Teachers and Principals

“I really appreciate the rosary project as it brought unity to the Catholics and drew the school members closer together. The teachers reacquainted themselves with the mysteries of the rosary and the teachers taught the rosary again to the students later on in the week.”- Roberto Vairez, Principal, Blue Creek RC School, Toledo District, May 2010
 
 
“The students appreciated the rosaries and are developing an ardent devotion to the Blessed Mother. The students developed a better understanding of what the crucifix and beads signify. The teachers plan to draw and label columns to show which mysteries are said on which days. While learning to pray the rosary, the students will discuss what the prayers mean. After the rosary session, the students happily gathered in the schoolyard to take photographs with the rosaries and the beautiful picture of the Divine Mercy.” -Burton Lino, Teacher, St Joseph’s RC School, Toledo District, May 2010
 
 
“The rosary project has greatly impacted our students because they know that it is not only our school praying the rosary but all the Catholic schools in Belize. We pray for a change in our society which is covered with a current of anger and violence even in our own classrooms. The rosary has the power to change the difficult times we are facing. The rosary project is indeed a project of God for His beloved people of Belize.”
-Amilcar Amaya, Teacher,  Monsignor Romero RC School, Cayo District, October 2012
 
 “The praying of the Rosary that day made a great impact on the children and staff of Richard Quinn RC School. We are cognizant that the month of May is a special time for Catholics throughout the world. As a school, we are praying the Rosary daily and praying for peace and justice for all.  I would like to express our gratitude to all those who made this initiative possible. I am proud to say that praying  the Rosary is here to stay and together we will continue to spread God’s blessings throughout our schools.”  -Vincent Nunez, Principal, Richard Quinn RC School, Stann Creek District, May 2013
”I walked around this morning and observed that all the classes were praying the Rosary. The children had their Rosary Beads and their leaflet and they were praying. The children are being less rebellious.  My students remind me in the morning about the Rosary when I'm busy and they enjoy praying the Rosary. I love that the children have a better appreciation of God and are making Him a part of their lives.  I believe that after the Rosary Workshop, the teachers became educated about the Rosary and were better equipped to assist the children and place emphasis on the importance of prayers such as the  Rosary because when the Rosary is prayed sincerely, the intention of the Rosary becomes a reality. Thanks to the Bishop for taking the initiative to allow the Rosary Team to go into schools to teach us about the Rosary. I pray that God will give the Rosary Team the health and strength to continue their mission. Holy Family RC School is eternally grateful to the Rosary Mission.”  -Marren Vera, Teacher, Holy Family RC School, Stann Creek District, May 2013

“The students are now using the Rosary the way they should, saying the prayers as they move their fingers through the Rosary Beads.  The Rosary Session has helped the May devotion at the school and the Rosary means a whole lot more now to those who attended the Rosary Presentation.”   
-Clara Sabal, Principal, Sacred Heart RC School, Stann Creek District, May 2013
 
“The project was very informative; the teachers are happy about the project and  the project came in just in time for the school’s Living Rosary at the end of May 2013.” -Frances Gongora, Principal, Holy Angels RC School, Stann Creek District, May 2013
 
 “The Rosary Session uplifted the students and teachers and the school is now more equipped to better organize its own program to inspire faith in the students.” -Luiza Mayorga, Guidance Counselor, Stann Creek Ecumenical High School, Stann Creek District, May 2013  

“It was refreshing to have representation from our Managing Authority to visit my class to do a presentation on the Rosary. My students were enthused as well as inspired. Even though we teach these concepts at our school, it was a refresher for me as the teacher to have someone with Ms. Manuela’s knowledge share it again. I realize that teaching the faith and believing what you are teaching is vital if we are to be effective in developing young minds in a holistic and spiritual manner. This was noticeable by Ms. Manuela’s approach, her voice projection, and her enthusiasm for getting the students' attention. We as teachers tend to sometimes lose sight of our approach when teaching spirituality so now we can be reflective and think of more creative ways to get our students to love and appreciate the kindness and goodness of Our God. Even though the presentation was meant for the children, Ms. Manuela  inspired me to do better, not only for myself but for the children,  to whom I will impart what I learn.” -Janelle Cacho, Teacher, Saint Margaret Mary RC School, Cayo District, May 2013

" We enjoyed the rosary presentation as we learned a lot about how to make the mysteries relevant in our daily lives. I remember Manuela speaking about how the Blessed Mother gave the rosary to Saint Dominic and how much she loved this holy saint, a priest, and preacher of the true faith. Our students internalized the message of the rosary devotion and were eager to pray it after the rosary team left our school. Manuela traveled here on numerous occasions afterward to pray the rosary with members of our community.” -Pablo Acal, Principal, San Pablo RC School, May 2014
 
 “The rosary sessions provided a greater understanding for the students on the meaning of the rosary and the students are having a more personal experience praying the rosary as a lot of the questions they had were clarified. The rosary sessions are a continuation of what the students already knew and praying the rosary is now an exciting experience. The students have rosaries to take when they do their community service with the needy, sick, and elderly.” - Javier Gutierrez, Vice Principal of Student Affairs, Muffles College, Orange Walk District, October 2014

“The explanation given was very effective as the students seem to have a better understanding of the history and meaning of the rosary. After the sessions, students are taking the time to pray the rosary, internalizing the message, and surrendering to the prayers. The teachers’ packets are thoughtful gifts, spiritual treats, and serve as learning tools, as teachers are doing more research on some of the saints whose stories they read about in the package.” -Luisa Gillett, Vice Principal, Bishop Martin High School, Orange Walk District, October 2014
 

Volunteers

“I was impressed by the warm peace that radiated from the children at Saint Margaret Mary RC School in Saint Margaret Village while they attentively listened to the instructions they were given.  While not new for many of the children, the knowledge presented reinforced what they had learned from their teachers. The lesson will help prepare them to meet challenges to their faith in the future. Although the school rooms were sparsely furnished by American standards, the students were well behaved and eager to learn.   Manuela will use the pictures and video that I took during the day to help promote the Rosary crusade.  I never expected that my vacation pictures would be used to further the Lord’s work.   The warmth of the children and the peace I experienced that day will stay with me."  =Earl Crosby, Columbus, Ohio, USA

"As I distributed the Divine Mercy pictures to the students, one girl’s face lit up as she enthusiastically told me that she was going to hang the picture in her bedroom.  The day's experience with a different culture furthered my understanding of the Church’s universality which includes all cultures and income strata." - Carol Crosby, Columbus, Ohio, USA
"Because our God and Father is good to me, it turned out that the rosary ministry was already scheduled to visit the schools in the same district that I had taught in years before. I got to stay in the town that I had lived in, reconnect with many old friends and neighbors, and even teach the rosary in the same high school where I had previously taught social studies and health.

The school rosary project struck me as a simple but rare form of Catholic evangelical outreach.  On one hand, it is an example of the call by Saint John Paul II to re-evangelize those in traditionally Catholic countries by reminding the teachers, administrators, and students of Catholic schools of a beautiful and often forgotten aspect of our Catholic life, the holy rosary.  It was also evangelical in the sense that many non-Catholic students are enrolled in Catholic schools in Belize, and the rosary project ensures that all of those students have the concept of Marian devotion, and the intercession of the saints more generally, explained to them in a way that challenges what they are often taught from outside sources about what the Church teaches and believes.
 
In Belize, lack of physical rosaries is a significant hindrance to many schools and parishes to promoting devotion to the rosary. The school rosary project of Manuela Lue and Thomasita Asevedo addresses this problem by distributing enough rosaries for every teacher and student to all of the schools that they visit. However, I believe the most important aspect of the project is the witness provided to the students and teachers of the importance and beauty of the rosary. The students from around the country can see that people have volunteered to come to them personally from Belize City, or even from the United States or the United Kingdom, to share with them what they know and love about the rosary. The impact remains long after the volunteers have left."  -Greg Beuke, Kansas, USA
 
"The reaction of the children to our visits left a lasting impression on me.  They were so excited about having visitors to their school.  They were always very polite calling me “sir” or “Mr. Gordon.”    They paid attention to the instruction on how to use the rosary and said their prayers with enthusiasm. The teachers were grateful for the rosary leaflets and rosaries as it helped explain to them as well the children how to pray the rosary. I have now returned to my home in the United Kingdom but I have taken with me some unforgettable experiences. As a visitor, I feel privileged to have seen a side of Belize that most visitors would never see. As a Catholic, I feel that the experience has helped strengthen my faith." 
-Gordon Trotter, Carshalton, United Kingdom
 
 
"One day, a rosary group came all the way from Belize City  (on the other side of the country) to visit us at  La Inmaculada RC Primary School in Arenal Village, Cayo District.  The rosary ministry, commissioned by the local bishop, travels to all the Catholic schools in Belize no matter how far away they are or how difficult to reach.  So we prepared for them by taking down the partitions between the classrooms in one of the school buildings in order to make one giant room big enough to fit in all of us.  There the children listened attentively as they were taught not only how to say the rosary but also it's meaning and history and how to explain it to others who may not understand intercessory prayer.  We prayed one mystery of the rosary with some of the children volunteering for leadership parts.   Each student was given a new rosary and a picture of the Divine Mercy of Jesus.  They were so happy and thankful to see that there were people in the world who actually remembered them and cared enough about them to teach them about such important matters. The children were wonderful!  They were the happiest, most playful, most loving kids I had ever experienced in my life!  The children welcomed the rosary group as if they were the most important people in the world to them. Also, the principal and the teachers welcomed the rosary group with open arms."  -Eddie Kemmerer, Mississippi, USA
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