2025 Prayer Breakfast

Thank you for those who were able to join us for the 2025 Prayer Breakfast! If you were unable to join us this year, we missed you! We had a wonderful morning celebrating the successes of our Catholic Schools. The LeBlond Liturgical Choir entertained us, and students from every campus volunteered.

Bishop Johnston shared many of the SJCA accomplishments. He reminded us that sometimes when we are in the middle of something, it is hard to see our growth! Here are some of the accomplishments he spoke about:

• Campus Consecration: Consecrated all five school campuses to Mary, deepening the spiritual foundation of the academy.

• Enrollment Stabilization: Maintained stable enrollment with 700 students, ranging from birth through 12th grade.

• MO Scholars Recruitment: Successfully recruited 175 Missouri Scholars, generating $1,115,625 in funding for Catholic schools in St. Joseph.

• Teacher Support: Provided free tuition for the children of teachers within SJCA, reinforcing faculty retention and support.

• Professional Development: Facilitated quarterly grade-level collaboration meetings and professional development for teachers.

• Curriculum Updates: Updated math and theology curricula for elementary schools, alongside offering dedicated professional development.

• Shared Experiences: Coordinated faith retreats, field trips, and special events across all three K-8 campuses.

• Special Education: Hired a Special Education Coordinator to begin in fall 2024, enhancing support for diverse learners.

While Lamar Hunt, Jr. was unable to join us in person, he shared a special message via video as well!

"As I ruminate on the words Lamar Hunt Junior decided to share with us this morning, it dawns upon me Lamar did not need to record that video. He did not need to agree in the first place to speak with us this morning. And when difficulties arose which prevented his in-person attendance, he did not need to offer an explanation, a very generous donation, or the words in the video you just heard. It is his belief-in and love-of Catholic schools which compelled him to make some sort of appearance to us this morning, to encourage, and challenge us to support Catholic education to the extent we are all able." -Kenney Newville, Prayer Breakfast Chair

St. Joseph Catholic Academy has had a successful year of growth, change, and accomplishments. The prevailing theme has been the passion and excitement of the Catholic school community. Our schools could not thrive and succeed without the support of our priests, teachers, staff, parents, alumni, parishioners, and donors. Our scholars are able to walk into a faith-filled, welcoming, and safe environment with committed, knowledgeable, and certified teachers. Extracurriculars have expanded and grown, contributing to a positive culture within our school buildings, and giving scholars an opportunity to work with each other outside of the classroom. Overall, we are seeing growth in so many areas, and the opportunity for success continues!

Thank you for all of your support of our Catholic Schools!

2025 SJCA March For Life

SJCA Middle School and High School Students marched with our local pastors and Bishop Johnston.

SJCA held a powerful March for Life on January 24th, bringing together middle and high school students in a unified stand for the sanctity of life. Libby Owens from the St. Joseph Pregnancy Resource Clinic delivered an inspiring presentation, highlighting the vital services PRC provides and emphasizing the importance of caring for all babies—both seen and unseen. Bishop Johnston joined the march, offering words of encouragement and underscoring the significance of participating in this national movement. Following the program, students marched in solidarity around Bishop LeBlond and along Frederick Avenue, making a visible statement of their commitment to life.

SJCA Campuses Consecrated

On May 13, the date that Mary appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, the St. Joseph Catholic Academy (SJCA) consecrated its five campuses to Mary. Miraculous medals were buried at each of the four corners of their grounds, including the three elementary schools, Bishop LeBlond High School and St. Gianna Early Childcare Center. As the medals were placed in the ground, those gathered recited the Hail Mary. 

“We’re asking Mary’s help to guide the Academy,” said Natalie Newville, SJCA President. “We want her to help us make the right decisions in all we do.” 

On the morning of the 13th, the consecration ceremonies at each campus began with St. Maximilian Kolbe’s Prayer of Consecration to Mary, and students, principals, teachers, priests, parents, grandparents and parishioners prayed the rosary together. 

“Consecrating ourselves and our campus to Mary means that we can ask Mary’s intercession first,” St. Francis Xavier Principal Darin Pollard told students. “We are praying that we will all draw closer to God through Mary’s intercession.”

The idea of consecrating the Catholic campuses came about after SJCA’s Prayer Breakfast in January. The keynote speaker, Dr. Stephen Minnis, president of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas and LeBlond and St. Francis Xavier alumnus, told the audience that they consecrated the Benedictine campus to Mary for the first time 15 years ago, and have re-consecrated every five years since. Dr. Minnis said he believes that one of the main keys for the college’s success in the ensuing years has been the consecration. 

St. Francis Xavier student Tenley Woolery, who helped bury the medals, said she liked that Mary will “watch over and protect us.”

Mrs. Newville noted that campus consecrations are not very common, so several events took place beforehand to ensure that the students would understand its importance. First, every SJCA student received a miraculous medal, all donated by a school family. The medal depicts Mary standing on a globe with her hands outstretched and the following prayer: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” 

The miraculous medal’s history relates to a Marian apparition in 1830, when Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labouré in Paris and requested that she create the medal. Both St. Kolbe and St. Teresa of Calcutta are considered the foremost advocates for the medal, as St. Teresa distributed thousands and thousands of the medals throughout her life. Fr. Stephen Hansen, pastor of Cathedral of St.Joseph, said he became aware of the practice of burying medals through St. Teresa’s actions. He said there is a story that she would enter a town and bury a miraculous medal where she wanted to build a convent.  

In addition to the miraculous medal distribution, a novena was also prayed by students, families and the Catholic community on the nine school days before May 13. “We all prayed the same prayer leading up to the very special moment,” Mrs. Newville said. 

She added that the campus consecrations were the start of what will be a greater Marian focus in the coming school year, including saying the rosary more, students learning more Marian prayers and celebrating Marian feast days. 

Father Hansen believes the greater Marian focus on all campuses is important.  “All graces come from God, but God chose Jesus to come to us through Mary, and He invites us to come to Jesus through Mary.”