May 24, 2021
AHA Shares Love, Faith, & Hope on Service Day
Members of the Holy Angels community expressed the Academy’s 2020-21 theme by “Sharing Our Love, Faith, and Hope” on Service Day (May 19).
“When we put this day on the calendar last year, we had no idea that we would still be in the midst of the pandemic,” said AHA Director of Campus Ministry Kathleen Sylvester. “Once again, we had to cancel on site physical service.”
Sylvester and Campus Minister Maryanne Miloscia offered students, faculty, and staff some worthwhile ways to spend their time.
“Even though we are not doing an actual physical service day this year, we are offering some things that you can voluntarily choose to do safely and from the comfort of your own home on May 19. Service is an important part of who we are as Angels!” Miloscia and Sylvester added, “We in Campus Ministry are very proud of all you have done during this challenging time.”
This year’s service projects included:
- Sending handwritten letters to the School Sisters of Notre Dame who live in long-term care.
- Participating in AHA’s cereal drive for the Office of Concern in Englewood.
- Working on projects sponsored by local houses of workshop.
- Reaching out to an elderly relative or neighbor, or someone who is alone.
- Planting something in recognition of the recent Earth Day celebration.
- Advocating for social justice in the SSND tradition by writing to congressional leaders regarding various issues, including climate change, pathways to citizenship, and more.
Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girls’ school in Bergen County. While AHA is steeped in Catholic tradition, this prestigious high school serves young women from a broad spectrum of cultural and religious backgrounds. Over time, thousands of women have passed through AHA’s portals. Many go on to study at some of the nation’s best universities, earning high-ranking positions in medicine, government, law, education, public service, business, arts, and athletics. The Academy’s current leaders continue to further the SSND mission to provide each student with the tools she needs to reach the fullness of her potential—spiritually, intellectually, socially, and physically, by offering a first-rate education in a nurturing environment where equal importance is placed on academic excellence, character development, moral integrity, and service to others.