Faith, Hope and Charity

When tragedy struck Japan on March 11 with a 9.0 earthquake, a devastating tsunami and a lingering nuclear plant catastrophe, the students of  were called to action.

“Most people at Saint Joseph have never been to Japan or even had the option of going, but everyone responded with grace to our allies a world away,” explains student Matthew Pavia. “We all felt that it was our duty to help.”

The Catholic high school set March 29 aside to raise money and awareness for Japan’s plight.

“The Student Council, the Asian Club, Red Cross and Campus Ministry all worked together to bring about a day to share prayers, learn about the culture and give generously,” says Religion Teacher Maureen Anderson. “Faith, hope and charity, the theological virtues of our mission statement were all part of the day.” [Disclosure: Anderson is the writer's mother.]

Anderson says the Asian Club painted a mural in the lobby and surrounded it with hundreds of white cranes, and a showcase on the first floor was filled with images, prayers, and poems for the Japanese.

“Our message boards had powerpoints on the crisis that ran all day, hundreds of slides, images, info, prayers,” she adds.  “The cafe offered food that exposing the students to Japanese cuisine and Japanese pop music was played in the cold cafe. In classes throughout the day conversations and lessons were shared on Japanese culture.”

The day ended with a powerful prayer service. The letter Archbishop Dolan sent to the bishop of Japan was read at this service. The Rev. Chris Samele also included meaningful scripture and a short homily, ending with intentions for Japan's dead, suffering, displaced and homeless.

Many students, including Suji Lee, were moved by the events of the day. Lee is originally from South Korea, and she admits that the Korean-Japanese relationship has been tense since the 1950s.

Despite this history, Lee donated $10 to Catholic Relief Services. “I wish that people in Japan can feel the love and caring of all other neighboring world, so they can have courage and hope,” Lee said.

The students and staff of Saint Joseph High School not only learned a valuable cultural lesson on March 29, but a moral one as well.

“By the end of the day, it was clear that the members of the Saint Joseph High School community stepped up to the plate and left a mark on the history of the St. Joe's,” Pavia observes. “Through the process of helping Japan, the community at St. Joe's identified with the disaster and went into action.”