ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC School is currently celebrating two very important members of its faith community. Last Easter Vigil, the school’s spiritual family welcomed its security guard, Jackson, or “Mr. Jackson” as the children sometimes call him, to the Catholic Faith. This coming Easter, the school will be welcoming its latest security guard, Dallas, to its community of believers. St. John’s is truly blessed with not one but two unique and dedicated Shepherds protecting its faith-filled home.
The school’s rector, Fr. Damien Giap, O.Praem, sees these men as examples of the Holy Spirit at work.
“God provides shepherds to His people in unique and yet always appropriate places,” he said. “God’s shepherds are vigilant, responsible and caring people who are entrusted with the well-being of others around them. A good shepherd is a person who enters by the gate, knows and cares for the sheep and lays down his life for them. That is who these men are!”
Both men were inspired by the witness to the Catholic faith of the SJB families in the school and parish community. Watching over the children and their parents during morning prayer every day, providing vigilant care during student weekly Mass and monitoring community functions filled with grace and the Holy Spirit throughout the year, has helped them to see the power of God’s work through the people that they serve. Children and their parents treat these hard-working professionals like members of the family and both men have responded to the call.
Principal Paula Viles also sees them as faith-filled examples to the community.
“At a time like this in our world, and with the exciting distraction of the construction of our new gymnasium, it can be easy to forget what’s most important to our faith community,” she said. “Jackson and Dallas are a very important part of our SJB family and their enthusiastic response to God’s call is an inspiration to us all. They watch over us daily, they’ve opened their hearts to us and they shepherd our children and their families through each day with kindness and genuine concern. We count them as some of God’s greatest blessings to us.”