The Seeds of Our Future
The Seeds of our future : reflections with Father Ben
By Veronica Hunder
The role of the School Chaplain proves to be an invaluable resource that contributes to a Catholic school’s identity and the spiritual health of its students. The last year has brought many blessings to Stella Maris Academy, including the integration of a school Chaplain. This kind of spiritual leadership has proven to be essential in day-to-day life at our Catholic school and has been greatly served by Father Ben Hadrich. Although we have many associated priests, Father Ben serves as our full-time chaplain, serving all four of our campuses and making room for all of our students to experience the sacraments. “It’s such an honor to be here,” Father Ben said. “Being the Stella Maris Academy Chaplain is a new title that I am honored to take on, and it is so good to be here. Bringing Jesus to these kids is really important.” With this year being only the beginning, there is much work to be done, for in today’s society it can be difficult to navigate what the world needs. Father Ben summed up what makes our Catholic School stand out, saying, “We have Jesus. It’s that simple. He’s number one at this school, and this is so important in today’s culture, to have an option for families to send their children to. We challenge our students to do their best, and we are led by God.” This pillar of education continues to grow at the Lord’s command, one step at a time. After this successful year, Father Ben has great expectations for next year, as we see our humble beginnings start to blossom. “One thing that I think was important was the signing of the wall at the beginning of the year,” he said. “There was a blessing from Bishop Felton, and all of the kids were able to sign their names. That is the first signage of us as a Catholic school on this property for the first time in 45-plus years. It really is the seeds that grow into the future years of our school.” By making their mark, our Freshmen can lay a solid foundation for our years to come with Father Ben as our Priestly guide in the Stella Maris Academy Community.