To mark the 65th anniversary of Santa Barbara Catholic School (Sept. 5, 1950), and the World Day of Prayer for the Environment declared by Pope Francis, the SBCS family gathered for a special prayer service in the school’s gym, and held a tree planting ceremony in the school’s courtyard. Special guests for the occasion were Sister Bernadette Marie Leon Guerrero, one of the pioneer sisters who started Santa Barbara School and Sister Cecilia Camacho, Guam Administrator of the Sisters of Mercy.
Santa Barbara Catholic School Celebrates its 65th Anniversary, plants Gausali
By Ms. Robyn Julianne Castro
Santa Barbara Catholic School commemorated its 65th Foundation Anniversary last Friday, September 4, 2015, with a school-wide prayer service followed by a tree-planting ceremony. Fr. Fulgence Petrie, OFM Cap. and the Sisters of Mercy officially founded the school on September 5, 1950. Sister Mary Redempta Thomas, RSM, served as the school’s first principal.
The SBCS Petrie Gym was named in honor of the school’s founder, and was where the Sisters, students, teachers, and staff gathered to begin the celebration with a prayer service, led by 8th grade representatives. Sister Bernadette Marie Leon Guerrero, former school principal and one of the seven pioneer sisters, and Sister Maria Cecilia Camacho, Guam Mercy Administrator, were in attendance. They were seated alongside Sister Jeanette Marie Pangelinan, the school’s present principal, and Sister Maria Rosario Gaite, vice principal, and were welcomed with warm greetings from all.
Ms. Bernadette Alcantara, Director of Faith Formation, opened the service with a reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes, “There is an appointed time for everything,” she read, “A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant…A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Ms. Alcantara reminisced on the school’s past, the difficulties encountered by the founders including the school opening after the war, lack of funds, and typhoons which destroyed buildings, “but never our spirits.”
She continued with Ecclesiastes, “nothing is better than to rejoice by doing the best we can during life…so that God may forever by praised and reverenced,” ending on a note of praise to God, “today, at your appointed time, we feel Your love!”
“Let us together prayerfully, gratefully, and joyfully look back at these wonderful years and say, Geronimo!” Ms. Alcantara closed with this reference to the popular song of the same name by Sheppard, which played in time with the accompanying PowerPoint presentation showing past photos of former teachers, Fr. Fulgence Petrie OFM, Cap., and the Sisters with their classes. The students gamely sang along. An opportune film viewing of a cinematic “trailer” interpretation of the Holy Father’s encyclical, Laudato Si’ entitled, “Pope Francis: The Encyclical,” followed, after Pope Francis’ recent declaration of World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1.
The film, while eliciting much laughter from the audience with its portrayal of Pope Francis as a boxer preparing for battle against the climate crisis and Jesus Christ as his coach, maintains the urgent tone of the encyclical. “To change everything, we need everyone!” Pope Francis exclaimed in the trailer. Everyone prayed “A prayer for our earth,” found at the conclusion of the encyclical, before proceeding to the SBCS courtyard for the tree-planting ceremony of the Gausali.
The Gausali is a shrub endemic to the Marianas Islands and commonly known as Torch wood, as the plant’s wood can be made into torches. Its stems are usable as candles due to their flammable elements. It is also known for its attractive white flower.
Sister Bernadette Marie Leon Guerrero was invited to say a few words before the planting, and began by asking those present to make a guess of her age. Revealing herself to be 83 years old, she fondly remarked, “Even at 83 or 88, I would find a way to come back here to Santa Barbara” before proceeding to place the small plant into the ground.
As the Gausali can survive on different conditions of soil and cliffs by the ocean, Santa Barbara Catholic School has thrived on faith in the face of difficulties. Its pioneers took risks and jumped great heights when they opened the school, as seen in its humble beginnings. The school continues to soar to new heights.
Sister Maria Rosario Gaite concluded the ceremony with a loud cheer, joined by the students, “Biba, Sisters of Mercy! Biba, Santa Barbara Catholic School!”