marks a special tradition of celebrating Catholic Schools Week. With this tradition, we are able to mark the importance of being a part of a Catholic School that provides us the opportunity to take time in the Lord each day. We begin each morning with prayer honoring our Lord, thanking Him for the gifts bestowed on us and asking Him to guide us each day. Our morning prayer is:

Loving God, bless the work we do.
Watch over us and guide us in school and at home.
Help us to realize that everything we do gives praise to You.
We make this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is followed with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, honoring our country and the gifts that we have been bestowed on us with the ability to practice our faith in our school. Before lunch, our students take time to say Grace together, again, taking time to thank God in our midst. At the end of each day, our students lead us in a moment of silence to God and then a prayer before we dismiss. These may seem simple tasks, however, it provides us with a depth of practice and prayer that brings us closer together as a school family and closer to God with the recognition that he is Lord of all. I am humbled with every opportunity to take time in our day and spend it bringing our students closer to the Lord. Catholic Schools Week is a time for us to rejoice in knowing that we are blessed to be able to do such practices and experience this as our students grow in our Catholic faith. Thank you to all of you that have and continue to support our efforts to provide such a beautiful experience for our youth, helping them to grow as disciples of the Lord. Praise be to God!

Lauri Hoffman
Our Lady of Refuge Principal

The School Needs Your Help

OLR Parish School

Hi All,

Our Lady of Refuge parish community, the school needs your help. On March 24, the school is having an auction. This is a regular fundraiser for the school. Some things have occurred and they are in dire need of high quality donations to auction off, I stress quality.

I am not sure what you can or cannot help with, but I am asking you to please consider what it is you yourself can donate to be auctioned off or, can you contact people you know who will donate items to be auctioned off. I know I am asking a lot in a very short notice, so I thank you for understanding this request.

I’m asking that you send an email to Lauri Hoffman, the principal with anything you can help with. Her email is: principal@olr-school.net

Thanks in advance for your willingness to do this.

Fr Ron Richards

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