Attitude of Gratitude

Dear Families,

I was recently given the Little Book of Holy Gratitude, authored by Fr. Frederick Faber, which features some penetrating insights during this Lenten season. Fr. Faber boldly proclaims that we neglect gratitude more than prayer. "If we had to name any one thing that seems unaccountably to have fallen out of most men's practical religion altogether, it would be the duty of thanksgiving... Alas! It is not hard to find the reason for this. Our own interests drive us obviously to prayer; but it is love alone that leads to thanksgiving."

Of course, Fr. Faber does not intend to discredit the daily duties of prayer and sacrifice nor living the sacramental life, but he does focus our attention on the fact that if there is no gratitude in the heart, then all of these efforts can fall short.

And we all have so much to be thankful for!

I for one am very thankful for the increasing partnerships with local private and public foundations to make MRA possible for both our current and future families. The Children's Scholarship Fund continues to work tirelessly to increase educational choice here in New Hampshire.

As previously announced during the re-registration window, the provisional deadline for financial aid applications is March 1st. Families seeking tuition assistance are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We will begin reviewing the applications the week after next, so there is still plenty of time to apply. All families currently receiving financial aid must re-apply for next school year.

I would also like to encourage families to examine the following criteria to determine if they may be eligible for tuition assistance from CSF:

  1. First,
    1. Resident of New Hampshire
    2. Income eligibility guidelines on the CSF application
  2. Then,
    1. Student that received an Education Tax Credit Scholarship in the current school year or
    2. Student that currently attends public school or
    3. Siblings of the above two categories or
    4. Students beginning kindergarten for the first time (this applies to current MRA PreK students transitioning into kindergarten)

The CSF application is free, so there is no harm in attempting to apply, and it does not take as much time as the FACTS financial aid application.

We will continue to do our best to work with families to make this educational partnership between you and us possible.

I also wanted to put out the invitation again to schedule a conversation with me to discuss your family's experience. You can do so online, and I look forward to hopefully speaking with all of you!

Most Sincerely In Christ,

Derek Tremblay, Headmaster