This week while on recess duty I asked the students and some of the faculty three questions.

1st If you could ask Pope Francis one question, what would it be.    

2nd What do you think Pope Francis will tell President Obama and Congress?

3rd If Pope Francis came to Casa Grande what would you show him?

Here are the answers:

If you could ask Pope Francis one question – what would it be?

What was it like in your hometown? Why did you decide to be a priest? How do you juggle everything? What is your daily schedule? What does it feel like to be a Pope? What do you miss since becoming Pope? Will you pray for the shootings on I10 please? How do you become a Pope? Why do you want to be a Pope? How old are you? How long does it take in training to  become a Pope?

What football team do you like? What is it like to be  a Pope? I have no idea what it is like to be a Pope. Do you have any friends? How hard is it to bless all those people? How hard is your job? Do you like Science? Do you like to write? Why did you choose Francis? Does he like American football?  What book do you read? How old were you when you became a priest? If you had 24 hours to be out on the streets as an ordinary person (incognito) what would you do?  Did you have a girlfriend before you entered the seminary? Besides God, who else did you look up to as a kid?

Question 2: What do you think Pope Francis is going to say to President Obama and Congress?

To follow the Lord. Immigrants-fix how they bring them in. He needs to work on his faith life. Nice to meet you, what does it feel like to be a President? All Mexicans-free from Donald Trump! Fix all the bad things in Casa Grande and in the world. We are making history. You are doing something wrong.

Question 3: If Pope Francis came to Casa Grande, Arizona  what would you show him?

Native New Yorker Restaurant -Excellent Food ! Dollar General Store in Eloy. I would show him our school and a fun time by going to the movies, laser tag and bowling. The many trains of Casa Grande.  I would show Pope Francis: our school, my rosary, the church, my special pins (limited edition).

The children are anxious to see Pope Francis come to our country. We will be watching as much as we can by tuning into http://www.usccb.org/about/leadership/holy-see/francis/papal-visit-2015/index.cfm. Please join us for this history making visit.

And now how would you answer these three questions?

After serving four years in Sierra Vista at All Saints Catholic School my Franciscan footprints found me walking north and west in the desert sands   this summer to Casa Grande, AZ .With Labor Day ending the summer season I know I will remember this summer for a long time. Others often heard me say – ” I will not forget the summer of 2015! ”

I moved to Casa Grande on June 25th. I took on the principalship of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School with the permission of my religious community – The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

 

The city of Casa Grande was established in 1915. The name Casa Grande is Spanish for  “Big House” . It was named this for the famous Hohokam Indian Ruins 20 miles to the northeast in Coolidge.

The current population of Casa Grande is about 50,000. It is located halfway between Tucson and Phoenix and at the intersection of two intestate highways ( I-8 and I-10).

When Casa Grande was first established it was known for cotton and other cash crops along with dairy farms. These are still vibrant today but also many people live in Casa Grande and commute to Phoenix or Tucson for jobs.

When I arrived at St. Anthony School I found it in the midst of a major renovation project. The office area was completely gutted and being redone.

All nine classrooms had the plaster taken down to the brick wall. New electrical wiring was put in and then new plaster boards with a fresh coat of paint. Each room received a new bulletin board, white board and Smart Board. All of this was done by the week before inservice began for the faculty.

The office area ran into some snags so it took longer than expected. Myself and my secretary worked out of the library all summer.

All of our office files, furniture, equipment was stored in the cafeteria which is attached to the office area. A minor complication developed and everything being stored in the cafeteria had to be moved outside-so a new ceiling could be put into the cafeteria.

 

The average temperature in July in Casa Grande is about 114 with monsoons popping up towards the end of the day. So yes, some sand and rain blew around at times at our office files, equipment etc. We prayed daily to our patron-St. Anthony of Padua to hurry the workers to finish the renovation. We were very anxious to get into our new home. That day was Saturday, August 1st.

 

School has begun and I have begun the task of learning lots of new names.

As the summer of 2015 comes to a close so is our monsoon season. The monsoons can be very wicked with strong winds and rains  But they also have a beauty in the sky all their own

 

May St. Anthony of Padua, our patron saint of our school, watch over us this year and may he especially bring all of our students closer to the Child Jesus.