Our Mission
Founded in 1939 as an
institution for the evangelization and education in the Catholic
faith of the children of the Parish and the greater Rocky Mount
Community.
Academic excellence is a
high priority, and we strive to enable each student to reach his
or her potential, guiding them to develop their unique gifts and
talents. Our school creates an atmosphere of positive
self-esteem, mutual respect for every individual, and a sense of
responsibility for our neighbor. We are proud of the rich
diversity of races, nationalities, cultures and creeds represented
by our student body.
Our administration and
faculty are fully aware of the primary position of parents in the
education process. We offer our assistance and support to
parents in order to enable them to be the first and best teachers
of their children. We also share in the responsibility of
the pastor and pastoral staff of the parish in teaching not only
the Catholic religion, but, all religions. Faith in God is
just not a subject here but a way of life.
School History
Established by the Diocese
of Raleigh, North Carolina in 1939. Our school is the oldest
parochial school in the Rocky Mount area. The current school
building was opened in 1957. The Sisters, Servants of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, originally staffed the school.
Today, lay faculty teach students of elementary grades and
Pre-Kindergarten. The school has maintained its tradition of
serving both parish children and those of other faiths. The
focus remains to further the spiritual development of children and
to ensure academic excellence.
Accreditation
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
School is accredited by the Southern Association Of Colleges and
Schools (S.A.C.S.). By abiding by the standards of this agency,
Our Lady of Perpetual Help maintains a program of excellence for
its students. Results of established testing instruments
consistently show that Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School
students exceed national averages. Teachers possess exemplary
professional and personal standards.
Admissions
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color,
religion, or national origin. Students are admitted to O.L.P.H.
on an annual basis. Continuance at O.L.P.H. for each successive
year will be based on attitude, behavior, and the academic
achievement of the student, and is entirely the decision of the
school administration.
Admission
requirements:
Based on satisfactory
academic progress and acceptable behavior, the following
priorities will be followed in accepting new students:
-
Siblings of enrolled
parish children (A parishioner is a person who attends Mass and
contributes to the support of the parish.)
-
Siblings of other enrolled
children
-
Parish children with no
siblings currently in the school
-
All other children
School Philosophy
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School is founded
upon a belief in the goodness of God and His will to save all. We
believe in God's plan of salvation through the establishment of
community of people who love one another. The goal of our school
is to plant the seed for such community through the development of
the whole child spiritually, intellectually, socially and
physically.
Special focus is placed on our responsibility
to create an atmosphere in which students can feel good about
themselves, understand their talents and responsibilities, and
want to contribute to improving life by developing these
resources.
Because we hold to the above,
we:
-
Offer personal experience in Christian living
through religious instruction, prayer, guidance, example and
liturgical celebrations.
-
Foster a Christian experience in which each
child is accepted as an individual and an important member of
the faith community.
-
Develop basic skills, especially in the arts
of communication and critical thinking.
-
Guide the student toward that spirit of
freedom which recognizes self-discipline and personal
responsibility.
-
Promote physical fitness and encourage
habits, which build and maintain good health
-
Emphasize a sense of responsibility for our
nation.
-
Provide opportunities for the strengthening
of family life through parental involvement in school functions
and activities.
History and Significance of the
Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
For many centuries
throughout the world, this picture has been revered as an icon of
hope and inspiration.
The original picture
of Our Mother of Perpetual Help is a product of Byzantine art. It
is known to be at least 500 years old in its present form.
Painted in tempura on hard nutwood and only 17" X 21", the picture
may date back another 1000 years to the ancient Madonnas of
Constantinople. Some church legends even date the picture to the
first century and the hand and brush of St. Luke the Evangelist.
It is only in the
past 125 years that devotion to our Mother of Perpetual Help has
increased dramatically. In 1866, Pope Pius IX entrusted the
miraculous icon to the Redemptorists and told them to "Make her
Known Throughout the World." Countless miracles, healings and
conversions are attributed to Mary's intercession to Her Son by
those who pray to her as Our Mother of Perpetual Help. In fact,
it is somewhat miraculous how the Redemptorists received the
picture in the first place.
Historical records
indicate that around the year 1490, the picture was located in St.
Matthew the Apostle Church in Rome. For 300 years, the picture
hung over the main altar. In 1798, the picture was taken into
hiding by the monks who fled the city of Rome to avoid being
captured by Napoleon's invading armies. The picture resurfaced
some years later in an Augustinian monastery chapel.
Meanwhile, the
Redemptorists had built the new church of San Alfonso near the
site of St. Matthew the Apostle, which had been destroyed by
Napoleon's invasion force. In time, Redemptorists learned about
the miraculous picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help that had
been enshrined on that site for several centuries. They requested
that the picture be placed there once again. The Holy Father Pope
Pius IX agreed and on April 26, 1866, the original icon of Our
Mother of Perpetual Help was placed above the high altar in the
Church of San Alfonso. To this day, the miraculous picture is
still there for all to see.
This Byzantine icon is
replete with numerous symbols.
Look at the picture.
Frightened by the vision of two angels showing him the instruments
of Passion, the Christ Child has run to His Mother, almost losing,
in His haste, one of the tiny sandals. Mary holds Him in her arms
reassuringly, lovingly. But notice her eyes. They look not at
Jesus but at us. How better could the artist express Our Lady's
interest in our lives and spiritual growth?
Christ's little hands
are pressed into Mary's as a reminder to us that just as on earth
He placed Himself entirely in her hands for protection, so now in
heaven He places each of us in her tender loving care.
There are also the
following Greek initials: for "Jesus Christ", for "Mother of God",
for "St. Gabriel the Arch Angel" who is depicted holding the cross
and nails, and for "St. Michael the Arch Angel" who is depicted
holding the lance and gall-sop of Christ's Passion.
There is a star on Our
Lady's veil symbolizing that she is the Star of the Sea who leads
us to the safe port of heaven. Mary's left hand is supporting
Christ possessively. She is His Mother. It is a comforting hand
for everyone who asks for her intercession. Her mouth is small
for silent recollection. She speaks little. She wears a red
tunic, the color worn by virgins at the time of Christ, and a dark
blue mantle, the colors worn by mothers in Palestine.
The entire background is
golden, symbolic of heaven. Christ's Hands, palms turned down
into His Mother's, indicate that He has chosen for the graces of
redemption to be in her keeping.
More information about academics, forms, and
"what to do?" can be found by clicking here |
