Updates for April 15

Blessings to each of you during this Easter Octave – eight days to celebrate the one amazing truth that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and has forever conquered death! Every Easter try putting yourself in the position of Jesus’ Apostles and disciples – they found an empty tomb and spoke and ate with someone who died! He rose from the dead. Do we let that sink in? Do we ponder what that means for us? One priest, during his Easter homily, said, “I am not here to convince you of the resurrection. I am here to proclaim it!” Jesus rose from the dead. He rose from the dead so that we, too, might rise and live with Him forever. Yes, proper celebration of this truth requires more than just eating some great chocolate on Easter Sunday!! Let us celebrate with our own proclamation of the resurrection in all that we think, say, and do!

You may say, though, how do we celebrate given our current circumstances? How can we possibly find joy in the midst of this national crisis, in our fifth week of remote learning, and several weeks into a stay-at-home order? The logical suggestion is that we look to our patron, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Recall that he was in high school during World War I. While he was in college, Mussolini and the Fascist Party took over the government of his beloved Italy. In his personal life, Pier Giorgio’s parents were always on the verge of a separation, and his parents did not understand his piety or his struggles with academics. He did not have an ideal life, as we sometimes suppose of holy people. What makes him a saint is how he responded to the circumstances around him. It’s the same for us. How are we responding to the circumstances in which we find ourselves right now? Appropriate emotional responses may include anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness, etc. While it makes perfect sense to feel these emotions, it would be deadly to nurture them. Nurtured, they turn into bitterness, resentment, and, potentially, unforgiveness. Instead, let us use our gifts of nature and grace to respond generously, even heroically. It is a terrible misfortune, especially for our seniors, to have fourth quarter play out as it is, but we can respond, as Pier Giorgio did, and do whatever we can to make the most of the situation. Let us encourage one another, especially as this stay-at-home situation drags on, to choose to love, to serve, to see what good is or can be on the horizon as a result of our current circumstances.

Here are today's updates:

• Dr. Cody Medina is working with Balfour to locate and facilitate the delivery of any orders made by Frassati Catholic seniors and their families. Balfour notified Dr. Medina our orders were lost within their system. They are currently tracking down those orders, which include all student items (caps and gowns, extra items ordered, and announcements). Dr. Medina instructed Balfour to deliver all orders directly to him so they will be received and held safely. Once the items are received, we will make a decision as to their distribution. Thank you for your patience.
• Our Director of Information Technology Mr. Ryan Janise wanted to provide a reminder to follow best security practices with regard to email. There have been an increased number of phishing attacks detected across the internet, a number of them disguising themselves as COVID-19 updates or companies striving to reach out with COVID-19 solutions. This is especially important for students using their frassaticatholic.org email addresses. Please remember, it is always the best policy to avoid clicking links within an email unless you are 100% sure of its authenticity. Most phishing emails no longer present long, easily identifiable unique links, they simply use an embeded link. Instead of clicking the embed link in your email, try searching for the website using your favorite search engine. This is a far safer way to determine if a website or offer is safe and legitimate. As always, for those with frassaticatholic.org emails, be sure you're keeping the antivirus updated on any device you use, and utilize strong AND varied passwords to avoid viruses and hacking attempts on your accounts. If you have questions, feel your current password is weak, suspect your account has been compromised, or need a password reset, please contact Mr. Janise.
• Today is a National Signing Day for student-athletes intending to continue their careers at the collegiate level. We are celebrating Ariana Dale, Lauren Lacson, and Edwin Rice as they sign their letters of intent. Ariana will be playing soccer for Ave Maria University, Lauren will continue her swimming career at Birmingham-Southern College, and Edwin will play football for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. All three athletes had distinguished careers at Frassati Catholic, and they join Kathryn O’Brien, Jerel Resurreccion, and Aislynn Shore as members of the class of 2020 who will play at the collegiate level. Read the full story here.