Faith-based, child-based, family based, Sacred Heart of Jesus School, Lewistown, Pa. stands determined to prepare its students not only for this world but for the next. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is to permeate all classroom curricula and activities because we acknowledge that by His Death and Resurrection, the gates of Heaven, that next world, stretch open for all who follow His Way of faith, hope, and love.
The school’s name refers to the reported appearances of Jesus Christ to St. Margaret Mary, a young French nun, in which He showed forth His Heart, ringed with a crown of thorns and bleeding, but enveloped in flames. He explained to her that the thorns referred to the continued spiritual indifference and sinfulness of humankind, cutting into His Heart, but the fire was the fire of love, still aflame for the repentance and conversion of all (cf. John 3:16).
He told St. Margaret Mary to have a painting made of His appearances to her and to have that icon disseminated throughout the world, as a reminder of His Heart’s fiery love for everyone. This has been done for 400 years and a rendition of the appearances graces one of our parish church’s stained glass windows near the altar.
At the school, we uphold faith in the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit (The Blessed Trinity), along with salvation in the shed blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, on the cross, as well as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the soul of believers. These convictions are manifested in our once-a-week celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the parish church for the entire student body, along with daily morning prayers in the school cafeteria before beginning the day, in daily religious classroom instruction at every grade level, and the annual Christmas Nativity musical, staged by the students under faculty direction.
While we uphold our Catholic identity, students of all faiths and beliefs are welcome here and the consciences and faith convictions of all are respected. God’s presence in the soul of every child, of whatever faith, along with the example of our faculty and staff, contributes to a school atmosphere of faith, hope and love, leading all, we hope, to the glorious world to come. As our Lord and Savior said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy, my burden light” (Matt. 11:28-30).
