Msgr. Michael Heras honored for outstanding support of Catholic education
May1,2012
by By Mary Cottingham South Texas Catholic
Msgr. Heras accepted the national award at the association’s annual convention held April 11–13 in Boston, Mass. He is the second pastor from the Diocese of Corpus Christi to receive the award, in as many years. Last year, Msgr. Louis Kihneman III, VG received the honor.
When Msgr. Heras was assigned pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish 18 years ago he found its Catholic school in decline. Enrollment at OLPH Academy had decreased to 163 students. Principal Linda Cantu said Msgr. Heras was instrumental in reviving the school.
“He worked tirelessly to pay off huge debts, improve the facilities, the curriculum and the evangelization programs. Under his leadership a Montessori 2 1/2 year old unit and a Middle School were added in 2008. Enrollment has increased to 222 students with a waiting list in elementary grades,” Cantu said.
Although he was honored to receive the award, Msgr. Heras expressed shock for three reasons.
“Number one, Msgr. Kihneman got it last year; and two, we missed being a Blue Ribbon School by a half a point, because we don’t refuse any child And three, we have a new bishop and he doesn’t know us very well, he hasn’t seen us enough to give us his stamp of approval,” Msgr. Heras said.
It did not take Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey long to get to know the energetic Msgr. Heras. A year into his episcopacy he named Msgr. Heras Episcopal Vicar for the Centennial Jubilee while still asking him to continue to perform his regular duties at the parish.
“I am very proud of the award of NCEA to Msgr. Michael Heras as a distinguished pastor of a parish with a school,” Bishop Mulvey said. “Msgr. Heras has worked very hard to assure that Our Lady of Perpetual Help Academy grows and offers an excellent education to its students. I join with the school community as well as the diocese and our brother priests in thanking Msgr. Heras for his dedication to the ministry of Catholic schools.”
Before he was put in charge of the Jubilee, Msgr. Heras opened every school day with a prayer. He celebrates Masses on Wednesday and Friday for all grades levels at the academy, he pays the bills, writes grants and subsidies for the Montessori classes and teaches religion to the seventh and eighth grade students.
In addition to his involvement with OLPH Academy, Msgr. Heras is on the board at Blessed John Paul II High School and celebrates Mass there every Thursday before visiting with many of the 55 OLPH Academy alumni enrolled at the high school. He hears confessions and provides counseling.
Msgr. Heras described a two-stop education process for students that attend OLPH Academy. A child can stay at the academy until eighth grade, and then continue on to JP II High or Incarnate Word Academy high schools through 12th grade.
“Stability goes along way with students. Even those who do not end up going to Catholic high school, 96-98 percent of them go on to attend college,” he said.
“Msgr. Heras has a Velcro affect on the kids, they just love him,” Cantu said.
“Msgr. is very friendly, he talks to us about the Gospel,” one student said.
“We can tell him our dreams and problems,” said another student.
He believes that dreams are part of important events and decisions in the Bible and that they can be used to grow in understanding God’s will in a person’s life, Cantu explained.
In fact, Msgr. Heras believes that dream interpretation is very important, so much so that along with a degree in philosophy he holds a degree in depth psychology from the University of Dallas, during which he did dream interpretation and has since kept up with it.
“Kids have dreams at night and we talk about how it will reflect their day life. It becomes a starting point to engage them on formation and their relationship with God. Dreams can be symbols of faith. Depth psychology involves imagination, symbols, color, art and drama. We are more like lower angels than higher animals,” Msgr. Heras said.
Most principals usually have a hard time dealing with financial councils, but not so at OLPH Academy, Cantu said. “If we need it Msgr. will get it. Msgr. helps fund emergency repairs such as the purchase of new air conditioners and the repair of the sewer lines under the parish hall’s cafeteria,” she said.
Msgr. Heras provided extra funding for staff development and training, for purchasing teaching materials and equipment such as library books for the middle school and the Montessori Unit and equipment for the Middle School science laboratory, which were areas of need.
He allows fund raising sales outside the church after Masses. He uses the church bulletin to advertise fund raisers and to thank the parish and community for their help and support.
Msgr. Heras stressed the importance of staying on the cutting edge with regards to curriculum and technology. His goal is to continue to maintain the Montessori, 7th and 8th grade classes, provide ongoing funding and prepare students to be good people.
Msgr. Heras believes that a Catholic school graduate is someone who leads a holy life, who prays daily, is active in the church and sacraments, nurtures a health body and mind, excels in academics and is involved in community service.
“We have to compete not with just other Catholic and private schools, we have to show to our families that this is the better route. We have to show the public sector that our school is a gifted and talented counter part to the public school system.
“We believe we have to come up with an offering that is tremendously formational. They’re learning how to be good people. We are preparing them for the world by teaching them how to deal with conflict and dialogue,” Msgr. Heras said.
“Young kids need a social life. Our children are more sheltered than children from other schools, because they are ours from K2 and up. We try to provide opportunities for them to see the world and provide social settings that they would not normally be exposed to. A big plus about a small school like this, is that it’s like a close knit family, when someone dies in the school, the entire school attends the rosary and the funeral,” Principal Cantu said.
Msgr. Heras is very strict about monitoring children using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. He works closely with children and parents to help enforce rules. He believes it is the role of the parish to educate. “It’s a priority to fuse youth ministry with the school,” Msgr. Heras said.
“We do a whole plethora of community and parish building activities. We have a Junior and National Honor Society. We involve them in day and weekend retreats, they attend Mo Ranch, which is a hands on nature study/leadership building weekend,” Msgr. Heras said.
“They are also involved in the Mardi Gras Parade, celebrations for Advent, Texas Independence Day, the Christmas Musical, plays, and Stations of the Cross and our 7th and 8th graders help out at the food bank,” Cantu said.
“Every two years during Spring Break we take junior and senior high school students to Rome. These are students who have been involved in ministry all there lives and have had a chance to raise the funds go,” Msgr. Heras said.
“What sold me on sending my girls Natalya and Rachel to OLPH was Msgr. Heras and the addition of the junior high,” said Jaime Reyna, a parent of two girls who attend OLPH Academy. “Msgr. Heras is a great communicator and teacher and he is so chipper.”
Superintendent of Catholic Schools Rene Gonzalez said Msgr. Heras stands out, because “he really devotes a great deal of his time to be present to students for spiritual direction with whatever problems they have. He takes a vested interest in the lives of his students faculty, staff and administration and he is truly a pastor in every sense of the word.”
“Msgr. Heras frequently verbalizes his vision for the school during parent orientation, the church bulletin and during evangelization classes,” wrote Linda Cantu, principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Academy, in a letter to the NCEA. “He has a clear vision and truly believes that Catholic schools are the center of evangelization in a parish.”
“Pastors provide support that is vital to maintaining excellent Catholic schools, both through their spiritual leadership and their efforts to work closely with the school community,” said Christian Brother Robert Bimonte, executive director of the NCEA Department of Elementary Schools. “In honoring these individuals, we acknowledge the many pastors across the country who give so much to assure outstanding Catholic education in their communities.”