Parenting Resources

Bellarmine Turns Focus to Hunger for Summit Week

By: Larry Lauro

At the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Bellarmine Principal Chris Meyercord offered this challenge to the school community. Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Here at Bellarmine, when we end prayers, we often say, “God Bless, and Go Bells!” This year, when we say “go Bells!” – Let’s not just say it as an exclamation – let’s hear it as a command. Let’s remember today’s gospel and Jesus’ words to his disciples, and know that Jesus is calling us to GO, be with, and serve the hungry.

At the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Bellarmine Principal Chris Meyercord offered this challenge to the school community. Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Here at Bellarmine, when we end prayers, we often say, “God Bless, and Go Bells!” This year, when we say “go Bells!” – Let’s not just say it as an exclamation – let’s hear it as a command. Let’s remember today’s gospel and Jesus’ words to his disciples, and know that Jesus is calling us to GO, be with, and serve the hungry.

Following this call from early in the school year, the Bellarmine community has responded in many ways to learn about, experience and address the problem of hunger on the local, national and global stage. Each day the students listen to a daily hunger fact in the announcements. Student have brought cans of food to theater performances and athletic events. Students, parents and alumni have attended Justice Education Thursday evening presentations on the topics of sustainability, global hunger and local hunger needs. Teachers have assigned service learning projects connected with the hunger issue. Athletic teams and students have done and are committed to work at food banks and for day workers who need lunches for their long work days. Special reflections in classes, morning prayers and examens have sought to acknowledge and clarify our connection to the suffering reality of those who are hungry and remind us that all faiths call upon us to respond with compassion and action!

During the week of March fifteenth to nineteenth, Bellarmine will turn its focus to the issue of hunger, modifying the weekly schedule to accommodate a series of special events that will challenge our students to learn about the scope and depth of the hunger issue as well as learn what can be done to help solve the hunger problem locally and globally! Our focus will be to examine the CAUSES of hunger, witness the EXPERIENCE of hunger and to take ACTION in some personal way to make the situation better. As Mr. Meyercord said, we can make a real difference – if all of us work together to make it happen. If being men and women for and with others is going to mean something – and it has got to mean something – then Jesus’ words to his disciples speak to us, too. Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you… to feed the hungry.”

Summit Week begins on Monday March fifteenth with a series of service options for students to work at local food banks, soup kitchens and schools where local hunger is addressed in a variety of ways. Second Harvest Food Bank, Sacred Heart Community Services, Sacred Heart Nativity School and Loaves and Fishes will host dozens of Bellarmine students who give up part of their day off to help those who experience hunger.

On Tuesday March Sixteenth, the summit formally opens at the Keynote School Wide Assembly in the gymnasium. Addressing the Bellarmine Community will be Father Steve Privett, S.J., President of the University of San Francisco, Steve Hege, class of ’98, who worked with Jesuit Refugee Services in Burundi, Africa and Kathy Jackson, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. The speakers were selected especially for their demonstrated concern for the poor and their compassionate response to their suffering. The students will hear the strong message that their faith, all faiths, call on each of us to respond with compassionate action to help the marginalized.

Wednesday, March seventeenth, marks a big break in the school routine with thirty-five breakout sessions being offered for the students to attend. Each student will attend three of these sessions. Many of the major local and global Hunger Organizations will be represented: Food First, Bread for the World, Catholic Relief Services, Sacred Heart Community Services, Loaves and Fishes, Catholic Charities, Second Harvest Food Bank, Dorothy’s Place Catholic Worker House and more. Dr. Gregory A. Baker and Dr. Drew Starbird from the University of Santa Clara will be presenting. State Assemblyman Jim Beall, Jr. 24th district will be presenting. And, we have several Bellarmine Alumni and faculty who will present on hunger-related issues as well. Finally, as one of the sessions, most of the students will attend a hunger panel in the new Bellarmine theatre which will give the students a chance to hear from those who have experienced the deep pain of hunger in their lives.

Thursday, March eighteenth, Bellarmine students will be able to experience hunger on a small scale as the focus of this day is fasting to express solidarity with the poor. Bellarmine students and faculty will have a choice to fast for the day or simply to eat a bowl of rice for lunch, to express solidarity with those who hunger daily. Sponsored by the ASB, any student who fasts will have to get a permission slip in order to participate. And since not all students and faculty can or should fast, they have the options of purchasing a bowl of rice for lunch and are encouraged to donate money to support local food banks. The chapel will be open all day for faculty and students to pray for and reflect upon the one billion people who live in hunger throughout the world.

In the evening, two events will take place. In Liccardo Center, there will be a hunger banquet which will give the participants the experience of hunger on a global scale. A very small number of people at the banquet will eat very well and the majority will eat very little. The participants will be reflecting and discussing what it is like to be in the various roles. Also that evening, the Oscar-nominated movie Food Inc., will be shown. The movie focuses on food production and choices that have so much to do with the hunger problem. Both of these evening events are open to parents. Contact Anne Maloney for the Hunger Banquet and Steve Pinkston or Megan Murphy about Food Inc..

Finally, on Friday, March nineteenth, the school will meet once again in the gymnasium for the closing Hunger Summit Prayer Service. Fr. Ted Gabrielli, S.J. will lead the school in a final prayer service. There will be a video of the week’s events, student reflections and a commissioning of the community to follow the words that Jesus spoke, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you…to feed the hungry.”