Category Archives: Featured

Why St. Pius V School?

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Are you happy with your child’s school? With a long history of educating generations of families, St. Pius V School provides academic excellence with faith, values, and a commitment to peacemaking.

We are located in the heart of the Pilsen community – close to UIC, the Medical District, and downtown Chicago – though our students come from neighborhoods throughout Chicago and even the suburbs!

St. Pius V School serves students from Early Education (full-day pre-K) through 8th grade and offers a wide array of before and after school programs.

Our students thrive in a nurturing environment while being challenged daily by our rigorous academic programming. They learn values that complement their family’s faith formation and help them become peacemakers in their community. A diverse learning atmosphere and faith-focused teaching ensure St. Pius V students have the ability to learn without distractions.

And our graduates go on to the best high schools in the Chicago area!

Come visit us!

Call (312) 226-1590 to schedule a tour and see for yourself the great things that are happening at St. Pius V School!

For more information please see our school’s Facebook page.

The NFL and Domestic Violence

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Most people have seen and been shocked by the video of NFL star player, Ray Rice, punching and dragging his fiancé out of an elevator. Others have remarked that they are not surprised; this is what domestic violence looks like. What did you expect?

While Ray Rice has been suspended, other players who have abused their wives or children are not receiving proper disciplinary action for their abuse. One example is Adrian Peterson who was restored to active playing despite having beaten his son. Public outrage is building. Commercial sponsors are withdrawing their support or threatening to do so. These are healthy signs that we as a people do not tolerate abuse in the home.

Although we can find a report in the news every week about domestic violence, it remains a rather unseen and underestimated crime. It happens behind closed doors and in secret and victims are extremely reticent to come forward.

But the facts belie this blindness. The FBI estimates that every 10 to 15 seconds a woman is battered or sexually assaulted in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control reports that one out of every four women is either hit or sexually assaulted by her partner during her life time.

That’s incredible: one out of four.

We might think that domestic violence happens elsewhere but not in our community. But all studies confirm that the incidence of domestic violence is practically the same in all communities; it makes no difference if you are Black or Hispanic, Caucasian or Asian, rich or poor, whether you live in the suburbs or city. Domestic violence exists at practically the same rate in every community
But how do we Catholics respond to this heinous crime and grave sin? Our U.S. bishops have written a beautiful pastoral letter, titled, When I Call for Help. Sadly, it is a well-kept secret.

In the first paragraph they write: “We must state as strongly and clearly as we can that violence against women, inside or outside the home, is never justified.” And then in the final paragraph they state: “We must emphasize that no one is expected to stay in an abusive marriage.”

Unfortunately, most priests have not been prepared to deal with domestic violence. They see it as too controversial or difficult to preach about. They may even think it is inappropriate to talk about in church or that it rarely happens because victims have not approached them. In reality, if they don’t speak about it, victims will be reluctant to come to them. Some priests even tell victims they must return to their abusers and work it out. They tell victims they must accept their cross.

In fact, few dioceses have any services for victims of domestic violence. In St. Pius V and the Archdiocese of Chicago, we are fortunate to have services for victims and their children and even for perpetrators. St. Pius V also offers courses in parenting to help parents raise their children in a healthy environment.

Domestic violence has risen to a new level of awareness and outrage, thanks to abuse by some NFL players. May our Catholic Church authorities also recognize their failure to adequately respond to victims and perpetrators and begin to provide the necessary services to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus to those who suffer so terribly in their own homes.

St. Pius V School needs you on September 25

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Parents should be given the ability to choose the education best suited to their child’s needs and desires. As their child’s primary educators, parents know what is best for them and what type of school – public, charter, private, sectarian – best meets their needs.

We hope you will join us on Thursday, September 25, 2014, to rally in support of school choice. There are two ways you can stand with us:

  • Come to St. Pius V School play lot to join our children for our local mini-rally.
  • Slip out of the office for an hour and join others at The State of Illinois Building (The Thompson Center) at Randolph and Clark.

Both events begin at 10:30 am.

To learn more about the many avenues Illinois could pursue to empower parents and improve education visit the Office of Catholic School’s website.

Who are they?

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Jesus said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Mark 10:14

It is a nearly 3,000-mile journey from Southern Honduras to the southernmost tip of Texas, a region called the Rio Grande Valley, where most unaccompanied migrant children from Central America enter the United States. Over 50,000 children have already arrived in 2014. Most children begin their journey by bus, often accompanied by a coyote, or human trafficker, which costs a few thousand dollars. They stop at safe houses along the way that are usually crowded. An unaccompanied child is one who lacks immigration status, is under 18, and who is present without a parent or legal guardian. The average age is dropping: children under age 10 are now making the dangerous journey predominantly from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras and Mexico.

Why are they coming?

Honduras and El Salvador, where there are more gang members than police officers and extreme violence, cannot adequately protect children, who are left extremely vulnerable (93% of crimes perpetrated against youth go unpunished). Many children leave for the possibility of family reunification and/or in search of educational and economic opportunities. Mexico has no foster care system for asylum-seeking children and a lack of children’s shelters. The children are often left in detention centers with adults or they seek deportation to try again.

Facts

48% of children are affected by violence from drug cartels, gangs or the state.

21% of children survived abuse and violence in the home.

38% of children from Mexico are exploited in the criminal human trafficking industry.

Up to 72% of children may have more than compelling reasons to receive asylum.

What are they risking to come here?

The journey north to the border finds children in danger of drug traffickers, human traffickers, corrupt law enforcement, and gang activity. Girls are routinely raped on the journey and gang violence along the route is common. The children who are able to cross into the United States are being held in detention centers at the border and at other federal facilities, such as military bases. Immigration policy does not require the state to supply an attorney, often leaving children dealing with trauma to represent themselves in deportation hearings.

Take Action

Pray for the children and their families.

Contribute financially to the archdiocesan through the Office for Immigrant Affairs. They will forward your donation to Catholic Charities in San Antonio. Please make checks payable to Office for Immigrant Affairs, 3525 South Lake Park Ave., Chicago IL 60653. Write on the envelope and check: “for unaccompanied children.”

To learn more, call Lisa Polega (English) 312-534-8104 or Yazmin Saldivar (Spanish) 312-534-8105.

For additional resources on unaccompanied children, visit catholicsandimmigrants.org

Sources: No Country for Lost Kids, PBS Newshour June 20, 2014; Office of Refugee Resettlement, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., VERA Institute of Justice, Bishop Mark Seitz testimony, USCCB.

News from St. Pius V School

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Scholarships Now Available

The Archdiocese of Chicago is providing six million dollars worth of scholarships to help Chicago students gain access to great Catholic schools like St. Pius V!  Through the Caritas Scholarship program funded by the “To Teach Who Christ Is” campaign, St. Pius V can now offer a limited number of reduced tuition scholarships for students who transfer from public schools. Qualifying students may receive a scholarship that will pay for up to 50% of their tuition for three years. Only a few of these scholarships are still available, so please contact the school today to request more information. You may call the school office at (312) 226-1590 or visit www.saintpiusv.org to fill out an interest form. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!

Congratulations St. Pius V Class of 2014!

The Class of 2014

The Class of 2014

We offer our prayers for a bright future to the St. Pius V School graduating class of 2014. These students have worked hard and accomplished great things already. Soon they will begin their journeys through high school, college and beyond.

“The path we choose for the next eight years — high school and college —- may not be easy,” said graduating 8th grade student Madalyn Torres, “but we should not give up. For what we put into our education will help us to make our career.”

The graduates will attend some of the city’s top high schools, including St. Ignatius College Prep, Whitney Young, De La Salle, Holy Trinity, UIC College Prep, and Our Lady of Tepeyac, among others. Congratulations, Class of 2014! We are proud of you.

Goodbye and God bless, Ms. Lucarelli!

Ms. Liz Lucarelli

Ms. Liz Lucarelli

Ms. Elizabeth Lucarelli has completed 20 years as our kindergarten teacher , having spent her 42-year teaching career in Catholic schools. “Liz Lucarelli has a passion for helping young students fall in love with school,” said principal Nancy Nasko. “In kindergarten, she readies the children for the rest of their school career. It is a critical age and she is the best at capturing young minds and getting them excited about learning, we are grateful for her service.”

School Enrollment Open for 2014-15!

Your child or a child you know can benefit from St. Pius V School’s long, rich tradition of educational excellence and service to our community. Many of our students are children of alumni, attesting to the enduring value of a St. Pius V education.

Call us today to enroll your child, and encourage families you know to consider St. Pius V as a great option for their children. Remind them that our graduates go on to attend the top high schools in the city. Please visit www.saintpiusv.org to complete an interest form or call (312) 226-1590 to request a tour.

Noche Mexicana: What a Fiesta!

Thank you to all of the sponsors, donors, friends, and volunteers who helped make our 8th annual Noche Mexicana a huge success! We had a fantastic time raising funds for student scholarships and celebrating Ms. Abby Torres and Mrs. Nancy Nasko, both of whom recently won prestigious awards. Your generosity means more students can study at St. Pius V and benefit from a safe, excellent education. Thanks for funding the dreams of the next generation of parish leaders!

Missed the opportunity? Call 312.226-1590 to learn how you can make a world of difference by supporting the St. Pius V School scholarship fund.