From the Principal's Desk 3.30

From the Principal's Desk 3.30

Dear Friends, Of all the weeks in our calendar, Holy Week stands as the one which demands that we pay attention to the final things: death, judgment, heaven or hell.  All students know the importance of final exams; the point at which there is no turning back, no extra credit, no more bargaining.   They recognize the importance of proper preparation, of using the entire term to prepare for the exam.  In the same way, we should use our whole lives preparing for our individual day of judgment. The only way to be saved, the only way to gain admission to heaven, is through the blood of Christ, the sacrifice of Calvary.  No amount of good deeds will ever get us into heaven and it is a common mistake to think God will measure out our good deeds and compare them to our bad deeds and the heavier side determines our salvation.  We get to heaven not because we are filled with good deeds, but because our sins are forgiven.  This is why confession and baptism are so important, both free us from sin.  So why bother with good deeds?  Why not just live a life of debauchery and repent at the last moment?  No one knows when they are to die.  We would all like to live a long time, die peacefully in bed surrounded by our family, but we don't get to make that choice.  Scripture says, 'Delay not the day of your salvation.'  Additionally, a good life is exactly what it sounds like.  To live a life filled with peace, joy, good character, kindness, love, patience, honesty, generosity etc., is to live a great life.   If our students all lived virtuous lives we would need no locks, there would be no stealing, lying, anger, lust, laziness, and our school would be filled with all good things and the love of God.   If we want to be ready for our day of judgment, let us live like we belong in Heaven, loving God and neighbor, mindful of God's great love for us and the sacrifice of the Cross. Duc in Altum!  Timothy Gallic Principal, Holy Family High School 303-410-1411\ p.s. Questions, cares, comments or concerns? Send them in. Today we are celebrating the Women's 3A Basketball State Championship! Once again Ron Rossi and the Lady Tigers have won the state title for the fifth time in six years.  These young ladies demonstrate great ability and character on and off the court and we happy to celebrate them and with them!  Well done!

From the Principal's Desk 3.29

From the Principal's Desk 3.29

Dear Friends, As Holy Week fast approaches let us take a moment to talk about what the Church means when she talks about sin.  Sin consists of an act against the will of God, a demon, (Genesis- sin is a demon lurking at your door. Its urge is toward you but you can be its master) and it is separation from God.  Fortunately, Christ's death of the cross freed us from all three of these terrible things.  When we commit a sin we act contrary to God's will and to our own self good.  Sin deadens or confuses the intellect.  It warps our judgment and sight.  For when we sin we start calling bad good, darkness light and lies truth.  None of our acts change reality.  Facts are stubborn things, they do not change.  So bad is still bad, good is still good; we just cannot see it. God is all good and when we act badly we damage our relationship with him, this causes our confusion but is also the separation of sin.  A venial sin, a small violation of good, does not break the bond with God, but damages it. Mortal sin, a large violation of good, breaks that relationship with God.   Fortunately, all sin can be forgiven and the breaks and damages mended.  The venial ones we just need to ask God for forgiveness, the larger ones, the mortal sins, we need to go to confession and  ask a priest, who stands in as Christ, for forgiveness. If we don't get our sins forgiven we will not have God freely acting in our lives. We may still hear God call us, just like your kids might hear you when they have the music blasting.  When our sins are forgiven then we can hear God clearly, we can see clearly, our minds are awake, our spirits are light and we are happy.  All of us, and students are no exception, when freed from sin do much better.   The student's scores go up, their grades improve and they are easier to deal with.  For this reason, and so that their chance of salvation is increased, we had two days of confession at school and Father Gabriel is available for confession.   I urge all of you to reconcile with God. As our new Pope Francis stated the other day, "God never gets tired of forgiving."  It is why he died for us. Duc in Altum! Timothy Gallic Principal, Holy Family High School 303-410-1411

From the Principal's Desk 3.28

From the Principal's Desk 3.28

Dear Friends, The world awaits the selection of the successor of St. Peter and all eyes are on Rome. This presents an excellent opportunity to speak about what the Pope can and cannot do.  The Pope cannot change doctrine, he is not a soothsayer, or, except in very special circumstances, infallible.  He is the father of temporal church, he governs the Universal Church and, in the last few men at least, is a holy and wise man.  He can change how we perform certain sacraments, a bit; there is a limit to this.  His actions cannot contradict scripture or sacred tradition.  He does appoint Cardinals, Bishops and a host of other offices.  Except in rare cases, the Papacy is for life.  He has no peer, except that we are all equal before God. He is responsible for the entire world.  This is not a job, it is a calling.  He has no free time, everything he says is recorded, and people line up for days to see him, to seek him and to hear him.  And if he follows Christ we all benefit.  Personally my life is much richer, fuller and better because of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict. We pray for the Pope at every mass; well does the successor of Peter need it.  The next Pontiff faces a world that is ever more desperate in its need for Christ, is fraught with tensions and pain, and eagerly seeks a leader.  May this man be the one we are waiting for.  He need be an apostle of love, of faith and of hope. Let us pray for the Cardinal Electors as they select the next Pontiff. Timothy Gallic Principal, Holy Family High School 303-410-1411

From the Principal's Desk 3.27

From the Principal's Desk 3.27

Dear Holy Family Community, It is with a heavy heart that we convey the tragic news of the death of the baby of one of our faculty members.  Albert Castillo and his wife Nicolette lost their 7 month old baby boy over the weekend and while we don't know all the details, we do know that this is a family who will need help and support during the coming days and months.  We ask for your prayers  for the Castillo family during this difficult time. Students, faculty and staff were informed of this news yesterday and were allowed to go to the chapel to pray and to speak with someone if they were struggling with the news.    In an effort to help the Castillo family through the coming months, a fund has been created at the mGive Foundation by a parent at the Goddard school where Nicolette Castillo is a teacher.  This parent is the Executive Director of the mGive foundation.  The fund has been created to help the family with financial aid for the myriad of expenses they will undoubtedly experience as a result of this tragedy.   If you are wondering how you can help, this is an option.  Families can donate funds to The mGive Foundation- Castillo Family Fund.  100% of the donations will be sent directly to Albert and Nicolette.  There are three easy ways to give: Check/Cash:  Make a check payable to The mGive Foundation.  In the memo line, please write Castillo Family Fund.  You can either drop a check off in our collection box located in the main vestibule, or mail a check to:  The mGive Foundation, Attn: Jen Snyder, 2150 West 29th Avenue, Second Floor,  Denver, Colorado 80211.    Credit Card:  Starting tomorrow afternoon, you can text the word HOPE to 80108 to give a donation using your credit card.  (There is a small processing fee that will be deducted from each donation given through credit card.)    $10 text donations:  You can text the word FAMILY to 80108 to give a $10 donation to the mGive Foundation's Castillo Family Fund.  Life is precious, from the baby unborn in the womb to the elderly and  the infirm.  The loss of a baby strikes the heart in a manner that shatters the day's peace and causes us to cry out to God, "WHY!"  It is right and proper that we ask God,  and we express to God that we don't like what is going on.   We shouldn't like it, we should be grateful.  Grateful for the death of a child? What madness is that? No, we are  grateful for the salvation of a little boy, and sorrow at how it happened.  We all want  our children to share in the beatific vision, to spend eternity happy before the thrown of God, but we want them to get there after us, and after a long life filled with wonder.     It remains for us to help those whose journeys are not yet ended.  It is those who are left,  the Castillo family,  who must shoulder the burden and the loss.  As in all things hope remains   that one day we shall see all of our loved ones again.  Until that day, let us help as we can, pray as we ought, encourage as we are able, and be a strength for our friends in their time of grief. Duc in Altum! Timothy Gallic Principal, Holy Family High School 303-410-1411 p.s. All questions, cares, comments and concerns are welcome! _________________________________________________________  2013 Lenten Series - Stories of Conversion Please plan to attend this year's Holy Family Lenten Series, Stories of Conversion     Hear the powerful stories of conversions and faith this Lent presented by members of the Holy Family Community.      Speaker Schedule:    Thursday, March 7 - 6:15p.m. - Peter Galmish  **Please note this time has changed Thursday, March 14 - 7:00p.m. - Tim Gallic Thursday, March 21 - 7:00p.m. -  Michaelann Martin    Presentations will be in the HF Library Refreshments will be served after the presentations.

From the Principal's Desk 3.26

From the Principal's Desk 3.26

Dear Friends, Last night snow fell bringing much needed moisture to the land, creating a bit of hardship and a lot of beauty.  Life often has these qualities.  We find that what we need can bring with it some hardship and often a great deal of beauty.  To achieve a high school diploma, a need, one must study and work diligently-the hardship, becoming a well-developed young man or young woman- the beauty.    There exists another aspect of this which needs to be considered, the corporate role of each individual.  If someone fails to do what they need to do, oftentimes others find they cannot accomplish their tasks.   If an open receiver finds the quarterback does not throw the ball to him, he cannot catch it and win the game.  It doesn't matter how open the receiver is, without the quarterback throwing him the ball, there is no play.   We can back that analogy even further to consider the role of the center, and the coach and the lineman, etc.   We find many of our actions depend on others for their success, and many of our actions allow others to succeed.  When we fail to act properly, seldom, if ever, do we only affect ourselves.   Our private short comings as well as our strengths effect far beyond what we think.     So when our students are faced with a hardship, or an opportunity let us encourage them.  The impact of their labors is incalculable. Finally,  to illustrate this last point this year's Lenten series began last week with a wonderful talk by Paul VanHoudt.  This week's story of conversion is by our very own Matthew Gear. If you ever wanted to know what makes Mr. Gear who he is, this is your moment.  This Thursday from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the library Mr. Gear will kindly share his conversion story.  I heartily encourage all to come.   Duc in Altum! Timothy Gallic Principal, Holy Family High School 303-410-1411 p.s. All questions, cares, comments and concerns are welcome! _________________________________________________________  2013 Lenten Series - Stories of Conversion Please plan to attend this year's Holy Family Lenten Series, Stories of Conversion     Hear the powerful stories of conversions and faith this Lent presented by members of the Holy Family Community.      Speaker Schedule:    Thursday, Feb. 28 - Matthew Gear  Thursday, March 7 - Peter Galmish Thursday, March 14 - Tim Gallic Thursday, March 21 - Michaelann Martin     Presentations will be in the HF Library- 7:00pm - 8:00pm Refreshments will be served after the presentations.

From the Principal's Desk 3.25

From the Principal's Desk 3.25

Dear Friends, I am struck that when we say the first words of the Creed in mass each Sunday, we are agreeing with a  profound truth.  We are not rendering an opinion when we say "I believe" as if other opinions are equally valid. No, we are saying definitively  there is God, who is  the Father Almighty (and so on)  and we are stating publicly that anyone who disagrees with this is in fact, wrong.  The truth exists absolutely; and my assent to it, or lack thereof fails to make it more or less true. This way of thinking is commonplace.  We would all readily agree there is no such thing as 'Catholic' truth, or 'Muslim' truth or 'secular' truth;  there is only truth. If a medicine will cure an  illness, it does not matter who takes it ,who makes it or who discovered it.  If it effective, it is effective.  I may not like the way it was made, but that doesn't change its effectiveness.   If I am thirsty, I need water.  I may think I need maple syrup, but I need water.  Only water will quench my thirst whether I like it or not.  About the practical things of this world we clearly understand that truth stands on its own and we do not want our children to think any differently.   Not everyone agrees with Catholics.  There are good, smart and well-meaning individuals and organizations who hold that Catholics are wrong.   In ages past this would prove to be a stumbling block, a point of departure.  Today,  we have learned that we can live in peace and work with our fellow man, as long as we can agree on basic tenets of human behavior.  This is how a Catholic High School can welcome Protestants, Jews and others to attend and even work for us.  With God's grace someday we will all be in agreement, until then we will work together trying to make this world a better place, one person at a time.  Happy Lent, Duc in Altum!   Timothy Gallic Principal, Holy Family High School 303-410-1411  p.s.  Please let us know if you have any questions, cares, comments or concerns! _________________________________________________________ 2013 Lenten Series  Stories of Conversion Please plan to attend this year's Holy Family Lenten Series, Stories of Conversion. Beginning Thursday February 21 at 7:00 pm in the Library and for the following 4 Thursdays. Come and enjoy powerful stories of conversion and faith journey's. Students and Parents are encouraged to attend! Refreshments afterward.