From the Principal's Desk 3.18

Dear Parents,
With the feast of Christmas so close, and the fact that this is the last From the Principal’s Desk for the year, I am going to deviate from my discussion of character traits and instead focus on the incarnation and why students of all ages should revel in the glory of Christmas.

There exists in all likelihood, no event in history, that has been written about, sung about and pondered more than Christmas.  It, the birth of a child, is the most human of miracles, the most easily imagined, and yet the most unfathomable, impossible, stupendous and thrilling event of all time.  The wonderful paradox of the infant God who holds the whole world, while being held; the word of God which made creation,  speechless as a newborn; the immensity of God all packed into 6 pounds (or less) of beauty, innocence and wonder  truly boggles the imagination.

As parents, we share in the wonder of our children. Certainly they are not divine, as Christ is, but they carry in themselves that divine spark as one of God’s children.   All children must be trained to achieve their potential, even Jesus had to be taught.  He spoke Aramaic, Hebrew and perhaps Latin because someone taught him, so if the perfect Man needed a teacher and a school, how much more do we?  (and thank you for using ours!)

I will finish my comments with the final verse of Hark the Herald.  It is seldom sung but contains in it so much of what the Nativity truly portends.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
fix in us thy humble home;
rise, the woman's conquering seed,
bruise in us the serpent's head;
Adams likeness now efface!
Stamp thine image in its place!
Second Adam from Above,
Reinstate us in thy  love.

Hark, the herald-angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!

Timothy Gallic
Principal
Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.19

Dear Parents and Friends,

Can we ever truly be safe?  No.   That sad reality is ever more real to us as we contemplate the massacre of last week.  Sitting at my desk I look out across the parking lot and watch students being dropped off by parents, or driving themselves to school.  For 90 years they have walked into Holy Family thinking mostly of academics, relationships and faith,  concerned little with personal safety.   In reality we have a very safe school, a closed campus and front desk monitor who allows in, or doesn’t allow in visitors.  Our staff is well trained, we practice lock down drills, fire drills, and evacuation drills.   We have security cameras and a Police officer from Broomfield works with us in maintaining our security.  We even hire police officers for our dances and big events.

With all of that in place, we remain vulnerable.  We could go to the next step and have several of us trained to use firearms to defend us;  we could install hardened glass windows, or should we?

The reality is that the world is a safer place than it might appear.  There are thousands of schools and millions of students who go to and come home safely each day.  Violent crime has been steadily decreasing over the last several decades.  While we can never be completely safe, we should not live in fear.

Christ tells us., “Fear is useless, what is needed is faith.”  We must have faith in Christ, in His Church, and in His love for us.  

As we near the celebration of the incarnation,  let us recall that Jesus came as a defenseless baby in a very dangerous world.  His first playmates all died at Herod’s hand,  His earthly father, Joseph, died, he had no brothers or sisters.  He traveled to Egypt as a little child and returned as a young man.  All around him people were being attacked by robbers, dying of disease, or being seriously hurt.  And after healing and teaching,  he was put to death.   If God can make that sad tale the most glorious story ever told,  imagine what He could do for us.  If we let Him.

So safe or not,  “I fear no evil, for You are at my side.” (Psalm 23)

Happy Advent,  Merry Christmas! 

Duc in Altum!

Timothy Gallic

From the Principal's Desk 3.17

Trait of the Week: COURAGE

 Dear Parents and Friends,

Courage, the trait the cowardly Lion thought he lacked, transforms.  It changes the weak timorous soul into a brave, powerful hero.  It does not add strength, wisdom or cunning; the courageous soul changes not in physical qualities they change personal qualities.  It overcomes fear, irrational and rational, it does not ignore fear; it masters fear.  Courage makes us bold, it allows us to see what must be done, and do it. 

Daily we receive the call to be courageous; normally the call is small in nature. We must get out of bed, face the troubles of the day; deal with our homework (or lack thereof), prepare for exams, make our lunch, talk to our siblings, (in an appropriate manner) and who knows what else.  Though small in nature these tasks loom large in significance.  Precisely by small acts do we prepare for the large ones.  I will never be able to die for Christ, if I cannot live for him.  If I cannot love  my critics how  will  I ever love my God.   (1 John 4:20)


We all want our children to be heroes.  To be selfless and laudable, to live lives of significance and if needed, not hesitate to give of your life for another, in a word, to be courageous.


Timothy Gallic
Principal
Holy Family High School
303-410-1411

From the Principal's Desk 3.16

Trait of the Week: RESPONSIBILITY

Dear Friends,

In this day and age, when fault seems to lie with others and solutions always start with someone else, perhaps it is time to think about the character trait of Responsibility.  

When we are born our ability to live rests solely on the shoulders of others. As we grow and develop this shifts to our own shoulders.  As parents we eagerly teach our children how to walk, talk, tie shoes, ride bikes, clean up their rooms, do chores and (my favorite) mow lawns.  We want them to take ownership of their work, so we hang up the artwork they make, and we encourage them when they accomplish a task.  Eventually there comes a day where not all the results are fantastic, the room wasn’t cleaned, the grass is uncut, and perhaps the schoolwork wasn’t that great.   While accepting that the results are their own may not be easy, it is essential because if the results of our actions, or lack of action, are not ours then we are not free persons but puppets.  Whether we like it or not, we are responsible for our own actions, and, in most cases, we cannot claim others made us do things no matter how much we might want to.

In mass we often pray, “I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and Sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.”

In the end we cannot escape ownership of our actions and the brave and courageous person is the one who quickly accepts responsibility and deals with the consequences.  Accepting our actions allows us to receive God’s forgiveness if needed, and great praise if deserved.  At the end of our lives we will need to give an account of all we have done, and not done, let us make certain, by a lifetime of good action, that we can stand tall on that day.  For with God all things are possible!

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School
303-410-1411

From the Principal's Desk 3.15

Dear Friends,

First, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who participated in the annual Tree and Wreath Fundraiser.   Because of your participation we once again made our goal of $45,000.00.  As a result, students and staff will all have an additional day off of school on Monday, November 26th.  Enjoy the extra long holiday with family and friends!

Trait of the Week:  GRATITUDE

The trait of Gratitude, or thankfulness in its exercise, ranks high in desirability and yet rare in appreciation. We instinctively know the importance of this trait as we start teaching it to our youngest children.  How grand it would be should we, by happy chance, meet a truly thankful person, one who rightly sees the world they live in, and their contribution and is cognizant of how much was given to them, a happy soul, and a pleasant one.  The person who recognizes that everything they have results from a gift by the Almighty sees the world in all its wonder.  Gratitude changes everything.  In the midst of life’s difficulties, only the one who is grateful is free.  When your work is overwhelming, when you find prospects bleak, consciously be grateful.   Each day we rise, and give thanks for the ability to hear, to see, to breath.  To give thanks for their lack would be difficult!  Our children, even in the most challenging moments, what a gift!  Is there pain?  Is their loss?  Yes, but so much more is the blessing, if we have eyes to see it.  I do not mean we are to be blind to evil and call it good; we are to acknowledge that evil, like darkness, is dispelled by good, that the story does not end in misery, it always rises to a new morn, a glorious sunrise, a new day full of promise, and heaven beyond.  Finally a comment by Chesterton seems to say it well,

 “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. “

In my life I find so much to be grateful for and this week, as we gather around a large roasted turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, family and friends, in warm homes, this most Christian of our Secular Holidays, let us give thanks to Him who created, saved and redeemed us, and gave us such a wonderful life.   

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

p.s.  Parents, in this section I always ask for you to send to me your thoughts, comments, cares or concerns, the reason I do this is that despite the fact I walk around the building several times each day, stop by classrooms often and talk to teachers and students throughout the day I cannot see all that is happening in the school.  You do.  Your students and you collectively know everything that is going on and if you don’t tell me, I may never know.   So if you have an issue that you would like addressed, please let me know, it is the only way I can help you.

From the Principal's Desk 3.14

Dear Parents,

This week I will discuss the character trait of honor.  Honor, a trait given scant attention in today’s society, seems only of interest to organized crime or very proud individuals.  However, honor is a core function of human life.   As Shakespeare said, “Mine honor is my life; both grow in one; Take honor from me and my life is done.”   Honor forms our identity, governs our actions when we are alone or in a crowd, gives strength to our conscience and sets the path for our life. An honorable person will not steal and will not cheat, even if they can.  An honorable person will work a full day for a full days wage, will treat those around them in a manner fitting, and they will exercise all other virtues.   

We trust an honorable man or woman; we expect loyalty not treachery.  Honor by itself quickly can be led astray thus it must by nature be tied to other character traits which themselves tie into yet others.  

So how does one develop honor?  By behaving honorably.   Blessed John Paul II taught us that actions both reveal and determine who we are.  What I do becomes who I am.  I become patient by being patient, I become loving by loving, and I become honorable by acting honorably.   It is never too soon to start.  Let us encourage our students to act honorably and therefore to become honorable.

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

Fromthe Principal's Desk 3.13

Dear Friends,

Last week I mentioned I would start discussing Character traits and the role they play in the formation and life of a young adult.  I will start that discussion by looking at the virtue of Patriotism.  (It is Election Day after all!)  Before I go on I do want to state that none of the traits I am discussing out-rank each other as they are all tied together in the framework of our life, some are more central and some are less so; all are important.

Patriotism, the love of one’s country, may seem an odd choice.  After all, why is it even on the list?  To begin one must realize that we are in this nation as part of God’s plan.  Many of us were born here and some have immigrated; all of us choose to be here.  It is in this nation we will live our lives and work out our salvation.  We could be elsewhere but we are not.  To love the nation that fed you, educated you, protects you, that provided your culture and way of life is too love who you are as a human person.  To desire that country to be great is a noble desire.  We are all familiar with the statement, ‘My country right or wrong’  we may not be familiar with the often forgotten next line ,’ when right to keep her right, when wrong to make her right.’  To be willing to die to protect this country of ours and to be willing to live a life worthy of such sacrifice emboldens the human spirit.  We want our students to have a lively and energetic love of this country, and a desire to help make it a better place.

In a larger sense we want our students and ourselves to be mostly in love with that everlasting kingdom, with the reign of Christ the King, to be ardent patriots of Heaven, our final and permanent home.  Each nation need have its individual patriots, together we all can be God’s faithful Patriots.

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.12

Dear Friends,

The goal of Holy Family is to produce graduates who have the greatest chance of success in the world we live in.  They need to be academically proficient, have a strong faith and they need strong character.   Character is more than simply the ability to endure; rather it is the traits that allow us to thrive in the world we inhabit.   If ability can be likened to muscles, the more ability the greater the muscle strength, then character can be likened to training.  A person with enormous ability but poor character lacks the capacity to fully harness their skills and will amount to very little.  In comparison one with strong character can take their skills set, large or small, and use it to achieve enormous things. 

Character traits can and often do lack a moral component.  A person with strong aspects to their character can do great evil or great good.  For this reason we want our students to also have a strong moral compass, a well-trained conscience and an understanding of who they are as children of God. 

I will be discussing character traits for the next few weeks to illustrate the points in this message.   

  

Finally, as some of you know I come from New Jersey and have a very large family that still resides in the Garden State.  They are all safe and sound although many are without power and there are a few trees that have landed on their homes.  For all who have lost their lives as well as for those who must rebuild and replace let us remember to pray.

Duc in Altum!  

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.11

Dear Parents,

In two weeks we will undertake one of the most distinctive and important duties of Americans and elect many of our leaders.  While much of the focus is on the Presidential race and congressional races the vast majority of persons chosen to lead us are local officials whose individual judgments will impact us often on a daily basis.   As good citizens we want to be aware of our choices and to prayerfully make them, and want God’s blessing on our choices.  This of course presents an excellent educational opportunity for us.  We pray for God’s wisdom and guidance to help us choose wisely.  It is precisely putting faith into action that we show that if we fail to ask God’s blessing we are saying it is all up to mankind. If we fail to act according to how God’s shows us than we state He is not wise enough.  If we vote the way we believe we should and the results are not what we hoped for, we can then, with complete confidence, realize that this is God’s permissive will and the result of mankind not following Him.  

Perhaps not the most prosaic way of bringing home the point that God respects our free will so much that he lets us deal with the consequences of our choices, and that our actions have a larger effect than just ourselves but it is a very timely one.   In light of this fact we are going to have the school say a rosary for the elections on Nov. 5 and Nov. 6 

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.10

Dear Friends,

Stratford Caldecott, a British author and educator, stated “The intellect seeks truth, and it seeks beauty for truth’s sake, but the substance of truth is love.”   The noted theologian Hans Ur Von Balthasar  wrote “the person who sneers at beauty can no longer pray and soon will no longer be able to love.”  To love beauty and allow  it draw us to truth, whom  God is, sums up the attitude we must have at Holy Family.   If our school only produces academically superior graduates, students who have the technical prowess to achieve great things, but do not have the humanizing aspects of life just  as deeply interwoven into the fabric of themselves, then their training is incomplete.    

We as humans, are made to love beauty, that is why we are attracted to it.  We put pictures on our walls, we decorate our houses, we wear clothes that match (mostly) and outfits that are flattering.    Heaven is always described as a place of light and joy, of tremendous beauty.  We should encourage our students to love that which is beautiful;  the beauty that is found when one’s own work is praised,  when one executes the play just as told, when one greets  a friend or kisses their mother good bye.     

Is there ugliness in this world?  Yes, and there is also darkness.  We worship the God who  banishes the dark and ugly and fills us with  light and beauty and the desire for the everlasting.  When I was a boy I loved a hug from my father.  He is now dead these 10 years and my great hope is to once again experience the beauty of that moment ; embrace him before the throne of grace and even more to be embraced by God the Father.  What could be more beautiful than that?

May we all experience such love. 

Duc in Altum!

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principlal's Desk 3.9

In many conversion stories we hear that the individual had to be brought very low in order to finally accept the grace of God, which had been there all along.  Perhaps we have witnessed in our own lives similar moments where after a long struggle, we have finally accepted God’s plan for us and realized  He was right all along!   

While all of us rejoice to find that someone has rejoined the family of Christ, I strongly believe it would be much better if they never left it in the first place.   If a young boy or girl can learn to accept the love of God and His wonderful plan for their life, how much better their life will be.  They will experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit; charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, perseverance, mildness, faith, modesty, self-discipline, and chastity. 

How great would it be if all of our children had these gifts active in their entire lives!  For this reason we try to bring your children to know Christ and the world He made as often as possible.    St Irenaeus once stated, “The Glory of God is man fully alive in Christ Jesus”. 

Duc in Altum!


Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.8

Dear Parents,
Attached to this email is a voter’s guide on several issues of great importance to Christians.  We do not endorse a particular candidate, we do however try to illuminate their stands as accurately as we can.  Why do we do so?   Holy Family is a civic institution; in our 90 years we have been blessed because of your support and the support of others to have the opportunity to help our great nation be governed.  We aid not as rulers but rather as guardians of civic responsibility.   Our nation will succeed if our populace is moral, God centered, and if it is active in our politics.  In light of this I am attaching a voter’s guide from the Family Research Council.  Each position claimed for a candidate has been referenced. 

 The deadline for registration in Colorado is fast approaching (Oct. 9).  Colorado has made it easy to register simply go to govotecolorado.com and follow the prompts.  I urge all of you to exercise your right to vote.    
On a separate note,  I thank all who worked so diligently to make Spirit Week such a roaring success. From the hall decorations, to the games, to the dance truly there was not a better homecoming and spirit week.  The students as a group comported themselves admirably and made us all proud and the army of parental volunteers are without peer.

As I often say, this school, a special place, exists because of all of you.  Thank you again and may God bless,
Duc in Altum
Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.7

Dear Parents,

As it is Spirit Week, I thought I would take a moment to discuss what we as Catholics mean as spirit and body. 

From the first moment of our conception we exist as an everlasting spirit in a temporal body capable of interacting with others and thus with their spirits.   The act that brings new life into this world, where  mortal and immortal intersect, cannot be seen as a mere physical interaction for it starts a human being on a grand and perilous journey that ends either in the realm of endless day, or forever separated from God. 

When the spirit departs the body so does life.  Yet we are not just spirits, we are body and spirit.  How our spirit feels is how our body  feels; when we act in accordance with God’s design, our spirits benefit, our body benefits, we benefit.  When we act in opposition to God’s design, our spirits suffer, our body suffers, and we suffer.   Because we have bodies we can receive God physically, and we can hope someday, of finally embracing God.  Angels cannot embrace God, they cannot receive Him in Holy Eucharist; we can!   It is this reality that makes everyone of value.  The most handicapped individual we have met has an immortal soul, and  will someday stand before God in all His glory, and embrace Him!    This is our hope, eternal life with Christ.  Let us all  live lives worthy of such a hope.

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.6

Dear Parents,

Dystopia…Utopia, are things slated to get worse (dystopia) or fated to get better and better (utopia) If you pay attention to the media, books, movies, television shows etc., you may be surprised to find that almost every vision of the future is dystopian.   Just try to remember the last time you watched a movie or read a book that described a future utopian world. I suspect you may not be able to come up with one. 

Why is this?  By many accounts the world is a wonderful place; we are healthier, live in greater comfort, have a higher standard of living and yet, with all of that, so many feel something is very wrong, an air of pessimism permeates the country.

Perhaps the real problem lies not so far afield.  Perhaps the real source of our discomfort…is us.  Christ reminds us that He will take care of us, give us the peace that passes understanding, the joy that none can take from you… yet we worry.

But should we? Faith is what allows us to face the fear of dystopia with courage.  Faith in a loving God is why our children can rise each morning and greet the dawn with a smile.  Consider the words of Christ:

 ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
 ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt: 6:25-34
Timothy Gallic

From the Principal's Desk 3.5

Dear Parents and Friends,

To have a child is perhaps the most momentous action of one’s life,  second only to our own salvation and intimately tied to it.  From the moment of that child’s conception all we do prepares them to face the world that awaits them.  At times this task resembles pleasure more than labor, at other times quite the opposite.  Our goal, simply stated, is for our children to be successes; to have a family or a vocation, to find rewarding work, to be a positive addition to society, perhaps to have children of their  own someday, and most of all for them to be saints and to someday embrace God.

Nothing serves this goal more effectively than the way we act.  When we are patient, when we are kind, when we apologize for mistakes and make amends, when we go to Church and give God His due, we are great examples, just as much as when we do the opposite.  If we want them to be great, we had better be great ourselves.  So for the love of our children, and I speak as a father, let us resolve to aid them and ourselves by continuing to live  our faith, love our spouses and children and act like the children of God we are. 

Fortunately we don’t have to do this on our own strength.  God is always there.   

Thank you for your support and may God bless you all.

 Duc in Altum!

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.4

Dear Parents,

If God has designed the great system that is our world  then it follows He must have a plan for you and your children.  Following God’s plan is possible only because we have free will, the capacity to consciously choose our actions.  We are not animals that act on instinct, or robots, but rather we are free individuals that can follow God’s plan for our lives,  a divine plan, or we can choose another way and in each case deal with the consequences.

What  is God’s plan for you?  God’s will is summed up in one of the most elegant and terse statement of human duty ever expressed. 
He (Christ) answered:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind';
and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"          

-Luke 10:27

On a practical level how are we to do this?   Do we have to be Mother Theresa to love God like this?  Or do we have to be monks and priests and  nuns?  Well we might, but probably not and certainly not right now.  We can follow God’s command most effectively by doing what we are supposed to do.  To be a good student, a loving spouse, a kind neighbor.  In fact the key to being a saint is found doing your laundry  or studying as much as it is found in church.   So tonight, as  your student is working on their studies remind them to do it well,  it’s all part of God’s plan.

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.3

Dear Parents,

From the time we are very young we are encouraged to pray.  We pray for sunny days, and game winning plays, we pray for healing and jobs, we pray for good grades and for our wishes to come true.  If you are like the vast majority of the world, most of these prayers do not come true, or they come true as often as they don’t.  We are left wondering what prayer is good for.  

It works like this,  God made the world to run on certain rules He ordained.  The mechanism He used to do this remains uncertain, that He did it is clear.   These rules or laws of nature run everything in the universe, they govern the movements of planets, the beat of a butterfly’s wings and the growth of plants.   For us humans, there exists an additional gift, the gift of free will.   We freely choose our actions and the consequences that flow from them, and we are affected by the actions of others.  In all of this God, having established the rules, allows us to interact and to reap the reward of such things.  Ordinarily, God allows us to do the work we can do and reserves for Himself the work we cannot do.  To illustrate, God can forgive sins, we cannot, no matter how hard we try.  On the other hand, I can feed my family dinner tonight, and I will.  It will be myself, (and my wife), who will prepare and serve the food and my children who will clean up the kitchen afterward.  No angels will do it for us, the dishes miraculously prepared and then cleaned.  We have to do it ourselves or it doesn’t get done.  No amount of prayer is likely to change that.   

This does not mean God is silent.  Actually God routinely inspires us; he does not force our hand, instead He gives us a nudge in the right direction.  If we listen to that prompting, we and others are blessed.  If we do not listen, we and others miss the blessing.  In this way we see God’s hand at work and the answer to prayer.  When we look at the hungry and wonder why God does not feed them, it is really ourselves ( corporately) who do not feed them.  God has left it to us to manage the world to feed the hungry, to care for the sick, to educate the ignorant and it is up to us to do it, but not alone.
When we pray for our team to win, or to pick the winning lottery numbers, God seldom intervenes; allowing natural rules to reign.  Yet God will grant us peace, patience and wisdom, kindness, generosity and love.   These will help and if I have practiced and am genuinely skilled, I may win.  The same thing happens with school work.  As a student I often prayed for good grades and found out if I listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and studied, I would do well.  If I didn’t and relied on my native wit and intellect, the results were often less than hoped for.  So when your students are doing your schoolwork,  encourage them to pray,  to ask God for wisdom and diligence, and to thank Him for the gift of intellect and life itself, and then suggest they work really hard to use their gifts well.  Jesus will not take the test for them, or write their  paper;  He will inspire and strengthen  all of us to do well…if we ask.         

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.2

From the Principal's Desk 3.2

Dear Parents,
Hopefully by now your students have started to get a grasp of what they need to do and have worked through the difficulties  of class and schedule.   For freshmen students and often times for upper classmen the task can seem overwhelming , or at the very least daunting.  Encouragement and some sage advice is often needed; however they seldom suffice. 

Fortitude, the grace to keep doing the right thing, the necessary action despite trials, hazards and costs  is one of the great character traits that enable us to be saints.  Do I mean that by going to school, facing the tasks and tribulations of history, science, faith and english  and all the rest one can build those personal tools that  aid us in our mortal and immortal live?

Yes.

One seldom becomes a saint, a hugely successful person, by a single act of courage and bravery,  most often a lifetime of smaller acts of virtue together make up the tapestry of our salvation.  So let us remind our students if done rightly, studying, cleaning their rooms, doing their chores, and everything else, can help us become the saints we need to be. ( It will also help us succeed here on earth.)  


Duc et Altum!


Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 3.1

From the Principal's Desk 

Dear Friends,

Welcome Back!  It is hard to believe but the summer break is over, if not the summer heat… As I mentioned in the summer letter, this year we have chosen the theme ‘Duc et Altum!’ and we intend to ‘Put Out into the Deep!” To be bold in our embrace of our God given task.  This of course is the task and call of all Christians.  We are supposed to boldly proclaim  the truth and fearlessly live the Gospel.  Just like our Savior.

This summer in Colorado has been filled with tragedy and triumph.  We all were shocked and saddened by the senseless crime inflicted on Aurora,  we have all smelled the smoke from the seemingly endless fires,  and we have all rejoiced in the triumphs of Missy Franklin.   How all of this works in God’s plan I don’t pretend to know yet the clues to it are all around us.  In the ashes of the fire, new life grows and a vibrant forest will appear fed by the very residue of the flames,  while great sorrow and suffering is found and continues, great stories of heroism abound.  God takes care of everything we cannot do, but part of His plan is our cooperation with His will on the material plane and when one of us chooses evil, to thwart that good, all suffer unequally.  The story does not end there,  for  when one of us cooperates with God’s plan we all benefit.   Let us keep all those who have suffered in our prayers and strive to make certain this year is one filled with greatness as we courageously strive to live God’s call.

To all the new parents I must extend a special welcome.  For the next several years ( no more than four ) we will get a chance to work together in educating your students.  Sometimes this will prove daunting  as personal growth seldom comes easy,  however difficult assignments, tasks and labors help define our children as virtuous citizens.  We are here to help and aid, to guide and instruct, and feel free to contact us as often as you need to.  The great task of this school is to train students to be successful, in this life and in the next.   Our goal is to produce saints who are great leaders in society and business.   We cannot do it without you, and wouldn’t want to if we could.   This is our partnership  and together we can and will do some awesome things this year!

Duc et Altum!

Timothy Gallic
Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal’s Desk 2.37

Dear Friends,

This is the last Tuesday Note for the year and there is so much to say, but I shall simply make a few comments that I hope resonate with all of you.  First off, life is a gift.   We do not know how long we have on this earth, so each day we need to remember how special it is.  When I was a boy my father got into a serious accident that should have killed him yet he was unhurt.  I remember how happy he was to be alive; in fact I think he bought us donuts for what seemed to be a month.   He lived the rest of his life rejoicing every morning for the gift of that day.   No matter the struggle and the strife, the pain and turmoil, our redeemed lives are precious and worthy of rejoicing.   

In the parish of my youth one of the priests would start each mass by saying, “Good Morning, it is a good day to be alive!”  I wholeheartedly agree.

Secondly, we have a new Archbishop! Bishop Samuel Aquila was appointed by His Holiness Pope Benedict.   Thanks be to God!  Bishop Aquila was formerly the Superintendent of Catholic Schools in Denver; I shall be looking forward to working with him.

Finally, Graduation was wonderful and I thank all who helped us stage that event.  Being outside was simply beautiful, if a bit windy.   The final step in a high school career is a fun one and there is and should be a great deal of rejoicing.  And like so many things one ends and the next begins.  As the graduates go off to college and careers please keep us informed it allows us to track our successes and discover areas we need to grow in.

God bless,

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal’s Desk 2.36

Dear Friends,

This week we graduate 142 students from Holy Family High School and it is quite a milestone for them.  In many ways it is the capstone of their formative years as children and the beginning of their adult walk.  We have been through so much with them, their joys and sorrows, triumphs and failures, disappointments and successes, and all that lies in-between.    Our children start so small and humble, helpless and vulnerable, not able to even lift their heads and now they can run and shout,  study and play and live the life of grace offered to them.   No one knows the whole of the story, no one is privy to all the details and yet anyone can see the result.

They graduate into a world that is filled with trouble, a veritable hornet’s nest of difficulties, and also a world filled with promise and hope.  If our children, graduates, keep their eyes on Christ and cling to Him, they shall be more than good, they shall be great, they shall be saints.

Thank you for trusting us with the education of your children,

God bless,

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 2.35

Dear Parents,

Last night I was pleased to attend the spring concert in which the band played their instrument and the choirs sung.  It is always a pleasure to hear the fine performances of our students and to be amazed at their choreography as they sing.  Clearly a bit of fatherly pride comes out as I cheered my daughter solo (very nicely done from my point of view).  This comes on the heels of the Improv Club’s final show for the year,  the musical,  Honor Society induction and Color Day/May Crowning!  Not to mention our girls soccer team recent successes, the baseball team headed up to State Finals and the numerous students going to the State track meet.  We are blessed with an embarrassment of riches.

Should we expect any less?

This is a tricky question, but I believe the answer is we should not.  If we raise our children to know who they are, if we educate them with the truth (which sets them free,  John 8:32) and we encourage them to lead lives of virtue, should we be surprised that they excel? Or should we be surprised when they don’t?   This does not mean that every child will win every contest but it does mean that all of them can make us proud, and even more importantly bring honor to our family and to the God that made them and loves them.  They can achieve the  true excellence which comes from knowing the love of God.   Scripture says it best (surprise!)  

Romans 8:37-39

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

   

So as the year enters its final stages let us encourage our students to be more than conquerors, to achieve all that they are capable of,  and to bring honor to our family and our school.

Thank you again for trusting us with the education of your children.

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal’s Desk 2.34

Dear Parents and Friends,

As we near graduation I would like to share an observation with you.  Perhaps you noticed that the world around us does not encourage a life of grace (holiness) but actually mocks following God.  The claim is that to follow God you will become a boring person with a life that has all of its joy taken from you.  Instead a hedonistic life is offered promising freedom and excitement and endless pleasure.  Reality is however, quite the opposite.

Have you ever noticed there are no two saints who have lives that are similar?  Each is enormously complex and varied, but you may have noticed that sinners have almost no originality; their lives are almost always the same. (think of how unoriginal supermarket checkout tabloids are for instance).   Sin promises us freedom but delivers chains.  Holiness asks us to freely give our lives to Christ, and we find that Christ gives us even more freedom in return.    A saint, which we are all called to be, will tend to the sick, educate the ignorant, care for the elderly, raise families, work honestly, build cities and civilizations, explore, engineer, produce great works of art, and leave behind a world that is greener, healthier and more wholesome.

So as our students near college and the greater world, let us use the last few moments that they are with us, to encourage them to be great, to be noble… to be saints.

God bless,

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal’s Desk 2.32

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The end of the year festivities have begun and I must take a moment to thank all those who helped us put on the Tiger Gala, and to all who donated.  It was certainly a great night which benefited us all very much.   The evening reminded me of why we have Catholic Education.  We celebrated Johnny Cash, a flawed man for certain, but one who ultimately made his peace with God.  To treasure a person for whom they are stands as the hallmark of our Faith, to be seen as God’s child, to be honored for nothing greater than being a potential saint, and to have that divine spark recognized in you even in your darkest moments.  Christ calls us to be so much more than we could be without him.  I thank you for your aid in allowing us to educate your children.

For those who are looking at the schedule you know Prom and After Prom are this week.   It promises to be a great evening and I hope and pray a safe one.  Please remind your students that while we may be able to choose our actions, we cannot choose our consequences.  We never want to be, or want our children to be the ones who say, “I never meant for that to happen.” 

May God keep us all safe and bless us in what we do.

Pax Christi!

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal's Desk 2.31

Dear Friends,

Easter time brings us full circle. Once again man is united to God, the promise of Eden’s fall fulfilled and the dread curse lifted.  This is no return to Eden; it is much better. Heaven becomes our home and our goal.  This is why the church dares to pray

“O Happy Fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!”

There is so much for us to be grateful for, and yet so much for us still to do.  We enter into that final stage of school, where seniors think of loftier matters, college and beyond, and their attention to the necessary work tends to slip. I would ask for your help in keeping all the students engaged in study until the end.  We want everyone to finish strong.

Finally I hope and pray all of you have a blessed and fun Easter season, for while this school is the result of many wonderful people working hard, our salvation was the result of just one person working perfectly and all of us joining Him.

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal’s Desk 2.30

Dear Parents and Friends,

In this most Holy of Weeks, I will just take a moment to discuss why we as Catholics and Christians make such a big fuss over sin.   Even a common passerby might understand why a school cares about cheating, lying  and rude behavior as these directly affect the mission of the school,  but why do we care about pride and vanity and sloth and gluttony and all the rest of the deadly sins?  Here is why.  Sin has three major effects on you, 1) it damages your relationship with God, 2) it clouds the intellect, and 3) it harms yourself and others.  The examples of this are legion so allow me just two scenarios to demonstrate how it might work.   

Student A is proud and won’t admit they need help, therefore they study by themselves and as the fear of failure starts to rise in them, they start to ignore and treat rudely those in their family.  This strains the familial bonds and when the student takes the test, and fails, they blame God for the result.

Student B is humble and realizes they need help, so they study hard and find their teacher and others who can help them learn.  They speak to their parents about the need to study and accommodations are made.  The student may or may not do well on the test (probably will) but in the end they thank God for the result knowing they did their best.

There are many other ways this might play out.  It is clear in all of them that a life of virtue is a successful life.

Finally, as I have mentioned before there is a particularly poignant moment in “The Passion” that I often think of during Holy Week.  If you have seen the movie you will know of what I speak. It is the part where Mary, seeing Jesus fall, runs to him with open arms as a mother does when comforting her child and as she reaches out to him, he turns to her and says, “See, I make all things new.”  I find that so often it is through Mary I can better understand Jesus.  May we all be aware of what Christ Jesus did for us and as our sins are buried with Christ may we rise to new life with him on Easter.

I thank you for all of us for entrusting us with your children.

God bless,

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

303-410-1411

p.s. any questions, cares, comments or concerns? They are always welcome

From the Principal’s Desk 2.29

Dear Friends,

Have you ever suffered a loss? If you have lived long enough the answer is going to be yes.  We have all lost games, items, relationships, loved ones etc.  In fact loss is part of life and part of the end of life.   High School presents an opportunity to teach our students about loss and I would like to make a few comments about what can be learned.

1.       Loss does not define us; it affects us nevertheless.   A loss that does not affect us is not a loss, it is a non-event. All losses affect us and we are never the same after it, for good or ill.

2.      Losses are not always a bad thing.  Often one finds out that what was originally seen as a calamity turns out to be a blessing in disguise.

3.      You can learn a lot about yourself from a loss.  When you fail at something, it can help you see where you need to grow, and where your gifts lie.   It can show us the true status of events and clear away any self-delusions.

There is something else I should mention to illustrate those points.  There is no greater loss in human history than that of Calvary.  God died.  Christ Jesus forever will be described as being the Crucified one, and one who rose.  There is no greater victory than the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.  The loss of Calvary demonstrates the depth of our need, the depravity of our sin, and what had to be done to rectify the situation and the incredible depth of God’s love for us.  

Christ turns all of our losses to gains, if we let him, yet he does not remove them but allows us to experience them.  When losses, or crosses, come into our lives, like Christ, let us pick them up, shoulder them and allow God to work them to the victory.  By teaching this to our students we can equip them to handle life’s trials and be better able to achieve life’s ultimate victory.

Happy Lent,

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal’s Desk 2.28

Dear Friends,

Today I break from my originally planned statement to talk about vandalism. The reason is simply this, last week in two separate instances Holy Family was hit with eggs and toilet paper.  The paper is easy enough to clean, the eggs are not.  Once dried they are very difficult to clean and we will probably have to spend a good deal of time and effort scrapping them off and trying not to damage the windows in the process.  Whomever did this no doubt was acting out of a frustration or a sense of mischief.  One doubts they did it maliciously, although that is possible.  If in fact they did it out of anger, one also doubts that the parties who are affected are the ones they were mad at.  As in so many cases what was done in a few moments will have a lasting effect.  Perhaps this is the lesson we can learn from this event.

Sin, even private sin, affects others and the effects tend to go in places we don’t expect and repairing that damage can be very difficult.  The great season of Lent reminds us of that.  The examples are many and common, the student who cheats on a test messes up the grade distribution, the person who lies about another injures the reputation of an innocent party, and the person who steals a lunch, causes anther to go hungry.   Worst of all, my bad habits are watched and imitated by my children and they will also suffer their ill effects.  (Now that is a sobering thought if ever there was one!)

Romans reminds us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  This includes whoever did the vandalism and all of us who have sinned.  We can all be forgiven and God will show us how to make restitution.   I once heard a preacher state that both Satan and Jesus reveal sin, but while Satan condemns, Jesus offers forgiveness.  I for one would prefer forgiveness which I know must be shown to others; we are forgiven as we forgive. 

Happy Lent,

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal’s Desk 2.27

Dear Friends,

The Glory of these Forty Days continues whether or not I notice, waiting for me to join in. Much of life is like that, the offer is there, and I just need to accept it.   Christ came to redeem me, whether I want it or not, he came and redemption is offered.  I must accept it however or the offer helps me not. 

 God gave me a certain set of gifts and challenges, whether I like it or not, and it is up to me to use those gifts and challenges to the best of my ability.    Here we see a key pattern, God offers us, He never tempts us, but he gives us chances, we need to take them to fully realize the potential blessing. The saints give us a great example of what happens if we allow God’s will to govern us.  As scripture says,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-2

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

From the Principal’s Desk 2.25

Dear Friends

Scripture tells us, “While we were yet sinners, God died for us.”   And we are reminded by Mother Church on Ash Wednesday “Remember that thou are dust and unto dust thou shall return”   It is this dust that God dies for, a great reminder  of how special He made us.   God makes us persons, or subjects, so special that He suffered and died to redeem us.  It is amazing that God dies for rich and poor alike, gifted and challenged, young and old, fit or not.   All are equally worthy to come to him, and not by their ability.  Enough to humble the greatest king and to raise the poorest beggar.  It is an awesome gift to be redeemed by God and it demands a truly noble response.

We want our students to be noble.  To treat others the way they have been treated, to work diligently and honestly, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and to be quick to apologize (accept responsibility) and repent (change) when they do wrong.   This is why we want to encourage our students to avail themselves of the sacrament of Reconciliation.  Confession frees us from sin and the unnatural attachment to it, it provides a grace that helps keep our focus on who we are, God’s children and not who we are told we are, objects.  I encourage all of you to get to confession often.  Throughout our Archdiocese a special time for confession entitled “The Light is on for You” will be celebrated from 4:30 to 7:00 PM.

God bless,

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

303-410-1411

From the Principal’s Desk 2.26

Dear Parents,

Have you ever stopped to admire the beauty of a flower, or a mountain, or a butterfly?  Have you ever been amazed at the color of a rainbow, the glory of a sunrise, or the majesty of a cathedral?  Have you ever looked at your child, and realized the beauty and wonder that they are?   Perhaps you notice that the way you feel about and treat your child differs greatly from the way you treat and feel about other things.  Simply because your child and indeed all humans are persons, everything else are objects.

We need to treat objects well, but not as persons.  Perhaps you heard of the woman who “married” a building. (not a joke) She made the huge error of treating an object as a person.  In our society the problem of treating persons as objects is far more common.  We all need to do our part to help others see us as persons.   Modesty of action and of dress helps us see each other as the persons we are, helps us see the whole person.  Helps us recognize that while we are not all equal in ability we are all equal in stature and each of us has a place and task.    

Scripture illustrates this point so beautifully.   “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)    For students their task is simple enough, do your best to excel in class.  Yes we can confidently say it is not only us who want our students to do well, but also God.

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School

303-410-1411

Fromthe Principal's Desk 2.24

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow is the start of Lent, as we are all aware of.  This of course is a great time to teach, and to learn, more about our faith and how to live it out in our homes.  As parents and educators we have a great responsibility and opportunity to spread the good news, we are also called upon to be witnesses to this.  What happens if we are not such great witnesses?   Perhaps your own kids and their antics have been an occasion of sin; perhaps a bad habit has reared its ugly head.  When living with children life tends to be an open book.

One of the great gifts of our faith is the sacrament of confession, and forgiveness.  If we have sinned (Christ says the just man sins seven times a day) we should avail ourselves of confession, to humbly admit our faults, and ask for forgiveness.  If we have been a poor example in front of our children, we should humbly ask their pardon.  This may seem crazy and reckless but if done properly it is not.   When I first started teaching I learned that if I made a mistake, be it losing my temper, forgetting a student’s name, or what have you,  the easiest and surest way to set things right, was to apologize, admit my fault, and fix the situation.   It must be known that while I made it very clear that while my action was a mistake, I was still their teacher and still had to be respected.    When the students realized that I didn’t pretend to be perfect, they listened more intently to what I taught.

We want to speak the truth in love to our students, and children, let us pray for the ability to do so.

Timothy Gallic

Principal, Holy Family High School