God’s timing, Jesus’ cross, and Holy Spirit’s guidance emphasized at annual school convocation
Bishop Michael Olson delivers a homily during a Mass for hundreds of teachers from Catholic schools across the Diocese of Fort Worth during the back-to-school teacher convocation/in-service on August 9, 2024 at St. Mark Parish in Argyle. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)
ARGYLE – One of the roads leading to St. Mark Parish in Argyle is labeled Education Drive. It couldn’t have been more fitting on the morning of Aug. 9.
St. Mark hosted more than 600 educators and others affiliated with the 17 Catholic schools within the Diocese of Fort Worth.
The group gathered together for the annual teacher convocation, which opened with Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael Olson. He later made remarks to the assembly, telling teachers the pace at which students develop is God’s timing.
“Expectation and surprises really are sort of the marrow of education, especially Catholic education,” Bishop Olson said. “So much of timing involved in education is really on the part of God, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and manifesting Himself through students and also just through circumstances.
“The key thing sometimes for us as educators to do is to be patient and to be willing to be surprised by not setting expectations that are ours on a different timetable upon our students or even upon ourselves than what are rightfully God’s to make in His providence.”
Ashley Dickinson, the librarian at Holy Trinity in Grapevine, said the words of Bishop Olson struck a real chord. She started her sixth year with the school on Aug. 14, the start date for most of the Catholic schools in the Diocese.
“Everything is in God’s timing,” she said. “Our expectations aren’t necessarily what God intended for that day. Our students, they’re learning, they’re participating. You have to trust that every day the Holy Spirit will work through us to show and to nurture the gifts and the talents of our students and scholars.”
The morning began with Mass, on what was the Feast Day of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. During his homily, Bishop Olson recounted the faith journey of the Jewish woman turned Carmelite nun and her “heroic martyrdom” at Auschwitz on Aug. 9, 1942. He told those in attendance that “the Cross provides the compass by which we navigate the contemporary wilderness.”
“The doors that we open for our students and their parents,” Bishop Olson said, “are not an endless series of doors where everything is permitted, but rather they are the doors of truth, beauty, and goodness, all leaning and pointing toward the Cross.
“In our schools we cannot compromise on the Cross. Let the last words of this homily be the words of Saint Teresa Benedicta: ‘Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love. And do not accept anything as love which lacks truth. One without the other becomes a destructive lie.’ May this be the hallmark of our apostolate of Catholic education.”
Frank Perez, the new associate superintendent of schools, said it was significant to be at Mass with his fellow educators.
“Attending Mass together sets the spiritual tone for our school year and reminds us that Christ and the Eucharist are the source and summit of everything we do,” he said. “Being able to join Bishop Olson, our chief teacher and shepherd, in the celebration also unites us as both educators and, more importantly, as faithful servants of the Diocese of Fort Worth. We come together as a community to begin our work and to sanctify our mission of forming and evangelizing students and families in our schools.”
Mary Fran Jarzynka, a 12-year veteran teacher with Holy Trinity, reflected on the importance of the convocation.
“I love that the bishop is here to lead us, our shepherd, and support us in this vocation,” she said. “At the Mass, he called it an apostolate, so his support from a diocesan level is really huge. It’s encouraging, it’s inspirational.”
Jarzynka also enjoyed the camaraderie with fellow attendees and felt the event had affirming qualities.
“To see all the others who have chosen this as a way to serve the Lord, to serve our communities, to serve our families — that we’ve all chosen this — I think we find strength from one another, encouragement. We’re all invited to begin the year in prayer, which is so important,” she said.
Following lunch in the parish hall, Fr. Brett Metzler gave a speech inspired by the Book of Matthew. He discussed four areas in the Gospel where there are lessons on children from Christ.
“The first thing Jesus tells us about children,” he said, “is to be like them, that if we don’t be like them, we cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven. This is a command for our salvation.”
Metzler said in addition to being childlike, the lessons included being humble, not to scandalize children and not to despise them, but love them.
“Every child that comes into our classroom we have to accept as if they were Christ,” Fr. Metzler said. “Receive them and treat them as Jesus Christ.”
Metzler noted the Gospel includes the parable of the lost sheep.
“The context for the parable of the lost sheep is for those particularly taking care of children and forming children and guiding children,” he said.
“When it becomes really difficult, really the only thing we can do is just to gaze at God. That’s it,” Fr. Metzler added. “I don’t know any other answers. I do know that I’ve experienced this explicitly in Adoration. You go in, all the problems in the world. You stare and then you leave a little bit happier, a little bit more at peace.
“So let us try to become like children and get to know this Father who loves us more than we could ever comprehend.”
Dr. Melissa Kasmeier-Millard, the superintendent of schools for the diocese, also addressed those attending the convocation.
“Everything that we do has to be centered on what Christ is calling us to do,” she said. “And we may not know what that is. Maybe we do need to sit in Adoration. Maybe we don’t have the answer during that meeting or to that child that asked us a question, so we ask Christ, ‘What are they seeking from us? What are we called to help them learn?’
“Whatever this mission is, we’re not the author of it. Christ is. So being able to know what He’s asking of us, how He’s asking us to do that, and being able to do that for others, is really what I hope above everything that we’re able to do, emulate, this year with our students. Be bold, courageous leaders for Christ, that’s what we need to do,” she said.
Bishop Olson closed his remarks by expressing an appreciation for all those working within the Catholic school system in the Diocese of Fort Worth.
“Thank you for your dedication and for your commitment to seeing your role, each of them respected and different, and your very person in service not only to Christ, but also Christ present in the little children, each along different stages of development,” he said. “That is a dedicated vocation.
“I know that God blesses you for your vocation and I pray that He continues to do so. And I think it’s important, especially for me as your Bishop, to just say, ‘Thank you.’”