Fr. Hall’s Remarks
September 14, 2009
As the President of Hudson Catholic Regional HS and as a graduate of the Class of 1981, I want to welcome all of you to this celebration of not just the beginning of a new school year but to the celebration of new traditions, new vision and new life of our beloved school.
Cardinal John Henry Newman wrote; “To live is to change, to be perfected is to have changed often”. The greatest sign of life is change, the greatest sign of movement is change, the greatest sign of growth is change.
Hudson Catholic is alive and well today
Hudson Catholic is on the move today,
Hudson Catholic is growing today, and
Hudson Catholic is Rising today
All because HC is changing.
Don’t get me wrong, the mission will never change but how we fulfill that mission will and must.
That is why we are updating our technology plan and program.
That is why we contracted a curriculum and learning consultant to guide us in raising our academic standards
That is why we are inaugurating a new academic department; Performance Arts and Dance, This new department is being chaired by Aileen Quinn, someone who herself has been in movies, on Broadway and on television. (who would have thought that one day HC would have a dance studio).
That is why we are putting new energy and innovation into our approach to Admissions and Marketing strategies
That is why our approach to major gift donors, foundations and our Alumni and friends has raised over one million dollars this past year
That is why we are implementing the Power School program
That is why we have re-established dual enrollment agreements with our neighbors in higher education, St Peters College and Hudson County Community College, and hopefully soon with Seton Hall University.
That is why CATHOLIC is being stressed over Hudson and Hawks when it comes to our identity.
And that is why as of this moment, Hudson Catholic is now a coed institution of learning.
The irony of change however, is that as necessary as it is, usually it brings worry, it brings concern, it brings unease and unrest, and usually at it most needed point, change can bring pain.
The Hudson Catholic family has felt those things, and as we move ahead we will no doubt face worry, and concern, and unease and unrest, in the future, but, I have to say, I don’t know about you but I’m not feeling any pain today!
I don’t feel any pain today because we are celebrating the continuation of the mission for Catholic Education in Hudson County that was started 45 years ago by the De La Salle Christian Brothers and the Archdiocese of Newark and which will continue for generations of “Hawks” to come.