Belen Jesuit Preparatory School celebrated Ignatian Week during the week of Mar. 13-17. The week culminated on Mar. 17 with an opportunity for students to participate in different works of service throughout the school day.
Six-hundred middle school students worked throughout the day on the following service projects:
Sixth Grade: Sandwich making for the homeless in the Cosculluela Hall. Students made more than 1,200 sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwiches which will be distributed to the Missionaries of Charity and Camillus House.
Seventh Grade: Hundreds of care packages for the homeless were assembled and will be distributed to the Missionaries of Charity.
Eighth Grade: Over 800 book bags were assembled for Caring for Miami.
Some 650 high school students (grades 9-11) were shown a documentary titled Project SHIELD (Siblings Help Inform Everyone about Living with Disabilities) that was made by 11th grade student Andres Dones at 9:50 a.m. Andres has a brother with special needs and has seen firsthand the difficulties his brother encounters. As a true Man for Others, Andres’ hope is that this documentary not only sheds light on the daily struggles of families with a special need child, but calls us all to treat them with tremendous compassion and love. The film was shown to the middle school in January.
“Ignatian Week is an opportunity for students to study about the life of Saint Ignatius, the history of the Jesuit Order, Jesuit saints, Ignatian ideals such as “Finding God in all Things” and the impact of the Jesuits in our world today,” said Kathleen Mackle, Theology Department chair.
