News Post

St. Joseph’s Academy gathered as a school community on August 15 to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. Father Mathew Dunn, SJA’s school chaplain and pastor at Christ the King Parish on LSU’s campus, was the presider.

Junior Margaret Losavio welcomed the large gathering in the Academy Student Center. “On this day, we honor Mary’s assumption into heaven, both body and soul, as a reward for her ‘yes’ to God and to God’s plans for her life,” she said. Sophomore MyKayla Cody lit a memorial candle, a new tradition to remember the members of the Academy community who have passed away.

Junior Clarke Carter read from the Book of Revelation. Junior Marie Helm read from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Juniors Hannah Hebert and Olivia Brackins offered the prayers of the faithful.

In his homily, Father Matt spoke of the gifts the Lord blesses us with. He said Mary is so prominent in the faith because she is a gift to us. “She shows us what it is like to know God, to love God, to choose God,” Father Matt said, adding that each of us is a gift to the world.

Following mass, Dean of Academics Aubrey DeJohn said that it has been more than 10 years since the student body read An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff. The “all-school summer read” led to the creation of the Sticker Sack program, in which students, faculty and staff prepare brown bag lunches for distribution each week through St. Vincent de Paul. The Sticker Sack program resumes on August 28.

DeJohn introduced Melissa Bahlinger Brocato ’89, SJA’s new dean of curriculum and instruction, who talked about her family’s six-generation history with the Academy: Her great-great aunt, Josephine Bahlinger, was SJA’s first graduate in 1877. Her aunt Kathleen Bahlinger was a Sister of St. Joseph and a faculty member at SJA. Her daughter, Olivia, graduated in 2023. “SJA has given me many gifts, including lifelong friends and strong foundations in the areas of faith, work ethic, education and service to others,” she said.

She said she looks forward to working with students in college prep skills and strategies to help them earn high scores on college entrance exams, leading to scholarships, and skills to be successful in the college learning environment.

Lending their musical gifts to the mass were the Liturgy Choir, under the direction of Danielle Laird, and cantors Caroline Roussel and Irianna Holmes, both of whom are seniors. Senior Emily Vennen led the singing of the alma mater. Musicians were Angela Sneed, piano, and Hugo Andricain, guitar.

Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director

Photos by Jen M. Fontaine '04 and Madeline Ortego '18