Central Catholic High School Initiatives: Love for Service and Love for God's Creation
Central Catholic High School's Guardian Angels service club and Button LIFE students began the school year with extensive community outreach, including sorting donations, hosting blood drives, promoting environmental conservation, supporting mental health advocacy, and participating in Archdiocesan pilgrimages.
Guardian Angels:
Central Catholic High School's service club (the Guardian Angels) got our school year off to a great start on August 22, 2026, with a community service project at Catholic Charities, where we coincidentally worked alongside students from St. Mary's University, sorting through donations.
Then the Guardian Angels wrapped up a school supply drive for families in need. The guys collected enough school supplies to fill most of a bus!
Along the way, the Guardian Angels also ran a blood drive. We collected 37 units of blood and seven units of platelets. Those are great numbers for a small school!
Finally, this past Saturday (September 19), our Guardian Angels worked at an urban community garden near Woodlawn Lake Park. It was difficult but rewarding work!
Moving on…
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, our Science Department will bring in a guest speaker to give an after-school presentation on mental illness. The speaker will be Maria Hoenigman (wife of Luke Hoenigman – religion faculty). Mrs. Hoenigman has an extensive background in clinical psychology and works for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). An acceptance of individuals suffering from mental illness is something we are called to do as Christians – and that will be a focal point of Mrs. Hoenigman's presentation.
Moreover, on Saturday, September 26, the Guardian Angels will assist at the annual NAMI walk. The Guardian Angels volunteered there last year, and everyone involved had a great time!
Button LIFE:
While the Guardian Angels have kept busy, our Button LIFE students have also been working hard to spread the faith! On September 13, they attended the Care for Creation Mass & Pilgrimage with several hundred faithful from across San Antonio and beyond. Archbishop Gustavo was the celebrant. He also led those in attendance on a "nature walk" from Mission Espada to Mission San Juan.
Central Catholic senior, Madden Minyard, had this to say about the event…
"The Archbishop really focused his homily on the troubles in our world, especially here in the United States right now. He also spent time talking about how we as Catholics have a role in doing our part, whether it be small, in fixing what we can. It can be small things like just picking up after ourselves and keeping areas clean. That was further discussed during the pilgrimage when we would stop at different spots and pray. His main points were just that regardless of what others do, we as Catholics have an obligation to care for all of God's Creation, especially human life. The cost of living is high, and many families suffer.”
Another Central Catholic senior, Leo Bendele, shared these words…
“It was beautiful seeing all these people from diverse backgrounds come together for a common cause and go on this pilgrimage.”
Update sent by James Bendele
Ministry Lead, Marianist Encounters
Guardian Angels and Ecology Club Moderator
San Antonio, TX