The School of The Month for December is Saint Justin Martyr Catholic School in Anaheim.
At a time when there is growing violence and distrust in the United States, it is more important than ever to build relationships and understanding between various groups through education and personal narrative. On Wednesday, October 11th, Orange Crescent School in Garden Grove was invited by the seventh grade class at Saint Justin Martyr School in Anaheim in an effort to build interfaith relationships and dialogue between Muslims and Catholics. A group of eighth grade students, their two teachers, and a few parents graciously accepted an invitation to visit the school and present the Muslim faith from a personal perspective. Catholic students listened respectfully, as their peers presented information about everything from prayer to cultural traditions. The adults then fielded questions from the students and presented each seventh grader with the gift of their name in Arabic. After taking pictures, shaking hands, and promising a reciprocal visit to Orange Crescent School everyone present realized that this was a wonderful first step toward tolerance and that the foundations had been laid for a new friendships. Saint Justin Martyr School also recently hosted a visit with Rabbi Michael Mayersohn who spoke with grades 5-8 about Judaism and the Holocaust, and they hope to host a visit from a Hindu priest later in the year. Hopefully, these visits will build new bridges in the school community and beyond.
For more information on Saint Justin Martyr School, visit their website at www.SJM-K8.com.
