As the Holiday approaches there is so much to be grateful for. Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. The world is ever changing and it seems like nothing is still the same as we remember it, except for GOD. To close out this year with appreciation, gratitude and thanksgiving, let us remember the love and empathy we have been given throughout the year. In our last Mass of the year, Father Jacob Dumont talked about the blessing of Mary and the birth of Jesus. Jesus is the true gift to the world, our light and our salvation. As the angel appeared to Mary, Saint Ursula Academy received a message as well.
On Saturday, November 26, 1910, a messenger arrived at the Moorbrink House on the corner of East McMillan & Ingleside. This was the temporary home of Mother Fidelis, Mother Baptista and the 16 other Brown County Ursulines who accompanied them to begin their new ministry in Cincinnati. The telegram was a letter from Archbishop Henry Moeller, formally establishing the Ursulines of Cincinnati. Enclosed was a document from Rome authorizing this action. In less than a year, the Sisters would purchase the property at 1339 E McMillan Street for their convent and the building for Saint Ursula Academy's second year.
While Saint Ursula Academy has a long heritage on McMillan Street, it is a school that has evolved over the past 113 years. We are currently in the second year of a seven-year cycle of the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association. As part of that process, we examine our mission statement regarding our ties to the past but more importantly what we want to achieve now and in the future. A school committee began the process by evaluating the present mission statement and making appropriate changes. The Board’s Education Committee and Ursuline Identity Committee also contributed to the process before it was presented to the Board for its approval. Our mission statement is the following:
Saint Ursula Academy is a vibrant educational community founded on the strength of our Catholic faith and Ursuline values. Saint Ursula Academy promotes academic excellence and fosters a welcoming, respectful, and diverse community. Saint Ursula Academy graduates women filled with faith, integrity, and courage, ready to make a positive impact in the world.
As you gather with your families and open presents during Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa, no matter how this year has gone, and boy did it go fast, you are blessed beyond measure. We, at Saint Ursula Academy, count you among the many blessings at the school. You daughters bring us joy each day and give us hope for a better world and in great gratitude and thanksgiving we say Thank You!! Have a blessed and safe Holiday Season. We’ll see you next year!!