A letter from Valley Catholic School President Dr. Judd A. Case
Dear Valley Catholic School Community,
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux understood the importance of what she called being “directed aright from the first,” and described it as the work of clever gardeners. She wrote that God:
allows a clever gardener to cultivate rare and delicate plants, giving him the skill to accomplish it, while reserving to Himself the right of making them grow, so does He wish to be helped in the cultivation of souls. What would happen if an ignorant gardener did not graft his trees in the right way? If he did not understand the nature of each, and wished, for instance, to make roses grow on peach trees?[1]
Thérèse’s image is a powerful one for Catholic education. Good formation does not happen by accident. It requires wisdom, attentiveness, skill, and an understanding of what is being cultivated. The earlier that work begins, the more deeply it can shape habits of faith, learning, character, and service.
In this image, Valley Catholic School is a community of clever gardeners dedicated to directing aright from the first. Sometimes we respectfully host Archbishop Sample. Other times we step up for the Jog-A-Thon, participate in parent mini-classes, shepherd preschoolers to visit Maryville residents, and organize and plan a wonderful Homecoming Carnival. In doing so, in the language of Valley Catholic Schools’ Mission, we foster, “a faith-filled community of lifelong learners and compassionate leaders committed to living out the Catholic values and following Jesus’ example through prayer, service and love.”
That is the work before us: to cultivate well, to form wisely, and to give our students from the first the direction, nourishment, and care that will help them grow strong in faith, knowledge, character, and love.
Dr. Judd Case
