The mission of St. Thomas Aquinas High School is: "Respectful of each person’s self-worth, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, seeks to develop each student’s God-given talents in a safe and caring atmosphere of sharing and challenge."

VISION: St. Thomas Aquinas High School is a four-year, college preparatory school, which educates young men and women according to the traditions of the Catholic faith. The school seeks to develop each student’s God-given talents in a safe and caring atmosphere of sharing and challenge. Through a comprehensive program of Catholic teachings, quality education and personal development, St. Thomas offers to its students religious experiences, academic challenges, innovative approaches, athletic programs, and social and cultural opportunities, and service to others.

• We believe that each person in our school community, having been created in the image and likeness of God, has dignity and importance.

• We believe that the entire school community shares in the responsibility to help all students develop their God-given talents to the best of their ability.

• We believe that the entire school community shares the responsibility of creating a safe atmosphere of caring, sharing, and challenge.

• We believe that students learn most effectively through diversified programs of educational opportunities, religious experiences, athletic programs, social and cultural opportunities, and service.

• We believe that all individuals in our school community deserve personal attention and recognition.

In the Footsteps of Our Savior

The average life experiences much joy as well as much sadness. In a comprehensive view, you can hardly have one element of success without some counter-balance of limitation. Depending on one's disposition, needs, circumstances, ambitions and efforts, the equation of success vs. failure can vary much. Some persons will appear to savor mostly moments of joy while others are saddled with more than their share of sorrow. Overall though, most every life will have its moments of joy in addition to times of challenge which frequently lead to sorrow.

Jesus in his human nature experienced normal levels of emotion. When he gave hope to people he must have been elated. In caring for the sick, in feeding the hungry and in raising the dead to life, he must have felt good about a service well-done. But as we well know, Jesus also suffered the human emotions of loneliness, rejection and proximity to failure. In the final act of his human existence, he experienced physical, emotional and likely spiritual turmoil. Undoubtedly, he shared our experience of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, successes and failures.

The ticker-tape type parade of the entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday evidenced the high public acceptance of Jesus by the people. After all he had cured them, fed them and given them hope in a miserable existence. He was in the mind of the onlookers the greatest (for now). He must have felt great. But such an atmosphere was shortly to dissolve. His endurance of the challenge that was coming was to be his best expression of greatness. He showed his true self in being able to carry out the challenge of life to the end.

With great optimism in the footsteps of our Savior, Jesus, each of us can follow through on our own journey of experiences. The joys, sorrows, challenges and pitfalls will all come upon us. We must somehow find focus in the road that Jesus walked. Endurance, service, optimism, prayerfulness and hope will sustain us as we journey and look forward to sharing the joys of resurrection in our own lives. How great it is to have hope!

Blessings,
Father Vincent T. Kelly