Angels enrich Montessori building, rosary garden

 

Bishop Mulvey blesses a sign made in honor of four IWA Angels Leighton Elizabeth McComb, Jonathan Andrew McComb, William Oliver Rumley and alumnus Trey Turner. The sign pictured all four students and was placed at the entrance of the Memorial Rosary Garden and the new Montessori building. Assisting Bishop Mulvey are, from left, Sister Annette Wagner, IWBS, Elementary Level Assistant Principal Claudia Rybalka, Allie Salazar, Tobin Hilliard and Jack Rumley.

Raul Altamirano for South Texas Catholic
 

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Led in prayer by Bishop Michael Mulvey, students, faculty, staff, special dignitaries and friends of Incarnate Word Academy gathered outside of IWA’s new Catherine & Bob Hilliard Montessori Building and Memorial Rosary Garden for a special blessing and dedication ceremony on Sept. 26.

The Memorial Rosary Garden contains a beautiful walking rosary path created in memory of three Angels, Leighton Elizabeth McComb, Jonathan Andrew McComb, and William Oliver Rumley. A live oak tree was also planted within the garden in memory of Angel alumnus Trey Turner who graduated in 2012.

The new Montessori building was the completion of a longtime dream of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, to expand the reach of the school’s elementary level by establishing a building for the Montessori program. 

“From every sister to all of the teachers, they bring love to our children; they bring a sense of community to our children; they bring strong Catholic faith to our children. And because of that, they inspire us, the parents, to create something that will last when current students’ grandchildren come here,” Bob Hilliard said during the ceremony. “Part of the beauty and love we have for the students of IWA is because of what we see at the entrance of the Montessori building, which is the rosary garden.”

For IWA parent Sherry Rumley, the completion of the new Montessori building and Memorial Rosary Garden gives her a deep sense of gratitude knowing current and future students will have somewhere they can pray, whenever they choose.

“When I heard there was going to be a prayer garden as part of this amazing Montessori building, I immediately thought ‘this is the perfect place to honor a few very special Angels who have already made their way to heaven,’” she said during the ceremony. “It gives me great hope that they are in a wonderful place, up there praying their hearts out. And now we have a place here on campus where their friends can come and they can be remembered forever.”

The new $3.6 million facility was made possible through a $1 million gift from Catherine and Bob Hilliard, a high impact grant from the John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation and generous support from other foundations, parents, grandparents, past parents, alumni, and friends. 

After the ceremony, Bishop Mulvey blessed each room of the new 14,000-square-foot building which includes the new Amor Meus Atrium, the new Mater Dai wireless computer lab, five new classrooms, administrative offices, a faculty lounge, and walkway connecting the Traditional and Montessori Buildings. The building serves students from ages 3 to fifth grade.

With prayer being a central part of the IWA experience, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd coordinator Mary Ellen Galvan says the new Atrium has brought a sense of awe and wonder to her students.

“There is such a sense of reverence for this Atrium and it comes from all ages,” she said. “This new building is a commitment built in cement which is something I value every time I see the recognition in my students’ eyes, eager to build their foundations in Catholic Education. People walk in here and they know immediately this place is special.”

For Heather Quintana, who teaches S.T.E.M. related classes at both the Elementary and High School Level, the new Mater Dai wireless computer lab offers her the opportunity to engage with students in a lively environment which sparks the imaginations of children interested in developing a future career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“I’ve heard from several parents that their kids, some ranging from first to fifth grade, have come home saying they want to become engineers,” she said. “When you can expose S.T.E.M. to a young person and elicit that kind of response, you know you’re doing something right. Our new S.T.E.M. and wireless computer lab has definitely facilitated that desire from my students.” 

IWA’s new building is the second and final phase of IWA’s Enlighten, Inspire, and Strengthen Campaign. Phase I included the construction of the Austin Street Athletic Complex and renovations to the Mother Patricia Gunning Gymnasium Lobby and basketball court.

“The Sisters along with the rest of us are ecstatic to see this dream finally become a reality,” IWA Elementary Level Principal Pamela Carrillo said. “This new building gives us the ability to expand our program and meet the demands while providing a cohesive space for both Traditional and Montessori programs.”