The world's largest children's Christmas project, Operation Christmas Child found life here at St. Joseph's Catholic High School during the month of November. No fewer than 140 shoe boxes, filled with items intended to bring holiday cheer to those children less fortunate than most, were turned in by students at St. Joe's in an effort undertaken under the leadership of students Bohden Timchuck, Caroline Pilon, and SJCHS chaplain Katie Milosek.For a school the size of St. Joe's, this represents a proportion of generosity of one box for approximately every three students, something noteworthy in terms of scale as it is in terms of the amount of effort necessary to assemble the contents for each box. But despite the demands of time and resources that everyday life places on people, our community has responded decisively, and has done so during a time of perceived economic uncertainty.
Things like these are done not because of reward, or to gain recognition. They are done by people who, faced with the reality that there are those less fortunate than we, respond with a beautiful simplicity, that being an understanding that it is, quite frankly, the right thing to do.
There was once a fellow named Jesus who operated under principles such as these. And through His works and words came the idea that "Whatsoever you do unto the least of these, you do also to me."
The students and staff at SJCHS have, in their own substantial way, reached out to the children of the world, and will substantially impact 140 of them with a most profound gift of love. And by doing so, they have firmly anchored the words of Jesus to our own lives by giving them life through action.
Good on you.
