SHENANDOAH — Trinity Academy will recognize, thank and celebrate next week one of its most valuable spiritual and educational assets — the members of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The five sisters of the religious order assigned to the school are an integral part of the school’s mission of assisting parents in building faith, instilling morals and promoting academic excellence, according to the school website. IHM members assigned to the school are Sister Mary Ann Spaetti, principal; Sister Theresa Duffy; Sister Sarah Ellen McGuire; Sister Catherine Glackin; and Sister Thais Margiotta.
The celebration begins Monday and ends March 14, during the first IHM Week, which is being held during the National Catholic Sisters Week, from March 8 to 14. The NCSW mission is to honor women religious through a series of events that instruct, enlighten and bring greater focus to the lives of these women. NCSW is held in conjunction with National Women’s History Month, which is held in March.
The IHM Week is made possible through a $1,000 mini-grant awarded to Trinity Academy from the NCSW organization.
Spaetti said all the sisters are grateful for the recognition.
“The IHM sisters feel humbled and grateful at the celebration of IHM Week,” Spaetti said. “We praise God for the amazing gift of our religious vocation, and we praise God for our lay colleagues who share our spirit, our ministry, and our love of Jesus. We are hoping that everyone who participates in the events planned will grow in appreciation for the gift of the vocation of religious sisters. We hope that the seeds of a religious vocation might be planted in the heart of one or more of the girls at Trinity Academy. We are grateful to our colleagues who applied for this grant and are planning such meaningful activities.”
The application was completed and submitted by third-grade teacher Kimberly A. Kringe.
In the narration attached to the application, Kringe wrote, “Trinity Academy in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, has a current enrollment of 217 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 8. Located in an economically struggling geographic area, treasure can be found in our people’s deep faith in God and strong commitment to family and rich, ethnic traditions. Despite many changes in our local Catholic education system, one of the constants through the years has been the beautiful, dedicated presence and witness of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
Kringe wrote, “Trinity Academy’s IHM Week will be an opportunity to remind our school children, their families, the school staff and even our local parishes to more deeply appreciate the great gift that we have in the example and witness of the religious sisters who live and minister right in our own local community. Also, this week of celebration will encourage each of us to be more faithful in our prayer for religious sisters and for the intention of more vocations to vowed religious life.”
Some activities during the week are in-school, but at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday local parishioners are invited to “Vocation-Storytelling with the IHM Sisters” in Divine Mercy Church, Shenandoah. The sisters will share their personal vocation stories using slides and sharing stories. Afterward, refreshments consisting of some of the sisters’ favorite foods will be served in the school hall. A freewill offering to support the “IHM Sisters Are Worth More Than A Million (Pennies)” collection will be accepted.
Trinity Academy will hold the following activities:
• Monday — Blessing/distribution of Immaculate Heart of Mary medals at 1:15 p.m. with a short prayer service.
• Tuesday — A Mass at 6:45 a.m. will be celebrated at Divine Mercy Church, Shenandoah, for the intention of “Trinity Academy’s IHM Sisters and their special intentions.” Teachers and staff will attend Mass and join “Breakfast with the Sisters” from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m. A mini-breakfast bar will be set up in the school cafeteria.
• Wednesday — “Vocation Storytelling with the IHM Sisters” at 6:30 p.m. in Divine Mercy Church, Shenandoah, with refreshments to follow in the school hall.
• March 10 — A locally produced video, “A Day in the Life of an IHM Sister,” will be shown starring Trinity Academy’s IHM sisters. In addition, some of the IHM sisters will visit with the students in each grade level with a question-and-answer session.
• March 11 — “IHM Blue and White Out-of-Uniform Day” Students will dress in the colors of the IHM Sisters. Also, the entire student-body will meet in the schoolyard to form the letters I and H. A photo will be taken from the rectory window and this photo will be used for the cover of the cards that will be mailed to Trinity Academy’s “Legacy School IHM Sisters.”
• March 14 — At 2 p.m. in Divine Mercy Church, a closing prayer service will be held, followed by a celebratory snack in the school hall of soft pretzels in the shapes of the letters I, H and M.
There will also be the kickoff for a penny collection, “Our IHM Sisters Are Worth More Than A Million (Pennies),” that will take place. The collection’s goal is to have 1,000,000 pennies by May 22, in time for Trinity Academy’s 10-year anniversary Mass on Trinity Sunday. All money will be given to the local IHM convent.