Catholic Schools Week is always a time for reflection at Bishop Hendricken High School. There’s none better to use as a lens for reflection than St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the patron saint of Catholic schools, and an educational pioneer who sowed the seeds of Catholic education in our country.

From her St. Joseph’s Academy and Free School to our Bishop Hendricken High School, the existence and mission of Catholic education resides in the giving of one’s time to serve others. As Mother Seton wrote: “Take every day as a ring which you must engrave, adorn, and embellish with your actions, to be offered up in the evening at the altar of God.”

Actions are proved, time and again, to speak infinitely louder than words. While each day brings new challenges, it’s the use of our time and energy that defines how we live out Christ’s message. At Bishop Hendricken, we enact impactful programming that instills in our young men the servant leadership inspired by Mother Seton.

From our annual Hunger Walk around the streets of Warwick each spring to our Hendricken Cares initiative focused on mental health and overall wellness, Hendricken sits at the helm of giving back to our school and local communities.

We Man Up Against Breast Cancer. We cohost a Community Thanksgiving Dinner with Iggy’s Boardwalk Restaurant. We host sports and arts camps each summer for the local community. We hold holiday food and toy drives. We serve on mission trips in Peru and Texas. We empower those within our school to know no limits to what they can do for others.

The list of how Bishop Hendricken gives back goes on and on. It’s engraved, adorned, and embellished not only into the halls of our school, but the heart of every student, alumnus, faculty, and staff member. When we say over and over again -- “Live, Jesus, in our hearts. Forever!” -- we mean it. What we do together as a school community keeps us connected to our God, our faith, and one another.

Fr. Robert L. Marciano, KHS ’75 is President of Bishop Hendricken High School and Mark DeCiccio ’03 is Principal of Bishop Hendricken High School.