Farewell Saint Francis

The following was written to my faculty and staff at SFIS:

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To my dearest family at Saint Francis International School,

It is with honor, it is with sadness, it is with hope and aspirations to tell all of you that I will be moving on to a new journey next year and leave my post as your faithful Director of Development and Marketing.

 When I look at each of our children’s faces, I wonder who each will become one day, and genuinely hope, as our school mantra says, that they will become the best versions of themselves.  Their dreams to be a physician, president, or even a good parent will in some way, always stay with them as they get older---at least this is what I realized for myself.  I have figured out that if I want our children to pursue their best versions of themselves, I too must seek who I’m truly called to be.

 Early in my childhood, I always knew I wanted to be an author.  It was the kind and positive encouragement from great teachers like you that told me I would be a good writer one day, and has fed my soul to keep my pen on paper.  For the past several years, I’ve been chipping away at my eventual books about the pursuit of authentic masculinity, the importance of preparing for fatherhood, and shining light on the gift of a pornography-free life and saving sex for marriage all written on my Web site Catholic Fried Rice. This year I realized I simply do not have the time and energy to keep writing at the pace I would like with my current position.  And through a lot of prayer, signs, and frankly, positive pushing from my loving fiancé Mimi, we have decided it is best for me to take this next year off and part/full-time write for a living.

 With this said, it is not without sadness to say that I am leaving this family here at Saint Francis. Exactly at this time last year I applied, interviewed, and received the job on the day of the school’s last Mass. I was the happiest man, and this happiness has continued as the administration of Roberta, Teresa, Betsy, Bro. Gerald, and especially Toby have all been so good to me as I learned the hard ropes of my position. They are good people, and I genuinely feel their drive for this place is one of the difference makers of why this school is becoming one of the best in our area.

                 I have had the grand privilege to sit down and talk to each and every one of you, and I can tell you that I genuinely love the person that each and every one of you are.  I sing your praises to donors and new parents as often as I can.  I’m inspired by your life stories from how you got to SFIS, how you feel now, and where you’re hopes and dreams are headed in the future.  I genuinely like each and every one of you and have often felt that you were exactly where you were supposed to be in this school this year.

                 I love the children here at Saint Francis, and it is for them that I wanted to make sure we stay on good and growing ground without me next year.  Through some connections, we have acquired a full-time volunteer from a Franciscan program called CapCorps to take on some of my responsibilities next year.  His name is Izzi Hernandez and I will be back early next year to train him.  We the staff feel this is best in a win-win-win for all of us.

                 Thank you SFIS Fam.  If there’s anything I hoped I could have done this year, it was to help make this place a positive and encouraging environment.  You and your examples have given me so much life. Please pray for me as I will pray for you.  This is not a good-bye, but a farewell, a see you later from no longer a coworker, but your friend of the school.

Peace and joy,
Matt

A photo of me and some of the staff members who are moving on this year.
At our last Mass of the school year yesterday, we received special Tau crosses.
(The teachers, unlike me, were dressed for field day)