Sentinel Spirit - Autumn 2022

Read the entire Sentinel Spirit HERE

Pope Francis said, “The encounter with the living Jesus fills the heart with joy, because it fills it with true life and profound goodness.” It is incredible to walk through the halls at each of the Stella Maris Academy campuses and witness, feel, see, and hear, the joy resonating in our faculty, staff, students, and families that make up the Sentinel Community. The joy that I get to witness is a result of the good things happening at Stella Maris Academy where truth and goodness are at the core and Jesus at the center. 

Joyful momentum is witnessed in the fruition of the Stella Maris Academy High School- years of work, prayer, and dedication from so many are now coming to life.  Welcoming the first ever group of ninth grade students to a building that will be the forever home to our Sentinels for generations to come. 

Joyful momentum is felt when you enter an SMA campus with the teachers and staff giving wholly of themselves to support their students.  Catholic education is a ministry of the Church and the faculty and staff that commit themselves to that ministry are humble in their work but bold in their aspirations- always seeking to form their students in such a way that our world will indeed be transformed. 

Joyful momentum is seen in the engaging activities our students are immersed in throughout their days.  Whether this is service in our community our extracurricular activities, our Sentinels are going out and applying their formation to the real world.  It is here that the assessment of our work is tested- and our students are making a difference, doing good deeds, and excelling in these activities. 

Joyful momentum is heard when out in the community and I hear folks, some directly connected to SMA and some not, recognizing the need in our society and culture for an education that returns to the truths, beauty, and goodness of our faith traditions.  It is heard when I wear my SMA gear and people recognize Stella Maris shield with such enthusiasm all of the good things happening at SMA. 

Pope Francis makes clear that joy does not come without Jesus’s presence.  Jesus is alive at SMA and there is joyful momentum happening in every direction. Thank you for being a part of that momentum and our story! 

Joyfully Yours, 

Andrew Hilliker, 

Stella Maris Academy, President