Tomorrow, Maria, Zinnia and I go on an important visit to Bishop Maginn, our most important yet.
There are two things to do: The first is for Maria to bring her fabric painting, Mother Mary, inspired by Mary, The Blessed Mother.
The second is to meet with school officials to discuss how we can help the school and the students have a warm and meaningful prom, the last one ever for this school, which is closing for good in June.
My idea is for the school to tell us what they need to produce a prom the students will remember and which honors the beautiful modern history of the school. It makes sense for donations to go directly to the school, as they will then be tax-deductible.
The donations could provide the essential elements – food, a good DJ perhaps, and the school will decide if the prom will be held at the school, for emotional reasons, or at some other location.
We can use an Amazon Bishop Maginn Wist List or two to provide favors, gifts, and decorations. We’ve done a dozen of them for the school, every one was a sell-out.
The wish list donations and purchases would also be delivered directly to the school. That’s my idea, and I’ll be meeting with Principal Mike Tolan and Art And Theology Teacher Sue Silverstein to see where we go from here.
I’m hoping to start fundraising on Wednesday.
The prom will be held in May, so we need to figure things out. As most of you know, the Albany Diocese announced the school’s closing for good in June; it was losing too much money.
Sue, Mike, and the refugee students will be moving to a different school, Catholic High School in Latham, N.Y., just north of Albany. It’s a new school, with full enrollment and lots of paid tuition.
We have been asked – me, Zinnia, and the Army of Good – to go along with them and continue our work. Of course, we will. Bishop Maginn is a fantastic place, but it is just a building.
The heart and soul of the school’s work will continue.
And the students will get all of the things they need and deserve – a library, more math and English classes, more activities, teachers, and resources. There will have many more options for learning.
We will continue to try and help the refugee students and their families with food, clothing, rent, and tools for the children to flourish and school and onto college.
If Sue is involved, the school will have a great heart.
Maria will be participating in the program when she can.
The Mother Mary fabric painting is as essential as powerful and emotional. A blog reader bought the picture and asked that it be given to Sue; she was thrilled and honored.
“The Blessed Mother,” she wrote, is something she said she is “unbearably honored to have, especially to have someone buy for me. I will take it with me wherever I am. It will keep us safe with love from both you and Mary, who never fails me. I am humbled.”
She added, “Maria’s Blessed Mother is perhaps the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. She will shine over us each day and hold us in her arms.” Sue represents the very best side of faith of the Catholic Church and the teaching of Christ, who called upon Christians to care for the needy and the vulnerable.
Tomorrow is a special day for us.
Maria and I are very proud and happy to bring this beautiful artwork to Sue, who we love and admire. I am so glad our work with the refugee children can continue; it has been a life-altering experience for me, as is my friendship with Sue.
We are eager to continue our work with the refugee students and their families; their needs are still significant.
I’ll report back tomorrow on the homecoming of Mother Mary and the school’s requests for prom help.
I hope this is something we can do for this beautiful place, which helped so many people they went broke doing it.
The school deserves a proper send-off, a proper prom.