Author Archives: Miller

Showcase at Sacred Heart in Lancaster Invites Community to Discover Catholic Schools

Late January in Catholic schools across the country brings a plethora of open houses, community service activities, schoolwide assemblies, special breakfasts with grandparents and the ever-popular dress-down day.

It also brings freezing rain, sleet and snow, and the cancellation of activities.

This year, the National Catholic Educational Association introduced a second week for Catholic schools to shine a light on their faith-based, educational and leadership values. Named “Discover Catholic Schools Week,” the national initiative invited schools to connect with families, donors and community members at a time when families are looking for the right school for their children.

A Perfect Gift

Soon after the birth of my son Charlie*, who has Down syndrome, a visitor asked whether he was “mild, moderate, or severe”—referring to his level of cognitive impairment. I knew the terminology, but the question shocked me. In my arms I held my beautiful baby boy, who defied easy categorization. Clinical labels may describe some aspects of an individual’s “functioning,” but they don’t tell the whole story. Labels could not describe how Charlie’s smile lit up a room or how the sweetness of his soul had captured our hearts so completely.

Autism Ambassador Energizes York Catholic Students to Reach for Dreams

A presentation at York Catholic High School on autism awareness on Nov. 22 was more pep rally than assembly, as 21-year-old Ben Hartranft captivated and energized students with his story of exceeding expectations while living on the spectrum.

“Hello everybody! This is Ben Hartfrant,” he eagerly summoned students over the public-address system. “I’m going to present your assembly today! Who’s excited?”

Holy Trinity School Helps Those in Need at Our Daily Bread

A week before Thanksgiving, the entire student body from Holy Trinity School in York carried donated food items from their campus to nearby Our Daily Bread, to assist the soup kitchen in preparing Thanksgiving meals.

Forming a line outside of the school, students carried bags of donated items – including fruit, oatmeal, sugar, instant coffee and tea, condiments, plastic cutlery and napkins – as Father Mark Weiss, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Dallastown, blessed the bounty.

Listening with the Heart

Words. Words. Words. In today’s culture, words are little packets of information that fly from our fingers or our months with little or no thought.

I never truly thought much about words until I began writing for The Catholic Witness. Writing causes me to slow down and actually reflect on the words I use. You might describe me as a “wordsmith.” In order to see if I could use this word as another means to describe myself, I turned to Dictionary.com. It defines wordsmith as: “an expert in the use of words; a person, as a journalist or novelist, whose vocation is writing.” Hmmm … Vocation of writing! … No way is that me. I have been called by God to use words to proclaim Him! I am indeed an evangelist! Still, I love to reflect upon the use of words in our culture and our language.

York Catholic, Delone Catholic Take Top Two Spots at Cavalcade of Bands

When the third place winner in the Cavalcade of Bands Independence A Class Division was announced following performances by 12 high school marching bands at West Chester University on Nov. 7, Cecelia Mezza and Brian Yealy were already embracing.

The marching band directors from York Catholic and Delone Catholic high schools, respectively, knew their bands had just captured the top two spots in the coveted tournament.

Giving Thanks in Millersville Means All Are Welcome

It’s beautiful sign when word meets deed in a gracious manner. That has been a tradition on Thanksgiving Day at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Millersville for 35 years.

When you drive south on Millersville Road crossing over the meandrous Little Conestoga Creek, you ascend up a steep hill that takes you into the college town. And what greets you atop that summit is a visible sign that states: St. Philip’s Thanksgiving Dinner: All Are Welcome.

From Dismissive Shrugs to First Vows

Sitting at Mass during her freshman year at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School in Coal Township 20 years ago, Mary Mensch shrugged off the celebrant’s message about homegrown vocations.

When Father Charles Persing predicted, “There will be one priest and one sister from this student body,” Mensch allowed the possibility to pass right over her, confident that the priest’s estimation was made for another girl.

Headless Horseman Rides again at Bishop McDevitt

First published in 1820 by American author Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has ever since been a popular tale of haunted mystery and human intrigue. Set the along the Hudson River in Tarrytown, N.Y., “this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of Sleepy Hollow,” Irving wrote. “A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land and to pervade the very atmosphere.”

Add a haughty, superstitious school master named Ichabod Crane, a wealthy, pretentious Katrina Van Tassel and a fearsome soldier-ghost dubbed by locals as the Headless Horseman, and the makings of a great drama come alive.

Trinity Eagle Scout Helping to Keep Normandy Alive

“I do not want what these guys did to ever be forgotten,” Christopher Adam, a Trinity High School sophomore, said about his recently completed Eagle Scout project at the United States Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle.

Seventy-five years ago this past June 6, 160,000 Allied Troops stormed a 50-mile stretch of five beaches near Normandy, France, to liberate Europe from the grasp of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi forces. 16 million Americans fought in World War II, and less than 500,000 are still alive today – some 1,100 die every day, so the sands of time are slowly marking the passing of the Greatest Generation.