“I’ve seen the talent, and I’ve seen the dedication, and I’ve seen the love and zeal of your teachers,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan said as he praised the faculty and staff of the Sacred Heart Schools in Yonkers during a Mass of the Holy Spirit.

Cardinal Dolan visited Sacred Heart on September 18 to join Fr. Robert Abbatiello, president of Sacred Heart Schools and pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, in celebrating the Mass. Students, faculty, and parents filled the pews of the parish to hear Archbishop-emeritus Cardinal Dolan share his joy for Catholic education in our archdiocese. “There’s no better way to kick off a school year than celebrating a Mass together and having Cardinal Dolan here with us,” said Principal Kyle O’Donnell.

Cardinal Dolan delivered a homily focused on praise for the school’s impressive track record and said, “I’ve seen the talent and I’ve seen the dedication and I’ve seen the love and zeal of your teachers. So, faculty and staff, hear me say how grateful I am to you and how much I admire you… Jesus said a city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden… Sacred Heart Parish and Sacred Heart Schools are built on a hilltop, and Jesus would be happy because we can’t hide. People see us. They admire us. They love us. They pray with us and for us. They love what they see here.”

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Students and staff praise the cardinal’s support

“We’re so impressed with our students. They were so reverent. They’re happy to have him here… We talk a lot about teams here at Sacred Heart. Everyone’s on our team, and we’re so lucky to have [Cardinal Dolan] on our team. He’s just such a great supporter of Catholic education in general.”

The Sacred Heart community prides itself on being the only private Catholic School in Yonkers and works very hard day in and day out to continue fostering this community to keep Catholic teaching alive and strong here in Westchester County. After Mass, Fr. Bob Abbatiello shared his experience as a lifelong member of this community and said, “I grew up here. I went to the schools, both grade school and high school. So to hear and see how much our Archbishop-emeritus and Cardinal supports Sacred Heart. It’s a great gift for us.”

Sacred Heart in Yonkers is getting back into the swing of things this school year and will celebrate St. Francis Week from September 28-October 2, and you can learn more about everything they are doing there on their website.