Saint Rose School Charisms

Each year, five of our 8th grade students are awarded for living out our school's Charisms in their daily lives. Catholic Faith, Compassionate Community, Moral Virtue, Academic Excellence, and Servant Leadership are qualities Saint Rose School strives to instill in our students. We are blessed to see these characteristics in so many and honored to award five graduating students each year.

Catholic Faith-St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) was a rich young man who renounced his worldly possessions and embraced the poor. He heard the voice of Jesus say to him, “Francis, rebuild my Church.” He saw the presence of God in all creation. He introduced the custom of the Christmas crèche to help people see the closeness of God who became incarnate in Jesus, the Son of God. His devotion to the faith and to the Eucharist marks him as one of the greatest and most beloved saints. Sain Rose seeks to live, share, and celebrate the Catholic faith. As a Catholic school, Saint Rose is concerned with, and seeks to nourish, the whole human person—mind, body, spirit, and soul. The Catholic faith also acknowledges that each person is made in the image and likeness of God, and therefore the conscience of each person is to be respected. The student selected for this award should represent the Catholic nature of the school as well as the qualities of St. Francis of Assisi. 

Recipients

Compassionate Community-St. Damien of Molokai 

St. Damien of Molokai (1840-1889) was born in Belgium and eventually came to Hawaii as a missionary. There he became revered for his commitment to the Catholic faith and for his ministry in the leper community of Molokai, building churches, hospitals, and schools. St. Damien was the first Catholic priest to establish residency among the lepers when he answered Christ’s call to provide for those afflicted with the disease. He fostered and shepherded a compassionate Catholic Community as he cared for all of the inhabitants. He himself contracted leprosy and truly became one with the people he served and loved. Saint Rose School desires to provide encouragement and challenge to all who engage with our school to become a Compassionate Community—a community in which we are able to love honestly, support, and pray for each other. This includes creating a safe place of caring, sharing, support, and fellowship. This Compassionate Community is an essential building block in helping each of us to be the person God intends us to be as we learn about life and share our faith and love with each other. The student selected for his award represents the sense of a Catholic Compassionate Community at Saint Rose School and reflects the care and love expressed by St. Damien of Molokai. 

Recipients

Moral Virtue- St. Maria Goretti 

St. Maria Goretti (1890-1902) was a courageous young woman in Italy who defended her moral virtue by refusing the advances of a young man. Despite being mortally wounded by the man, she forgave him before her death. While in prison, her murderer experienced a vision of St. Maria. He repented of his sin and was converted to the faith, even attending her canonization ceremony. A moral virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. Moral virtue is the main source for a good and happy life, whether for the community, a family, or each individual. The virtues are acquired by education, by deliberate acts, and by perseverance and discipline. As the source of all good, God helps us grow in virtue through the power of his Holy Spirit. At Saint Rose we seek to promote, model, and coach growth in virtue—imitating Jesus himself--helping each person to grow in character and to set out on the path to a happy life. The student selected for this award is recognized for his or her moral character, which is evident to his or her classmates and teachers. 

The 8th grade students nominate one of their classmates for this award. 

Recipients

Academic Excellence-St. Thomas Aquinas 

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was a Dominican friar and priest. He was blessed with great intellect and great sanctity, and became one of the greatest theologians and philosophers the Church has ever known. St. Thomas shows us that faith and reason go together. Faith builds upon and completes reason. The light of faith and the light of reason both come from God and lead us back to God, who is Truth. In all aspects of academics at Saint Rose School, we strive for excellence in an effort to enhance and enrich the lives of our children, as well as the many others who come into contact with our school. We aspire to make excellence a habit that shapes and guides all our decisions, studies, and programming. The students selected for this award are the top academic students from his or her class and demonstrate the scholarly attributes of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Recipients

Servant Leadership-St. Teresa of Calcutta 

St. Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) was known for her service to the poorest of the poor, the sick, and the forgotten, beginning in Calcutta, India. Her tireless and relentless faith and dedication to her mission attracted many others to join her. The religious community she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, are now found in many nations around the world. St. Teresa led through acts of compassion, faith and caring, and she became a symbol of compassion to the world, and a living witness to the thirsting love of God. Jesus came to serve and not to be served. By the mystery of his cross, he shows us that it is in giving that we receive, and in dying to self that we find life. True glory, in the eyes of God, is found in making a gift of ourselves and serving others. Jesus is the true Servant Leader, and we seek to imitate him. At Saint Rose, we seek to teach and model servant leadership—thinking of others first, listening and respecting them, overcoming our selfishness, and giving of ourselves to help others grow and live as the children of God deserve. The student nominated in this category freely gives of himself or herself to others. He or she puts the needs of his and her classmates and community first. He or she leads not through position, but through dedication to those in need. 

Recipients