Testimonials

Moving our daughter to a new school when the pandemic was still much of an issue was an emotional, difficult decision, not only for our child but for us. We were apprehensive to say the least.  However, the school staff was always very patient with me when I called with the numerous questions I had and they always had the answers or put me through to the person with the answers.  This brought peace of mind that helped me reassure my daughter her new school experience would be great.  Our Lady of Sorrows did not disappoint.  Our first year at Lady of Sorrows was simply amazing!  Our daughter made a smooth adjustment to the new environment, making some great friends right away.  Her teacher was amazing and very patient with us as we navigated our first year.  Watching her excel in school, grow her faith, make many new friendships and really blossom in self-confidence has been exciting and wonderful. As we volunteered for events and activities, we got to know many families ourselves, and felt good helping to raise funds for school activities and needs.  This school truly encompasses their motto “Faith, Knowledge and Community”.

I’ve been teaching Kindergarten at Our Lady of Sorrows for eight years and cannot even express how great of an impact this school has had on my life. I am so grateful for the friendships I’ve made here and proud of the community I get to be a part of. Growing up, I attended a catholic elementary school and knew at a pretty young age that I wanted to be a teacher. My first teaching job was at a public school and while there were so many amazing things about teaching there, something was missing and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then, when I joined the staff here at OLS I was overjoyed to find what was missing: the values and sense of community and family that I remember experiencing when I grew up and that you can only find at a Catholic school. I knew that this was where I was meant to be and that it was my turn to help lead our youngest students to grow not only in their love of learning but also in their faith and relationship with Jesus. The generosity that people show on this Day of Giving benefits both our school and community by helping us to further our mission of creating disciples of Jesus. Thank you!

Kara (Rose) Golightly, Kindergarten Teacher 2022 Day of Giving

Check out Miss Rose's own Kindergarten picture!

Together we: help each other get to Heaven

My family has a long history at Our Lady of sorrows parish; we have been members since 1955. We have celebrated over 100 sacraments at OLS and our family holidays and celebrations often begin at Mass.My husband and I were married at Sorrows in December 2021. On display at our wedding were the photos of 11 other couples in my family who were also married at Sorrows. We feel so blessed to join these couples by beginning our marriage under the patronage of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows.  During my four years teaching at Our Lady of Sorrows, the words “we help each other get to Heaven” hung at the front of my classroom and wove their way through our lessons and social interactions throughout the year. At the end of the year, my current students wrote advice letters to the students who would be in my class the following year. In those letters, unprompted, they wrote “most important, we help each other get to Heaven.”

The community at Our Lady of Sorrows is a family. We take care of each other. From personal struggles and spiritual needs to celebrations and achievements, the students, families, faculty, and administration care about each member of our family and about helping each other get to Heaven.

2022 Day of Giving

In 2016, we enrolled our children at Our Lady of Sorrows (OLS).  Upon first touring OLS, we immediately felt the sense of community.  We were also drawn to OLS because its mission embodied a sense of community in that OLS and parents, together, educate children “spiritually, academically, and socially.”  Jesus reminds us that when two or three are gathered together in His Name, He will be in their midst. (Matthew 18:20).  While neither my husband nor I had the privilege of attending Catholic schools, we witness Jesus’ presence in our children’s lives daily through the commitment of teachers, priests, and administration at OLS.  The handwritten “thank you notes” from our children to their teachers are a small representation of the large impact these dedicated teachers have on our children’s faith journey.  Thank you, OLS, for all that you do!  Together we were there for: sports games, a chess game, first communion, spelling bees, drama productions, math competition, saints puppets/parade, Veteran’s Day assemblies, cantor and choir at school mass, living wax museum, and more. But most importantly, together we are shaping saints for tomorrow.

As parishioners since 2008 and parents of a 5th, kindergarten and preschooler, together we are able to raise our children with God in their hearts and mind. When both boys were in preschool 3’s and early 5’s last year, they came home during lent and were adamant about creating a prayer table. They told us that it would make our prayer time better and make us feel closer to God. And recently, while having a conversation with a 5th grade teacher, I commented on how cool that last month’s science assignment was making 3D models of human and plant cells and this month the students are examining different human and plant cells on slides with a microscope so that they are able to recognize what they see. The teacher’s response was, “what’s cool is that they know that God made all of these cells to make us and make all living things, that we are so complex and God thought of all of this for us.” At Our Lady of Sorrows, God is present in every subject, every cause, every day. We are so proud to be parents, parishioners, and partners with all of the wonderful teachers, administrators, and staff at Our Lady of Sorrows. It takes a village to raise children to grow in their Catholic faith and we are all proud to be Saints!

We are the Maizi family and have been part of the Our Lady of Sorrows school community for five years now with our four children, Madison, Charlotte, Noah and Katherine. Unfortunately, we did not have the privilege of attending a Catholic school and wanted to give our children this opportunity, especially since our Catholic faith is very important to our family.  We chose a Catholic education at Our Lady of Sorrows for our children, because we wanted to instill Catholic values and morals in every aspect of their lives, above and beyond just attending weekly Sunday mass. This Our Lady of Sorrows setting also offers our children the opportunity to grow spiritually, academically, and socially in a disciplined, respectful, and encouraging environment. The teachers nurture the students toward excellence while implementing critical thinking skills and challenging them to become the best people they can be. As parents, it’s comforting to know that strong moral values are being reinforced on a daily basis by the wonderful teachers at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School. Our children are excited to go to school each day and look forward to interacting with their friends and teachers. We can honestly say that sending our children to Our Lady of Sorrows is in line with the values we are teaching our children within our home. It is important to our family that our children learn about their faith, both in words and actions in order to become good, faith-filled adults. TOGETHER we encourage critical thinking and independence to set a strong foundation for our children.

As parents, Melanie and I are SO PROUD of OLS.  What you guys have been able to do when no one said it was possible, is a credit to the amazing people who believe in these kids and the message of God.  Thank you and everyone at Sorrows.  We  feel so joyfully emotional to have our children in the hands of such great people.

We want to acknowledge the staff at Our Lady of Sorrows for their sacrifice and dedication in providing our son with a quality education in a Christ-centered environment.

We transferred to OLS in 2019, which is never easy during the elementary years. When you add in a global pandemic, shortened school year, and remote learning, one might worry it could be a rough start. We are thankful to say, amidst all of this, that our son has thrived academically and spiritually, and our family has found a new home at Our Lady of Sorrows.

It is evident that every teacher, staff member, and priest is focused on the whole person in their dedication to academic and religious instruction. With so much uncertainty across our country and the world, it has been amazing to see our educators go above and beyond for our school families. It has provided an immeasurable amount of stability for our son in these uncertain times. I know we made the right decision and look forward to what the future holds for OLS students, staff, and families.

"Children have a strong tendency to rise to the expectations you set for them."  These words, from an old newspaper clipping, are still on my refrigerator today, even though my “Saints” have grown and flown. As a parent of OLS Alumni, Dr. Karlie Kashat-Satin, DDS, Class of 2006; Dr. Allyssa Kashat, DPT, Class of 2008; and Joshua Kashat, Class of 2015, currently enrolled at Loyola University, the expectations set forth for them at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School is one of the benefits of a Catholic Education that I appreciate the most. At every level of education, K-8, expectations/standards grow and build on each other and in all areas of learning-spiritually, academically, and socially. Academic expectations at OLS set a foundation of learning for my children that continued on with them throughout high school and higher learning opportunities. Spiritual growth at OLS led my children to choose mission trips and giving opportunities as they matured. They had a school family and continue to experience life with some of those friends today. I spent four years employed in the ECC building as a kindergarten aide, and I assisted our youngest Saints as they were introduced to the basic expectations/goals of learning through the play-based curriculum. As a current employee in the main front office, I witness the growth of the student body in all grades. Sacrificing to give a child a Catholic education at OLS, provides them with an opportunity to begin to meet lifelong learning expectations so they can “live to inspire and serve others in the world”.

As an Our Lady of Sorrows Alumna, I have repeatedly referred back to the foundation I received here to describe the person I am today. OLS did not only prepare me to further my education in high school, but it put forth a foundation of faith, success, and character in becoming an adult. I am grateful to my parents for making the decision to enroll my sisters and I at this school so many years ago. I am also grateful to the many teachers, principals, Priests, and Pastors that have come and gone, adding layers of foundation to build a stronger community of faith here at Our Lady of Sorrows School. My faith in Jesus is stronger because of this school, and when the job opportunity arose for me to return as a teacher here, I did not hesitate. I am honored to have worked in a place that has helped me to grow as a child of God, and now God has given me the opportunity to help others do the same. 

We now wish Miss Bahoura many blessings as she continues to help high school students grow as children of God!