Living in God's Presence

Before this trip, I held the belief that Pittsburgh Central Catholic was the only "true" Lasallian school in the country, in that I thought our prayers and mission was exclusive to us. However, it did not take long to realize that this was not the case.

As I sat in the cafeteria on Monday, a few seventh graders introduced themselves. They were just ordinary schoolchildren. Then I heard a loud noise and turned to see an eighth grade girl banging a drum bigger than herself. The room went quiet, and the day was kicked off with the prayers - many of the same prayers we recite at Central. After praying, everyone said the Pledge of Allegiance and slightly turned when the Pledge was finished, now facing the light blue Blackfeet flag. One child pressed play on a CD player and there was a cacophany of sounds that were foreign to me: the Blackfeet chant. At this point, I realized that these are not ordinary schoolchildren. They possessed a heritage that was alive, even today.

Every class begins with the traditional Lasallian prayers as well as a prayer in the Blackfeet language. The students have a heritage that one simply will not see in any classroom at Central. They have personalities that reflect their Indian background, including Indian names for AJ, Paul, and me. However, the most evident example of their culture being summoned forth was in Social Studies on Tuesday when a tribal council member arrived to teach the class Blackfeet culture, including etiquette, history, and some language. It was in this class that the seventh graders all payed the most attention, evidence that each one takes great pride in his/her culture.

In short, Central Catholic is not exclusive in our matters of faith whatsoever. The prayers and practices of the Lasallian tradition are present throughout the country, and that goes beyond simply words. The values are taught and lived just as they are at Cenral, which will allow these young children to live their lives with open minds and hearts. Because of their Lasallian education, they will be able to exemplify their faith as well as their heritage to every person that they may encounter throughout their lives.

K. Hackett '13