Over the past four years at OLP, one of the most important things I have come to appreciate is the power of the Kerygma, the core message of the Gospel. Everything we believe and celebrate as Catholics flows from this foundation: God created us, sin separated us from Him, Jesus came to save us, and we are invited to respond by placing our faith in Christ and following Him. The Kerygma is not simply a message to understand, it is a message to live and share with others.

At Our Lady of Peace School, we believe children learn and grow best when they feel safe, seen, and supported. Our mission goes beyond academics. We strive to form hearts, minds, and spirits by helping students grow in faith, kindness, perseverance, and confidence in the gifts God has given them. This work is only possible through the partnership of our parish, school families, teachers, staff, and the wider OLP community.

Our circumstances may be different than those of the first Christians, but our faith and the power of the Holy Spirit are the same! My hope for the 8^th graders at OLP each year is that they experience their confirmation as the promise of all that the Lord still wishes to do in and through them throughout their lives. Whenever we hear of chaos and tragedy around us, the response of our hearts is to beg, ‘Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.’ In the Sacrament of Confirmation and in the celebration of Pentecost, we are reminded that the Lord does indeed send out the Holy Spirit to bring great renewal!

Jesus’ final instruction to the Church is simple: ‘Go … and make disciples.’ But we do not do this by our own strength. In Acts, Jesus tells the apostles that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. When we live joyfully in communion with God and embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ becomes not merely possible, but inevitable.