SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE #5 - February 16th, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

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SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE #5 - February 16th, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

Editor's Note: This article is a summary of a homily that Fr. Ben Daghir preached to the DuBois Central Catholic School System. The words were shared during Catholic Schools Week on February 1, 2023. The homily focuses on the powerful influence of witnesses, also called role models.

Article:
Blessings to all of you during this Catholic Schools Week. A Catholic education seeks to transform us through a variety of ways: the disciplines that we study, through prayer and sacraments, through sports teams and musicals, through community and service. 

The most profound way that a Catholic education forms a person is through witnesses, through people who live out the Gospel. It’s quite profound to see Christ in the life of another person. It’s personal, powerful, and authentic. Each and every one of us looks up to a person in this school. We all have a role model here at DuBois Central Catholic.

This is a person that we admire. We have deep respect for the manner in which this person lives. This person could be a teacher, principal, coach, maintenance worker, nurse, cafeteria worker, a parent, even a classmate. 

I want you to take a moment and identify who that person is that you deeply respect. Who is your role model here at DuBois Central Catholic?

What is it about this person that intrigues you? Does your role model have a gift of motivating you and challenging you at the right moment? Has this person sacrificed for you? Is this person remarkably professional, charitable, and kind?

One of my many role models while in high school was my English teacher. I had the same English teacher all four years of high school. She opened my mind to the world of literature: Shakespeare, Hemingway, Homer, Cicero, Dante, and others. She was incredibly patient and positive toward my classmates and me. She taught me how to read and write at a more advanced level. In fact, I owe a tremendous amount to her because a love of reading and writing changes a person’s life. 

I greatly admired an English teacher while in high school, but what about you? Who do you look up to at DuBois Central Catholic?

A Catholic education seeks to form us from a variety of angles. The most effective and profound way is through witnesses, role models. I highly encourage you to say “thank you” to this person. I know this simple act can be challenging but it’s genuine and humble. Of course, this act of gratitude is all part of a Catholic education which seeks to form us into another Christ. 

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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.