Seton Hall University announced that students seeking admission for the fall 2021 semester will not be required to submit standardized test scores as part of the application process. The University will become a “test-optional” institution so that SAT and ACT scores will not be mandatory for students applying at this time.

Catholic school students from St. Pius X were so excited to go back to school on Sept. 8 that according to school principal, Beth Hinojosa, “they didn't even want to take the time to tell their parents goodbye.” St. Pius X staff and teachers welcomed students back to school in style on the school’s basketball court.

The sculptor sees the finished product in his mind’s eye, even before it’s formed. The answer lies in his polished strokes, the perfect shaping, forming the essence of its beauty for the final reveal. The outcome is extraordinary. God, the creative artist of life, creates strong and resilient children in our Catholic schools—where he is always present.

Teachers from St. Pius X Catholic School meet parents at a drive-thru stationed on the school’s basketball court Aug. 3. Taking measures to ensure the safety of all students and staff from the spread of COVID-19, teachers handed out text books and supplies for the first three weeks of virtual learning. 

The ground beneath each of us trembles and crumbles under the immense weight of uncertainty and fear as well as universal suffering. The pandemic explodes with a toll of epic proportions. Even amidst the shaking ground, these ongoing health and safety struggles must be met with openness to new possibilities and ways of thinking. We must stand firm and all rise together to meet the COVID-19 challenges with mind, body and spirit. Our loving Lord never abandons. He blesses us with courage, perseverance, fortitude and vision.

Although their end of the school year experience proved a bit disappointing, like missing their proms and parties, seniors celebrated their graduations in coronavirus style by attending a Baccalaureate Mass at Corpus Christi Cathedral on Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23. Sixty-three seniors from Incarnate Word Academy and 66 seniors from St. John Paul II completed their high school journey at the altar of Corpus Christi Cathedral. The students were allowed to have two guests, and their ceremonies were livestreamed thanks to Catholic Communications Network.

Like a bullet, the COVID-19 pandemic shatters our world and brings us to a startling halt where fear and uncertainty know no boundaries. This health crisis has transformed how our children/youth are educated and formed throughout the world — near and far. The walls of the traditional safe and nurturing classroom, where teaching and learning commence, are replaced with a sprinting race for innovative solutions and new ways to educate those entrusted to our care.

May 4-8, our nation celebrates Teachers Appreciation Week. Catholic schoolteachers throughout the diocese have shown a remarkable aptitude and resiliency for continuing education through distance learning during the most unprecedented crisis of our time, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the beginning of March, Catholic school teachers in the Diocese of Corpus Christi continue to amaze. From mastering such platforms as Google Classroom and Zoom to providing workbook assignments and take-home projects, students continue to learn and teachers are available for questions through Google Voice. On Facebook, teachers and parents of students post loving messages, indicating just how much they are missed.

During the Angel Outreach Day of Service, Incarnate Word Academy’s first grade students prepared and sent care packages to U.S. troops in the Middle East. The soldiers received the care packages on April 15. First Lieutenant Lyn Srinual expressed gratitude in a video on behalf of the soldiers, who deeply appreciated the letters, snacks, and other gifts the Angels put together for them.

From making personal home visits to using social media, and posting photos of finished S.T.R.E.A.M. projects, to shout-out videos and photomontages, teachers and staff throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi miss their students and are showing they care.

Incarnate Word Academy is working to find safe and creative ways to celebrate the Class of 2020 during this time of social distancing. To recognize the graduating Angels, each senior was given a custom yard sign to display at their home and share their success with our local community. The entire IWA Community is proud of each member of the Class of 2020 for reaching this important milestone.

Angel Outreach began during the 2018-2019 school year at Incarnate Word Academy’s Middle Level as an entire week dedicated to serving local nonprofits and learning how each of them makes the community better. This year, Angel Outreach took on a new form: every student, from age three to high school seniors, participated in a service-related activity during the day.

In response to the current situation surrounding COVID-19, Incarnate Word Academy has extended its school closure through April 3, and will launch the IWA Distance Learning Plan (DLP) for students at all levels starting on Monday, March 23, at 10 a.m.

Sacred Heart School staff, students, and families won a trophy for their entry in the Fulton Oysterfest parade on March 7. The theme of the School’s entry, which included a color guard made up of 5th graders carrying the flags, their float and their school bus was "Love one another" from John 12:15.

After months of preparation and six rounds of competition, the Incarnate Word Academy Middle Level announced the winners of the third annual Amazing Angel Shake Competition on Feb. 26 during an assembly in the James R. Dougherty, Jr. Center.

St. John Paul II High School student, Maximilian Kimmel, received a conference call from Congressman Michael Cloud on Feb. 18, announcing his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Only eight to nine percent of applicants to the U.S. Naval Academy are selected,

My name is Thérèse Castillo. I’m seventeen-years-old, and I am a part of the pro-life generation. I was born on Jan. 31, 2003 – just thirty years after the tragic ruling of Roe v. Wade. At the time, I had no idea about its impact on the country or the lives of those around me, but I’d soon come to learn just that.

The 5th Annual St. Elizabeth School 5K Glow Run is Friday, March 6 at the Alice Municipal Golf Course. The annual run holds a standing record as the largest 5K in Alice – over 800 people registered last year.