Summer 2019 Offerings

Summer 2019 Offerings

As we receive news of Summer offerings 2019, we’ll update accordingly:

  • Encounter: A Bible study for entering 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will be on 11 June, 25 June, 9 July, and 16 July 4-6p in Croghan Hall. Cost for the study will be $15. Please contact Maria Barontini with any questions by 31 May 2019.
  • Totus Tuus (Vacation Bible School) will be 21-26 July for entering 1st-6th graders and evening program for 7th-12th graders. Cost is $30 per child (family maximum $75. Additional discount for volunteers!) Registration forms are due no later than 17 June. We only have 40 spots left in our elementary program (youth evening program has unlimited spots).  Contact Maria Barontini with questions or for registration forms.
  • Dribble for Destiny will be 8-11 July from 9a-12n for ages 6-13. The cost is $99 and includes a free tshirt OR ball. Expect to learn about 2 ball dribbling, passing, shooting, ball handling, and more with daily contests and devotions. There will be a video, snack and full court play round each day. And, an awards ceremony on 11 July at 11a.  Learn from the best! Sherri Odlevak has coached basketball for over 30 yrs. at all levels. Contact Lisa Cobb at dribble4destiny.org or 864.275.3181.

Announcement of New Principal

Dear Friends in Christ,

As you know, our Principal Search Committee has been engaged in an almost year long process with a national search to find a new principal for Prince of Peace Catholic School.  I will be forever grateful to Marianne Tully, who took the reins of our award-winning school in the summer of 2017 during a difficult period of transition.  As Interim Principal, she has done an incredible job of reconnecting our parish with its school, and helping it refocus on its spiritual as well as academic mission.  She is to be commended for her patience, tenacity and professionalism in guiding our school to where it is today.  Leadership is important, and the brave souls who formed part of the Principal Search Committee have spent innumerable hours in finding the right person to move us to the next level as Prince of Peace Catholic School.

The Committee has presented to me a unanimous recommendation, which I have accepted.  Mr Steve Cunningham, who is presently the Principal of St Ann’s, an independent Catholic school in Laguna Niguel, California, has accepted the challenge and joy of being the next Principal of the chief apostolate of our parish for handing on the Catholic faith in a rigorous academic environment, the school.

This link (Principal Search Committee’s Report and Recommendation of Steve Cunningham) explains the process the Principal Search Committee went through to reach their recommendation, as well as Mr Cunningham’s CV and some reference letters you will not want to miss.  He and his wife, Jese, are excited about their move in the summer.  We are planning a series of meetings for late February for you all to meet him and get a chance to see why we are very confident in his leadership in communion with the clergy and staff of Prince of Peace Parish.  Please pray for him and his family, and we look forward to welcoming Mr Cunningham as part of our spiritual home.

I want to thank the members of the Principal Search Committee for their untiring work on this important decision:

  • Deacon Bob Smith
  • Deacon Gus Suarez
  • Phil Head
  • Beverly Farley
  • Kelly Herd
  • Emily Brown
  • Tiffany Antici
  • Steph Lasitter
  • Floyd Anderson
  • Robin Marlar

Yours in Christ,

Fr Christopher Smith, PhD/STD

Pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church & School

Catholic Schools Week 2019

Catholic Schools Week 2019

We’re celebrating BIG this week as part of National Catholic Schools Week! Did you know there are over 6,000 Catholic schools in the country? One of the lesser known things about Catholic schools is that they boast a 99% high-school graduation rate—with 86% going to a four-year college, nearly twice the 44% rate of public schools. Learn, serve, lead and succeed in our K3 – 8th grade award-winning programs!  Call Mrs. Marianne Tully, Interim School Principal, at 864.331.2145 or email marianne.tully@popcatholicschool.org to learn more!

Below is our schedule of events! And, from noon on Tuesday, 29 January thru noon on Wednesday, we’re joining as a recipient the national Day of Giving. Prayerfully consider making a gift to our parish school to help ensure that all families who choose a Catholic school education can continue to receive value, faith-filled and quality academic formation for their children. Your gift will be put toward the area of greatest need in our school community and gifts of any size are greatly appreciated. On social media, we’ll announce power hours with special matching opportunities! Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/princeofpeacetaylors). Thank you for your support of Catholic school education. The following link will be live only during the 24-hours of the giving campaign:

https://popcatholicschool.giving.factsmgt.com/public/appeal/fund/11801

New! Smoke, Vape and Tobacco Free Campus

New! Smoke, Vape and Tobacco Free Campus

For the health and well-being of our school children and all who spend time on our campus, our entire parish campus (church & school), effective immediately, are smoke, vape & tobacco free.

  • smoke-free: most commonly refers to cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, etc.
  • vape-free: most commonly refers to smoking devices such as e-cigarettes & electronic nicotine delivery systems
  • tobacco-free: includes all the above, plus spit tobacco, dip, chew and other smokeless products

Making Christmas special with your family!

Making Christmas special with your family!

Our parish school’s Catholic Identity Subcommittee is wishing all Prince of Peace families a very Merry Christmas and New Year. We hope that your family is able to enjoy this special time of year together and most importantly to experience our Lord in a deeper and more meaningful way.

In order to help our families do this, we would like to suggest a few ways to incorporate the liturgical calendar and its many wonderful opportunities to enrich the faithful lives of our families! Here are just a few ideas from your Catholic Identity Subcommittee but many more wonderful ideas can easily be found on-line!

  • First thing Christmas morning, before opening Santa’s gifts, process throughout the
    house singing “O Come all Ye Faithful” as we place all the baby Jesus in the nativity
    set. End the procession with a family member (possibly the youngest person who can
    read) reading us a short account of the birth of Jesus from the Gospels.
  • Throughout the Christmas season (until Epiphany on January 6), we light a white candle
    in the middle of the Advent wreath and sing “O Come all ye Faithful” before saying
    Grace at dinner each night.
  • Moving the “Three Wise Men” from a nativity set each night from Christmas until the
    Epiphany so the kids have to find the three wise men on their journey to find Jesus.
  • Do a 12 days of Christmastime celebration starting Dec 26th to Jan 6th Epiphany (or all
    the way to Candlemas/Feast of the Presentation on Feb 2nd!) by keeping all decorations
    and celebrations up and/or with small gifts and surprises for each member of the family
    each day (examples would be a special homemade treat, a small gift like a book or
    socks, a family activity). This is a special way to continue the joy and celebration of
    Christmas through the liturgical Christmastime.
  • On Dec 26th Feast of St Stephen go out as a family to help the less fortunate (donations,
    soup kitchen, etc)
  • On Dec 27th Feast of the Holy Family plan an epic family day. Start by going to Mass,
    then draw ideas from all family members from a hat to decide each activity throughout
    the day.
  • On Dec 28th Feast of the Holy Innocents when we remember the innocent infants King
    Herod killed for fear of the baby Jesus the family can do one or all of the following: 1)
    bless the children at home by invoking the Trinity as a sign of the cross is traced on each
    of their heads; 2) pray for aborted babies and an end to abortion; 3) eat soft or red
    foods (pudding, oatmeal, jello, red velvet cake, etc); 4) let your children rule the house
    for a day by picking a family outing and dinner menu.