Work Of Heart Program & History The Work Of Heart program recognizes exceptional Catholic school employees, and that’s why I’m here today as we recognize a full-time employee based on nominations we received.
During the last two school years, more than 120 Dallas-area Catholic school employees were honored with a Work of Heart Award. To date, more than 1,320 Work Of Heart Awards have been presented, totaling over $800,000 in awards.
The Work Of Heart program was started by two anonymous donors of The Catholic Foundation 16 years ago.
Today, The Catholic Foundation funds the program for three reasons:
honor Catholic school employees who go above and beyond to display outstanding service,
model a Christian example
and go above and beyond to support students, families, and our Dallas-area community
We compare Work of Heart winners to our very own superheroes. They do the right things, all the time, and don’t expect any recognition for their great work.
Honoree
This morning, we have the pleasure of recognizing a Superhero has been described in glowing terms about how they always go above and beyond for an individual student, family, and community.
Let me share comments about our recipient whom I’ll try to keep a secret, and then I’ll introduce them to say a few words.
“This person’s kind and giving attitude that she shares with the class exemplifies what a Catholic Steward should be. She always shows care and concern for her students and their families”.
“This person has shown compassion and fairness to her students and is very deserving of this honor. I think a lot about the compassion Jesus showed to everyone, even sinners, like Mary Magdalene. Jesus saw the best in everyone and loved everyone. I do believe that she has taken that lesson from Jesus to heart and shows it in the way she acts toward her students”
“She has a great sense of humor when teaching and I always enjoyed laughing and having fun while learning. She believed in me and encouraged me to be strong and hold my head up high. She inspired me to be the best I can be. We need more role models like her so we can continue to grow in our faith and be disciples of Christ”.
Another comment:
This teacher did not only do these things for me, but she also did it for every student she came across. I once saw her stop the whole class to comfort a student who hurt himself with his pencil. Another time, I saw her calm down a student who was feeling very stressed about a quiz. These are just a few small examples in a long list of things I saw this teacher do for her students.
I thank God for having put this teacher in my life. I hope that this will show how much my time with her has affected my life in a positive way and helps her win the Work of the Heart Award. I can think of no one more deserving than this teacher.
Wow, those are great accolades. And the best thing is SHE is right here with us and helping make St. Monica Catholic School a great school!
Please help me congratulate our newest Catholic Foundation Work of Heart honoree, Mrs. Cici Petty.