On February 10th, 4th and 5th-grade students from three of our Dehonian schools took part in an online competition with questions about the life of Fr. Leo John Dehon, our founder. Students in the competition represented Sacred Heart School in Southaven, MS, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Houston, TX, and St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, SD. “Students from Holy Family School in Holly Springs, MS, were unable to participate as planned,” said Bridget Martin, principal of Sacred Heart. “They are still feeling the impact of the January 24th winter storm that shut down much of Mississippi. The city is under a boil alert so the school is without drinking water.”
Sharmel Olsen, principal of St. Joseph’s, was the moderator. Principals from all four of the schools created questions based on information sheets that the Dehonian Associates office published last year on the life of Fr. Dehon.
“I was deeply impressed by both the depth of the questions and how well the students responded,” said Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, who led the opening prayer. “The questions explored Fr. Dehon’s witness of God’s love, his perseverance amid challenges, his concern for workers, his collaboration with others, and the enduring legacy of his life and charism. Kudos to the teachers and principals for introducing our students to the life and witness of Fr. Dehon!”
