Go Forth! It's all about the exit...

Last night I witnessed the graduation of my students from my previous school whom I taught in 6th and 7th grade for religion and advisory. They are a great group of young people, and at Mass last night, I was so proud of them...and I also realized how much I had missed them and their families (and my coworkers).

Last night was made even more special, as I was invited to be the class's commencement speaker - the students vote to bring back a teacher (who no longer works at the school) each year, and I apparently made the top of their list. I was honored and humbled, and, while I taught in front of them every day for two years, I struggled at first with what to say to them (and their parents) for their graduation.

Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit and for a good friend at Clement who originally shared with me the homily of the exit sign just over a year ago in a small group for Lent. That story impacted me very much, and the idea of taking our faith out into the world has truly resonated with me, and it seemed like the perfect fit for a graduation.

As I gave the speech, I tried to look out into the eyes of my students as well as to the parents. Afterwards one student even asked if I memorized my speech (as apparently it didn't even look like I was using notes - I guess I surprised even myself!). Many parents and students came up to hug me and affirm both the speech and my time with their children - their kind words meant a lot. A grandparent of a student told me, "You have a rich life." Indeed I do.

I have included the text of my speech below (though, I did add a few impromptu things in last night that aren't reflected here) - I believe everyone would benefit from reflecting on the importance of the exit sign for our faith and for our lives -->


When Mrs. Hill called to invite me to be your commencement speaker, one of the first things I did was text my family. They know how much you all and ICSJ have meant and still mean to me, so I knew they would want to know I would be celebrating this special evening with you. Now, I’m sure I have shared stories about my dad before, but what I might not have told you is that my dad is quite the public speaker himself, so I told him I might be coming to him for some good ideas to share with you tonight, to which he replied, “Kel (because he doesn't call me Miss Foyle), I’ll give you as much perspiration as possible. LOL.” It should be noted that my dad has yet to use an emoji in a text message; otherwise, I imagine it would have been the winky face one. Or the crying laughing one. Perspiration...thanks for your help, Dad. I guess that was a gentle hint from him that he had faith I could handle this one on my own.

In all seriousness, in the past few weeks I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about all of you, of your teachers, and of all of the wonderful things that make ICSJ such a special place...the things that made our classroom a special place… And the truth is, I’ve missed you. I’ve missed your smiles and hugs every day, how you used to tackle each other to be altar servers. I’ve missed the crumpled up balls of aluminum with notes that say “Miss Foil...get it?” (In my next life, I’m changing my name.) I’ve missed the creative projects you made, my favorite one of all-time probably being Michael’s infomercial, where he gave one of the best similes about Lent I had ever heard - “Lent cleans up your life like Oxiclean cleans up your clothes.” Your questions in religion class were deep, and your enthusiasm and energy never wavered. I will never forget the Christmas carol where you set my name to the tune of Jingle Bells nor how several of you remembered my birthday this year and emailed me. You are an incredible group of young men and women, and, more importantly, you are incredibly kind. All of us gathered here tonight love you very much.

Now, by inviting back your previous religion teacher, you knew you wouldn’t get away without us spending at least a little time talking about our faith, right? I mean, as much as I love college basketball, I’m not going to go with the sports-life metaphors tonight, sorry. I actually want to share a piece of wisdom with you that I first heard in a homily at a school Mass one time. The priest had finished reading the Gospel, and he came down in front of the students, and he asked them this question: “What is the most important thing in this church?” The students thought about it for a little bit, and then slowly but surely they started to raise their hands. He called on one girl. “The Eucharist,” she said. (That would have been a Miss Foyle-approved answer.) The priest nodded but kept asking. Another student said “the people.” He continued to ask a few more students whose answers varied, but he didn’t get the answer he thought was the correct one. So, finally, when they had pretty much exhausted every possible answer, he looked at them, and he pointed...to the exit sign.

You might be sitting there thinking, “Miss Foyle, you’re crazy! You told us the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.” Why yes, I did teach you that...I’m so glad you remembered. But let’s think about it - the exit sign. We come to Mass to be nourished in mind by the Word of God, in spirit by community with others, and in body by the bread that we receive. We come to Mass to worship God and to grow in holiness. But it’s not enough that we do these things within the church walls. At the end of Mass, the priest literally sends us forth from the church to take what we’ve learned and celebrated in this building and be that for others in the world. Our faith is meant to be a lived one...once we have exited the building.

The exit sign, therefore, reminds us that our lives are not about us. WE are the Body of Christ; we are bread for the world. Everything we learned together in religion class and at Mass means nothing unless that’s how you choose to live your daily life - unless you act with kindness and compassion toward others, you serve those in need, you respect your parents, you continue to inform your conscience, you spend time in prayer, you see Jesus in others, and you are Jesus for others.

And tonight, on your graduation, the exit sign holds true for your education as well, as you have now walked through the doors of ICSJ for the last time as students. In your caps and gowns, with your diplomas in hand, we will be sending you forth from ICSJ on to Loyola, Ignatius, DePaul College Prep, Whitney Young, Walter Payton, and other great schools all around our city with confidence that you will excel. As graduates of ICSJ, don’t forget the lessons you learned here - how to think critically, how to thoughtfully and thoroughly support your argument in an essay or debate, how to build the Colosseum out of popsicle sticks (who knows, you might have to help your own kids one day with that one), how to listen, how to be a good friend, how to stay organized… The challenge will be to use these skills and lessons to help you continue to be your best self as lifelong learners and to help your peers along the way too. As your teachers, as your parents, this is one of the most important things we can wish for you - that when you exit ICSJ as graduates you remember who you are, and who you will one day be, as scholars, as leaders, and as children of God. So, as you go through high school, college, and beyond, stop and ask yourself from time to time if you’re using what you’ve learned and the gifts God has given you for others and in order to make this world a better place.

You see, that exit sign is important. It is important tonight, and it is important as you continue your journey into new communities in a broader world. I believe that the priest was right. I challenge you to let that exit sign be a reminder of who you are in here (point to heart) and as motivation for who God is calling you to be out there. Congratulations Class of 2019. I love you. And in the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola, “Go forth and set the world on fire.”

My Big, Fat...Catholic Confirmation

I've always found it wonderful at Confirmation at ICSJ that the entire row goes up with each Confirmandi and sponsor for the presentation to, and anointing by, the Bishop. It's such a beautiful witness of faith and community. The Bishop speaks to each student, and his words are full of such wisdom and hope (trust me from years of listening in by sitting in the front row) that it is good for the whole group to hear what is said.

This year we celebrated the Confirmation of students I taught in 6th and 7th grade. Every group of students is special, but this particular group holds a significant space in my heart. I taught many of these students' siblings and have known the families for quite some time. I tended to go to their sporting events more than the other classes (except my own volleyball girls, of course), and they were always so creative and inquisitive.

Now, this event had been on my calendar for a long time, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. But I would be lying if I didn't say when I actually won the Hamilton lottery for that evening that I didn't have second thoughts about ditching the Mass and going to the show instead.

When it came down to it, though, I declined the tickets. It may sound crazy (and I won't judge you for thinking so), but if I wasn't at Confirmation I would have spent the whole night thinking about the students and Mass anyways. And what fun would that have been at Hamilton? (Plus, in all fairness, I've seen it twice...I've just never won the lottery before!) I believe I made the right decision - the Mass was such a blessing.

If I had to take a guess, the average amount of family/guests for each student was between 5 and 10, with some students surrounded by nearly 20 people. (It almost seemed like some unspoken contest to see who had the most people...kidding.) I knew it was going to be a challenge to find a seat - I didn't want to get stuck all the way in the back - but, as fate would have it, one my the students asked me to sit in her row. I fit easily, as it was just her and her mom - her sponsor (and other extended family) live out of town and it was not possible for them to travel. I was honored to sit with them, and I also was invited to walk up to the Bishop with them, where her 8th grade religion teacher met us and served as the stand-in for her sponsor. The Bishop talked about her smile as a sign of joy, one of the fruits of the Spirit. His words touched me, and I hope they touched her as well, as she was one of those students who never seemed quite content with accepting some Church teachings. And something else brought me nearly to tears - during the Alleluia, she did the sign language that I had taught them last year. I can't believe she remembered it! (Just goes to show how much movement sticks with you, I suppose.)

I envy ICSJ for ending Catholic Schools Week with Confirmation Mass - it's so appropriate, so perfect. It's a true celebration of the Catholic faith in our young people. (Come Holy Spirit!) I'm so proud and so incredibly happy for them. I pray that they continue to excel and to pursue deeper understanding of their faith in high school, which is an exciting possibility considering many will be going to Catholic high school. :) Love and prayers for those kiddos - keep it up!

While it was amazing to witness the Sacrament, see students, and catch up with the families at ICSJ, I was just the tiniest bit sad. I realized how much I miss those kids, my coworkers, my pastor, and the school families. But I also realized that I had moved on for a reason and that I am starting to find that same sense of community and support at my current school now too.

Speaking of my current school...Catholic Schools Week, overall, was a success - it just was slightly disrupted due to the midweek subzero temperatures. The kids enjoyed the dress down days and activities, to be sure. But here are my two quick highlights:

1. I received two notes, one from a friend who works for ACE and one from a previous student, which truly put me over the moon. As a teacher, it is rare to see the fruits of your labor, so the kind words relayed by my friend and written by my student were such a gift. I love hearing how my students are doing, and I love learning about their successes.

2. For teacher appreciation day, the student council made mugs and brought donuts to the whole staff. As one of the students gave me mine, she smiled and said, "I made yours." I love it!

I have been blessed with more than I ever deserve to be - God is good. I pray that I can pay it forward in large and small ways, day in and day out, even when I get frustrated or upset. 

Our lives are truly a gift. We, myself included, need to live in such a way that shows we believe that.

We're back...

When you're sitting in class for grad school and thinking about all of the amazing ACE grads (and supporters of Catholic education) in Chicago, you can't help but realize you need to do something.

At least, that's what I thought.

And now we are officially kicking off our ACE Advocates Chicago group (after a hiatus). We've only met as a leadership team so far, but with the energy and ideas, I have faith we'll accomplish a lot this year in terms of building (intentional) community and helping out the local ACErs.

There's something to be said for energy and faith behind a group or cause - what I've experienced so far just from our first meeting is tangible...and it's infectious. (I think we can attribute some of this to the Holy Spirit.) We're a great group, if I do say so myself, ranging in representation from ACE 15 to ACE 20, and we also have Remick 14 & 15s. Woo hoo!

Some people think we're crazy, adding another "thing to do" onto an ever-growing "to do" list, but this is truly something different. Yes, it's going to take time and effort, but I believe our efforts will bear much fruit. I honestly cannot wait to see where this year leads.

But Really, It's the Holy Spirit...

God works in mysterious ways. And, after reflecting about the Holy Spirit for pretty much the entirety of today, I came to realize that oftentimes, when we don't have a name for a coincidence or meaningful circumstance/connection/etc., we should probably attribute such to the third person of the Trinity.

One thing that particularly resonated with me today is that we have the power to command the Holy Spirit, and, as the priest this morning said, He can't decide to just not show up. "Come Holy Spirit." There's so much power in the phrase if we remember to call upon Him.

And now that I've taken time to think about it, the Holy Spirit pops up a lot more than one might originally think. Even this past week with my 8th graders - we've been watching the Biblical epic, "The Robe" (starring Richard Burton), and, having now seen it three times in its entirety, I realize that while it tells the fictional tale of the Roman tribune who put Jesus to death, it more importantly (and perhaps more poignantly) tells the story of how the Holy Spirit worked through the early Christians to stand strong in their faith and spread the Good News to others. As a touching line of one of the final scenes says (or, at least it's along these lines), "What would have happened if they (early Christians) would have denied knowing Jesus?" The beautiful, courageous truth is that they didn't. And because of this, the Truth lived on. Jesus, indeed, rose from the dead, and His followers risked their very lives to carry on His work and teachings to this very day. If that's not the Holy Spirit at work, I don't know what is!

I am so grateful for this day of reflection and retreat. Now, it's a matter of remembering to call on the Holy Spirit to be at work in my life and the lives of those around me. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, so that we would not be afraid. He definitely left His followers in good hands...

my "notes" page from adoration/praise & worship