Seventh-grade students participate in program at Seton LaSalle
Photos: Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Seton LaSalle students who helped with the Charism Challenge included, from left, junior Mary Maleski and seniors Kasen Killen and Sienna Romano.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
One of the Charisms that students were grouped into was competing. Sporting the sign for that group are freshmen Skye Jones, left, and Gianni Demasi.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Working on Valentine’s Day cards for patients at local hospitals and nursing homes are Faith Deasy of Mother of Mercy Academy, left, and Kate Gilmore of Seton LaSalle.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Among the seventh graders who participated in the program Wednesday are, from left, Francesca Dambrogio, Fiona O’Neill and John Benzock, all of Ava Maria Academy Bethel Park.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Working on Valentines for patients at local hospitals and nursing homes are Mother of Mercy Academy students Kelsey Malloy, left, and Briauna Carney.
As part of Catholic Schools Week, nearly 200 seventh-graders visited Seton LaSalle Catholic High School for the Charism Challenge.
“They’re here to start to learn and discover the gifts they have been given by God,” explained Lisa Osterhaus, Seton LaSalle president. “Everybody has their strengths and how they are called to use those gifts to go out and serve others is a big part of this day.”
Participants in Wednesday’s event were from Ava Maria Academy Bethel Park; Ava Maria Academy Mt. Lebanon; St. Louise de Marillac Catholic School, Upper St. Clair; Mother of Mercy Academy, Pittsburgh; Guardian Angel Academy, Pittsburgh, and St. Therese Catholic School, Munhall.
The Rev. Mike Ackerman, one of the school’s chaplains and pastor of Resurrection Parish in Bethel Park, described a Charism as a “unique grace given by God.”
“We’ve all been given gifts and talents that are unique, but they’re not just meant for us; they’re meant for the church, for each other,” Ackerman said. “We have the opportunity to use what we’ve been given to build up the church to build up ourselves to truly be what we’ve been created to be.”
Students completed the Clifton Strength Explorers aptitude test to help pinpoint their specific strengths.
“From that test, they will understand what their top strengths are,” Osterhaus said. “Each of these strengths is associated with a saint who lived their life with the same strength. It’s a really nice way to tie the gifts from God to a saint and start to think how they can use those gifts moving forward as they grow up.”
The students then demonstrated those strengths through service projects that included packing 1,000 snack bags and 500 sandwiches for the Red Door Ministry in Pittsburgh and creating Valentine’s Day cards for patients in local hospitals and nursing homes.
“It’s fun seeing all of the schools come together,” said Fiona O’Neill, a Bethel Park resident and student at Ava Maria Academy Bethel Park. “It makes me feel good knowing that other people are going to benefit from what I did and it’s going to make people’s days better.”
“I’ve always liked doing service projects because it makes me feel good that I’m going to make someone else feel better,” said Francesca Dambrogio, a Bethel Park resident who attends Ava Maria Academy Bethel Park.
Seton LaSalle students were on hand to provide assistance.
“I think it’s very good that we’re teaching them about the saints who have those talents,” said junior Mary Maleski of Brentwood. “They can integrate those services and see how saints practically applied them. It’s a tangible connection with faith.”
“This gives the seventh-graders an opportunity to see who they are as a person,” added senior Kasen Killen of Peters Township. “It’s a good way to surround themselves with new people rather than just the people in your class. This is a good learning opportunity to really discover your gifts and talents that you can spread them to the world.”