St. Joseph’s – Page 23 – St. Joseph's Indian School

How do Lakota (Sioux) children get to St. Joseph’s Indian School?

Hello and Happy Summer!

Julie is a counselor for the Lakota boys and girls at St. Joseph's. — Julie, Family Service Counselor

Hopefully the summer is treating you all well and you are enjoying some sunshine and nice weather! Here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, summer continues to be a busy time. As a Family Service Counselor, I travel to various parts of South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska to visit the students and families we work with. It is a great experience being able to travel and see our students and their families.

Summer is also time for admissions work. Every student who comes to St. Joseph’s Indian School goes through an admissions process. The process begins when a parent or guardian submits an application for their child.

Once an application is received, a file is started for the student and the admissions staff begin to gather data for the child. Some of the things we gather for the file are medical records, school records, immunizations, birth certificates and medical insurance information.

Once a file is started, the family will be contacted to set up a time to meet with a staff person for an interview with both the student and the parent or guardian. During this part of the process, we gather information about family life, family expectations, medical needs, behavioral needs, school needs, and psychological needs. This is called the social history.

There are also a few questions for the student to answer:

What is your favorite food?
St. Joseph’s counselors cross the wide open spaces of South Dakota to visit the Lakota students in their homes each summer.
How do you like school?
Do you want to come to St. Joseph’s?
How do you express your feelings?

Once the interviews are completed, staff working on the file will call the child’s previous teacher to ask a few questions. When all the information is gathered and the social history is complete, the student’s file is presented to the admissions board for review.

The admissions board consists of the Residential Director, Residential Coordinators, Family Service Counselors, Principal, Student Coordinator, Special Education Director, and the Pastoral Care Director. The file is reviewed and the board decides if a student can be accepted to St. Joseph’s Indian School.

While we strive to serve the needs of the children who apply, not every student can be accepted.

Why would a student NOT be accepted to St. Joseph’s? That is a good question.

There are several reasons, the first and most frequent reason is that there is no room in a certain grade for the student.

Another common reason is that the student has medical or educational needs we cannot meet.

Students may also not be accepted because they have behavioral or emotional needs that require constant supervision. While students are very carefully supervised at St. Joseph’s, some students need more supervision than we can provide. The safety of the children in our care is our top priority.

St. Joseph’s admissions process includes both students and families. — The Lakota (Sioux) children who attend St. Joseph’s are enrolled by their parents or guardians.

Additionally, a student may tell the interviewer they do not want to attend St. Joseph’s. If a student – especially an older student – states they do not have an interest in coming to St. Joseph’s, they may not be accepted. We do our best to give every student who wants to come to our school a chance to do so. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond our control sometimes make that impossible.

School starts already on August 11! We are working hard to fill several openings in our homes for the 2014-2015 school year. For the remainder of July, we will be on the road working on files for admissions, visiting families and students, and meeting new people. It is a great time of year!

Of course, it is BETTER when the kids are here!

We wish you a safe and fun filled summer –

Julie, Family Service Counselor

The Priests of the Sacred Heart – Founders of St. Joseph’s Indian School

Dear Benefactors,

What a wonderful weekend at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Friday, June 27, we celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart, which is very special to our religious community. SCJ is Latin for sacerdotes cordis jesu (priests of the heart of Jesus).

We were honored to have St. Joseph’s former President, Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ, back among us for the day.

The members of the Priests of the Sacred Heart who minister here in South Dakota gathered for an adoration period in which we renewed our vows of commitment to the Congregation and the people of God. It is always a wonderful time to join with fellowSCJs and share somecamaraderie and dinner together.

The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center now includes an Alumni & Historical Center and a Medicine Wheel Garden. — The Medicine Wheel Garden is nestled between the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and the banks of the Missouri River.

Wonderful as it was, we were a little sad too. On Sunday, Fr. Guy Blair, SCJ, said good-bye to the parishes of St. Anthony in Pukwana and St. James in Chamberlain as he moves on to his new assignment.

The SCJ community has helped the Sioux Falls Diocese with local ministry over the last 25-30 years, but the Province was not able to replace Fr. Guy with another SCJ, so the communities gave the parishes back to the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Fr. Steve was here to extend the thanks of the Province for all the support and encouragement the parishes have given to the SCJ priests who have served over the years.

The Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center’s Medicine Wheel Garden was chosen to be on the annual P.E.O (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Yard and Garden Tour this past Thursday. We were honored to be chosen along with four other homes in the Chamberlain area.

Monday and Tuesday, I was in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, taking part in the Board meeting for Cheyenne River Indian Outreach. The SCJ’s operate a domestic violence shelter and youth residential program on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. In addition to a safe place, a thrift store also helps provide new or slightly used household items for victims needing to start over.

Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a visit South Dakota’s senior Senator, the Honorable Tim Johnson. The Senator is making a farewell tour of the state as he will not be running for re-election this year after serving three terms in the United States Senate.

The Lakota (Sioux) students participating in our summer program will welcome him and share about St. Joseph’s. The

Chamberlain residents visited the Medicine Wheel Garden as part of a recent community tour. — The Medicine Wheel Garden was featured in Chamberlain’s recent local garden tour.

Senator has been helpful when our students visited Washington DC and has also taken an active interest in Native American issues during his years of service. I’ll share with you how the visit went in next week’s blog!

We hope you all have a safe and memorable Independence Day! As you enjoy time with family and friends, remember the values our country stands for and continue to find ways to pass them along to future generations.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Welcome back, St. Joseph’s Alum!

Earlier in June, St. Joseph’s held its first annual Alumni & Staff Reunion!

Mary Jane works with St. Joseph's Alumni. — Mary Jane, St. Joseph’s Alumni Liaison

Both former students and staff enjoyed the day as we visited and renewed friendships. We talked about our time at St. Joseph’s Indian School and shared what we are doing today. It was wonderful to catch up!

Other activities included lunch, campus tours and going through hundreds of old pictures! We had a total of 19 alumni along with some members of their families and 15 staff members, past and present. The day went by fast.

We had students scattered throughout six different decades:

Jerry came from Elk River, Minnesota. He remembered weeding the gardens and gathering the crops! He graduated from St. Joseph’s in 1959.
Ron came from Eagle Butte, South Dakota and attended St. Joseph’s in 1963-64. He is currently a maintenance mechanic. Ron’s three sons also attended St. Joseph’s in the 1990’s.

The 1970’s:

o Crystal graduated from St. Joseph’s in 1979. She works in customer service in Mitchell, South Dakota. Crystal visits campus frequently.

o Madeline works with students in the recreation department at Crow Creek Tribal School north of Chamberlain. She returns to campus at least twice a year.

o Rose is from Pierre and works at Walmart. Rose visits campus on a regular basis.

o LeeAnn is from Rapid City. She is self-employed, running her own house cleaning service. She returns every year for St. Joseph’s annual powwow.

o Terri is from Mission, South Dakota and is a self-employed domestic engineer. Terri came with her husband and their son. Terri has been back to St. Joseph’s, but not for over 10 years.

o Stanley attended with his two sisters, Madeline and Janice.

The 1980’s:

Muffy lives in Stephan, South Dakota, north of Chamberlain. She works in the recreation program at Crow Creek Tribal School. She returns to campus several times during the school year. Muffy graduated from Chamberlain High School through St. Joseph’s High School program.

Nancy lives in Chamberlain, South Dakota and is the manager at Subway. She comes back to campus for various events and has taken part in our career day program.

Janice lives in Rapid City, South Dakota and is a full time student. She has received awards through St. Joseph’s scholarship program. She plans to obtain her two year degree this spring and go on to law school.

Claudia lives in Reliance, South Dakota. She is a youth counselor and also takes online classes. She also receives scholarships through St. Joseph’s program.

Terry lives in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He works in a warehouse and is a delivery driver. This was his first visit back to St. Joseph’s Indian School after graduating in 1988.

The 1990’s:

o Glenn lives in Chamberlain, South Dakota and is a custodian at St. Joseph’s. His two daughters currently attend St. Joseph’s.

o Destiny is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is a homemaker. She has returned to campus on several occasions to visit with our junior high and high school students. She was part of our high school program.

o L’Jay is from Ridgeview, South Dakota. He works in Eagle Butte as a supply technician.

o Chad is from Dupree, South Dakota. He works as a construction foreman in the Eagle Butte area.

Students from the 2000’s:

o Tyler lives in Chamberlain, South Dakota and works at McDonald’s.

o Katrina lives in Chamberlain, South Dakota and is a full time mother.

At the end of the day, everyone expressed how glad they were to have come, vowing to bring other friends and alumni back to campus for the next reunion!

Mary Jane, Alumni Liaison

Alumni and staff members gathered for St. Joseph’s first reunion. — St. Joseph’s first annual Alumni & Staff reunion was a great success!

Sharing & Learning: a Cultural Exchange for St. Joseph’s Students

Our trip to France was fantastic!

A few weeks ago, I shared in a blog post that I was headed to France with Erica and Andrew. It was a wonderful trip!

St. Joseph’s staff and Lakota students enjoyed an exchange visit to St. Solange, in Chateauroux France. — Andrew, Maija and Erica had a wonderful trip to France!

Many of the French students thought we would arrive wearing traditional Lakota (Sioux) regalia instead of modern clothes – they were surprised to see us in jeans and

t-shirts!

We shared much about South Dakota and the Lakota culture, and the students and staff asked some great questions. Everyone appreciated the dreamcatchers we brought for them, and they all seemed to enjoy trying on some of the regalia. They were also interested in learning what kinds of modern music and video games our kids like and were surprised to learn of the similarities they shared. The younger students had a great time participating in the Circle Dance, learning Lakota words, and making beaded bracelets.

Our hosts introduced us to France’s Berry Region – a beautiful area with amazing culture, music and food! The town, Chateauroux, was lovely and some areas were quite old, with cobblestone streets and amazing architecture. Some of the sights we were fortunate to see were the Chambord Castle (designed by DaVinci), Europe’s largest zoo, beautiful smaller castles and gardens, an organic goat cheese farm and – best of all – spending time with our host families and children at St. Solange!

Before we departed, the students at St. Solange presented us with gifts of music, poetry, and art in a wonderful celebration which included the benediction of their chapel. The festivities included traditional regional music and food, a visit from the mayor, reporters and lots of fun! We presented the school headmaster with an ironwood buffalo in thanks for their hospitality and generosity during our stay.

The whole day was truly touching; we were humbled by their kindness.

We had a short visit of Paris, the beautiful “City of Lights,” and we were not disappointed. We took a bus tour of Paris’ most visited areas, and went to the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, Sacre-Coeur (which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus) at Montmartre. We felt this was an important visit, as St. Joseph’s was founded by the Priests of the Sacred Heart!

After a night in Paris, we took the Chunnel to London in preparation for the trip home.

Before we even left the station in Paris, we saw the Queen! She departed from the same train we were taking to England! It was exciting to see the guards in full dress, the reporters, and the Queen’s car.

Once in London, we met up with the group of St. Joseph’s staff and students who were in Germany, giving presentations as we were, to Gymnasium Leonium, in Handrup.

The students appreciated being in an English speaking country and loved the sights of the city of London, riding the “Eye” and seeing “Stomp!’ at the West End.

We all had a wonderful time learning about another culture and way of life. We are especially looking forward to our hosts coming to South Dakota in October to be our guests at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Thank you for helping St. Joseph’s provide amazing learning opportunities for the Native American children we serve!

Never a dull moment at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Greetings from a weather-beaten state,

We have had tornadoes, hail and very heavy rain in South Dakota. Wessington Springs, which is about 60 miles northeast of us, was recently hit by a tornado that destroyed

The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center on St. Joseph’s campus is free and open to the public. — The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center features historical displays and contemporary artwork by Lakota (Sioux) artists.

several houses and businesses. Areas just to our north had some weather activity that knocked down storage silos.

Thankfully, Chamberlain has been spared the very dangerous storms. Our prayers are with those who have not been so fortunate.

Already this summer, we have had lots of visitors at the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center browsing the museum, historical center a gift shop. It’s a pleasure to visit with them – some have been contributing to St. Joseph’s for many years and for some it is their first visit.

Those who have been here before are amazed at the changes that have taken place on campus, including now complete home renovations and the addition of the Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi (We Stood Here in the Beginning) Historical & Alumni Center.

All these projects, as well as the programs and necessities we provide for the Lakota children, are accomplished through your generosity. We’re so grateful!

If you are coming through South Dakota this summer, please stop in! If you are traveling later in the summer, be sure to attend our annual powwow on September 13.

St. Joseph’s Alumni & Historical Center features historical displays and special features for alumni. — The Alumni & Historical Center was recently added to the Akta Lakota Museum.

Other than visitors, the campus has gone a bit silent as Rising Eagle Day Camp has come to an end. All together, 984 Native American children took part in the four-week program, all from the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.

Pilamaya – thank you – for your support! You helped provide the resources needed to meet the needs of the summer day camp program and made these smiles possible!

With fewer children on campus, St. Joseph’s maintenance crews are making needed repairs in homes and classrooms. New windows are being installed in the Benedictine Homes where our youngest students (grades 1-3) reside.

There is never a dull moment!

We hope you and yours will have a wonderful week and that God’s blessings may continue to be with you always.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Four Weeks at St. Joseph’s Indian School: An Intern’s Perspective

My name is Connor and I am completing an internship at St. Joseph’s Indian School as part of the University of Notre Dame’s Summer Service Learning Program (SSLP), which is run

The boys in the summer home liked spending time with Connor during his internship. — Connor and boys in the summer home climbed Harney Peak.

by the Center for Social Concerns. I am a rising sophomore from the Washington, DC, area and I picked St. Joseph’s from over 200 SSLP sites all across the country. I started working here at the end of May and am now completing my fourth and final week at St. Joseph’s.

Next, I will complete the 8-week SSLP program by spending the remaining four weeks working at the St. Francis House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

While I have been here, the majority of my time has been spent as a camp counselor for Rising Eagle Day Camp.

The campers are broken up into an older group for ages 10-14 and a younger group for kids 9 and under with the two groups alternating which activities they do during the day. Each day after arriving on campus and eating breakfast, the older kids head off to Lakota Studies with Jeshua and LaRayne, while the younger group has outdoor recreation time led by Mark. Afterwards, they switch activities, which are then followed by lunch in the school’s dining hall.

In Lakota Studies, the kids learn about their cultural heritage by listening to stories, singing traditional songs, and playing the drum. The kids also make their very own, personal drums and carve pipes out of soap bars, among other arts and crafts activities. During their rec time, the kids do anything ranging from playing softball outdoors to playing thunder ball in the gym to learning about water safety with the Army Corps of Engineers down at the river.

Connor spent time with day camp kids, decorating t-shirts, playing games and swimming. — Day camp students decorated shirts with puffy paint during arts & crafts.

After lunch, the older group has arts and crafts with Melissa and the younger kids have swim time in the rec center pool. Again, the two groups switch activities after a while. In arts and crafts, the kids wove God’s Eyes out of yarn, designed camp t-shirts with puffy paint, and built key chains by melting down plastic beads. Following a snack after this full day of activities, it is time for the kids to head back home until camp starts back up again the next day.

In addition to helping out at the summer camp, I have gone with Sherry and Chelsea, two of St. Joseph’s Family Service Counselors, on home to see students back home in their reservation communities for the summer.

I spent a day traveling on the bookmobile to provide books to Native American kids who can’t get to a library during the summer – they would not be able to read a new book until returning to school in the fall.

In addition to these travels, I have also spent a good amount of time with the summer home kids who stay at St. Joseph’s over break. Mostly, I have just been hanging out with them, getting to know them better through games of basketball and swimming. I also accompanied the summer home kids on weekend trips to the Black Hills, where we hiked Harney Peak and explored Wind Cave, and Sioux Falls where we went go-carting and played laser tag.

So far, I have had a great experience out here in South Dakota. I would like to thank St. Joseph’s for welcoming me so warmly into their school community this past month. I will miss St. Joe’s very much when I have to leave, but this school and the time I spent here will always have a special place in my memory. I am grateful for this amazing opportunity and I wish all those at St. Joseph’s the best.

See what the Lakota children thought of Rising Eagle Day Camp – watch the video now! http://bit.ly/1pMJ5zI

Travels near and far begin at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good afternoon!

St. Joseph’s Indian School said a special prayer at Mass in honor of fathers everywhere. — Thanks and blessings to all the dads out there!

I hope all the dads out there had a wonderful Father’s Day! I pray our Heavenly Father will continue to bless, guide and strengthen you. We kept you in prayer at our Mass on Sunday.

Our high school travelers are back from Germany and France. They had a wonderful time and were very grateful for the opportunity. Their host families and the people they interacted with were very polite, friendly and nice. They had some difficulty communicating with locals due to the language barrier, but everyone managed.

The students agreed it was totally worth the commitment and effort they made to go; they have had many new experiences and great memories. They enjoyed the sights and learning about different cultures, but one student confessed she was not too excited about goat cheese… Good job giving it a try!

A formal presentation will be made to students and staff in October, when we have the opportunity to host the exchange students who will be coming over in the fall to visit St. Joseph’s Indian School and various sites in South Dakota.

St. Joseph’s Bookmobile visits numerous reservation communities each summer sharing books with those in need. — On their first day out, St. Joseph’s Bookmobile gave away over 700 books in five communities!

St. Joseph’s Bookmobile has hit the road! Over the next few weeks, they will deliver books to the Pine Ridge, Rosebud,

Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Indian Reservations. It is a way for St. Joseph’s to stay in touch with our students – past and present – and their families. The bookmobile stops at day cares, youth programs, playgrounds and parks to share books with anyone in the community.

Do you have books you’d like to donate? Print shipping labels here!

Day camp is still going strong! This week, our bus travels to Lower Brule to pick up participants. Back on campus, the children play kick ball and took hikes, did some swimming, toured the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and took a water safety course. As part of Native American Studies, they learned about the Lakota flag song, hand games and made small drums.

We thank you for your generosity! Your kindness allows us to offer Rising Eagle Day Camp to children in need of nutritious meals and safe summer fun. We continue to keep you in our prayers and ask that God continue to bless and reward you for your generosity to the Lakota (Sioux) boys and girls.

Have a great week. May God’s blessings continue to be with you!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Hello from St. Joseph’s Summer Home!

My name is Odis and I’m a houseparent. During the school year, I work with fourth and fifth grade boys. For the summer, I’m working with the Lakota (Sioux) students in

Odis, a houseparent, accompanied students in the summer home on a trip to the Black Hills and Harney Peak. — Louie, Odis and Nick “in the clouds” at the top of Harney Peak!

grades 2-8.

I wanted to let you know about some of the exciting things going on here in the Summer Home!

The students recently had a three-day weekend from summer school (they spend each morning during the week in class), so we used the opportunity to go to South Dakota’s beautiful Black Hills!

All twelve kids and three adults packed up and headed out to a weekend full of camping, hiking and other fun activities. The highlight of the weekend was the six (or seven!) mile hike up to Harney Peak in Custer State Park.

The map said six miles round trip, but our feet told us it was seven miles! Harney Peak is the highest natural point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. On the way up, the kids learned about the Pine Beetle that is killing the pine trees and leaving the forest vulnerable to fire.

We also learned about Valentine McGillycuddy, whose ashes are interred at the top of the peak.

McGillycuddy was known to be a friend of Crazy Horse. He was also the physician who attended Crazy Horse shortly before he died of a bayonet wound in Fort Robinson.

St. Joseph’s summer home students and staff spent a fun weekend camping and hiking in South Dakota’s Black Hills. — Ready to make the hike!

All the kids made the hike without complaint and enjoyed being “in the clouds” when we got to the top. Our adventure concluded with a picnic at Sylvan Lake when we got back to the bottom.

The students and houseparents at St. Joseph’s Indian School are grateful for your support! We appreciate your sacrifices for us and good feelings toward us. Our work would not be possible without you.

God bless!

Odis, Houseparent

In the words of a Lakota (Sioux) elder…

In the words of a Lakota (Sioux) elder:

You should be able to give away your most cherished possession without your heart beating faster.

This defines the value of generosity in the Circle of Courage. In helping others, youth create their own proof of worthiness and make a positive contribution to another human life.

Six young ladies from St. Joseph’s Indian School set out to do just that before school ended. To put generosity in action, they spent a Saturday serving at The Banquet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Several weeks earlier, I tentatively asked the girls about an outing that would focus on volunteering. Since their ideal outing generally involves shopping and eating at a fast food restaurant, I was surprised when I received a resounding “yes!”

The Banquet’s mission is to provide food and fellowship through their ministry. They provide a safe place where people can gather, receive nourishment and experience love in action.

The day of our visit, the girls participating woke up early and were outside at 8:25 for the ride to Sioux Falls. Once they settled on who was going to sit where and seat belts were on, we took off. The other houseparent and I knew that music and volume were going to be the central issue for the next two hours.

To show generosity to others, the girls spent a Saturday serving at The Banquet.

Arriving exactly on time, we went in and put on nametags. All the volunteers sat at tables while the manager announced the groups volunteering. In all, there were about 40 volunteers. When it was announced that students from St. Joseph’s were present, everyone turned to look at these young Native American women who had given up part of their Saturday. Several of them hid behind their hands, sheepish at the attention. They were the youngest volunteers in attendance.

Everyone was encouraged to talk with visitors at The Banquet. Additional instructions were given for our safety, such as not sharing our last names, not giving out money and not offering transportation. A volunteer offered up a prayer and then we went to our different areas.

In the next hour, approximately 290 people came through the doors. Of these, 48 were children. The girls poured 17 gallons of milk, plus coffee and water. They made

conversation where possible and at the end of the hour, they helped sweep and put up chairs.

Everyone met for the closing prayer. The manager made a point of saying the “St. Joseph’s girls rocked” and everyone applauded them. We were certainly invited back to help again sometime.

What I really wanted to know was what the students thought. And would they do it again? Again, I received a resounding “yes!”

Here is how they described their day of generosity:

Cool – I really liked it a lot.
It felt cool to help others.
It felt good to give back.
Awesome!
I liked it because I got to do something positive.

One of The Banquet’s visitors told the girls to stay in school and get as much education as she could because that’s the best way to get what she wanted.

Thank you for providing opportunities for the Lakota boys and girls to serve others! Without your generosity, these life lessons would not be possible.

God bless,

Cathy S., Houseparent

Feels like Summer at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good afternoon from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

A tipi stands outside the entrance of the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. — The Akta Lakota Museum’s tipi was erected last week for the summer.

Every summer, a tipi is set up outside the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, and it made its debut last week. It’s a wonderful interactive piece that allows visitors to take pictures and see how the tipi served as a home for early life on the Great Plains. We are always grateful when people take advantage of the opportunity to visit and learn more about Lakota (Sioux) culture and history. Hopefully, you will have a chance to visit soon.

Our second session of Rising Eagle Day Camp began today, serving Native American students from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation. The first two weeks of day camp, we brought children to campus from the Crow Creek Indian Reservation; that group finished Friday.

Over 520 students participated in the two-week program! It has been interesting to see what the children have been making in their arts and crafts class and hear them talk about fun in the swimming pool.

Several of St. Joseph’s high school students are working as camp counselors and enjoying the interaction with the younger children. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to be good role models and earn some extra spending money. All of this is possible because of your generosity – thank you!

Lakota children from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation will attend day camp at St. Joseph’s for the next two weeks. — Today, the Rising Eagle Day Camp bus picked up students from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation.

Mary Jane, our Alumni Coordinator, held a reunion on Saturday for past students and families. It was a great opportunity to catch up. Mary Jane also appreciated help in matching up faces and names from pictures taken over the years. Many found themselves in the collection of pictures, or their siblings or cousins. Lots of stories were shared, reflecting on what St. Joseph’s was like in years past and how the priests, Brothers, Sisters and other staff touched students’ lives in a variety of ways. There were even old videos of graduations and talent shows to watch, which brought a few chuckles and fond memories.

One of the highlights of the day was a specialized campus tour to see all the changes that have taken place on campus in recent years. Alumni also had the opportunity to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, the Alumni & Historical Center and the Medicine Wheel Garden, dedicated to all St. Joseph’s students.

It was a good first event. We hope the word will spread and future reunions will bring more alumni back to visit St. Joseph’s!

Pilamaya – thank you – for your generosity to the Lakota boys and girls attending St. Joseph’s Indian School! You and your special intentions are remembered in our daily prayers.

Have a great week! Remember to drive carefully – more schools are out for the summer, which means more children outside, playing and crossing streets.

God bless,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain