This past week we had the privilege of receiving a group of student and teacher volunteers from the Edmund Rice School Network. In total, there were 19 students (juniors and seniors) and four teachers. This is a consortium of Catholic schools that educate in the spirit and tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Each school community strives to embody the values of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the essential elements of an Edmund Rice Christian Brothers Education. Edmund Rice founded two religious institutes of men religious of the Catholic Church: the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers.

The high schools represented were Iona Preparatory, in New Rochelle, New York; Catholic Memorial High School, in Boston, Massachusetts; Brother Rice High School in Detroit, Michigan and Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island. The students traveled to the nearby southern border with Mexico to learn about immigration issues directly affecting our area and to serve our brothers and sisters entering the United States. “We are so blessed to spend a few days at La Posada Providencia; this is our fifth year visiting and we are so inspired by the amazing people we meet and the extraordinary work of the Sisters,” stated Ms. Andrews, one of the visiting teachers. “Thank you for opening your home to us; we are very grateful for the experience and look forward to sharing your mission back home in our communities.”

At La Posada, we are blessed and grateful to have such amazing people visit and offer their support. This group of students helped by offering to mow the lawn, trim our shrubs and clean the flower gardens. The love and support this group gave is noteworthy. It is reflective of the writings of the Apostle Paul as he sent his words to those he had visited. “To the church in Rome he wrote: To all Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is reported all over the world.” (Romans 1:7, NIV).