Though we now live in a different world—one where Zoom Rooms connect us in-person and virtually—we find ourselves in equally uncertain times, so it strikes me that the Xaverian values which animate this community are the same as they were more than a century ago. This year, as we reflect on the value of compassion, our challenge—as author and California Peace Prize winner Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, urges us—is to be aware. Aware of the needs of others, aware of our ability to impact those needs, aware of our connection to every individual as a person created in the image and likeness of God.
Our first day of classes and last evening's opening prayer service served as a powerful reminder that we are bound together by our membership in the Prep community. In the Catholic, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions, the force that binds us together is God. When we are connected with that force for GOOD, when we act with a deeper awareness of others' needs and our impact on those around us, even those we have never met, we build up that bond and we make God's presence more visible in our world.
Members of our campus and alumni community have modeled awareness in action throughout the COVID pandemic—collecting PPE, providing food for those in need, manufacturing masks, and caring for the afflicted on the front lines. These are forces for GOOD. When we are at our best, we affirm each other's uniqueness and empower one another to be witnesses to love.
This year has been and will continue to be a challenge in many ways. Even so, we know that by working together, communicating, and supporting each other in the face of adversity, good things will happen. Ultimately, we must remember that no one expects perfection, as none of us are perfect. We are all works in progress, and we will continue to learn and advance our mission by embracing a growth mindset.
Our Xaverian values are bold calls for action. They always have been. They are carved into the foundations of our buildings, printed on wristbands and cards at the beginning of every school year, and spoken aloud at the beginning of each weekday for a reason. They are reminders that every single day, in every circumstance, we are called to be servant leaders. To influence every situation for the benefit of others.
Today, as we work to end the pandemics of COVID-19 and racism, it's imperative that each of us recognize and embrace how we are bound together and how we can be a force for GOOD in the common, ordinary, everyday moments of school life. This year, we must find ways to gently but directly call out behaviors and actions that tear others down. You don't have to be the headmaster or a teacher to challenge others. You need to be an upstander, and you need to empower yourself and those around you to let the brilliance of all people shine—within our community and beyond. Now is the time to be an upstander. Now is the time for us to act with courage for justice, despite our fears.
As we begin another journey together, let each of us—faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, and trustees—commit ourselves to strengthen this bond that connects us, despite our differences. Let us foster an amazing, beautiful, and high-minded community that makes the love of God more present in our world.
The beginning of a new school year offers us an opportunity to make new choices. My hope is that you will choose compassion, every day.
Peace and prayers,
Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D.
Headmaster