Orchard Lake Schools

Polish Seminary, St. Mary’s Prep, Polish Mission

Why the Church matters: Catholicism helps answer every "why" question:

Why am I here? Why is he here?Why did that happen? Why God? WHY?

Why Catholicism matters: Roots

❖ Catholic institutions provide "Rootedness."

❖ "Rootedness" reminds us of who we are.

❖ "Rootedness" helps show us who we are meant to be.

❖ "You can't know where you're going until you know where you've come from."

❖ A lack of rootedness in today's secular world can lead to: Personalism, Relativism, Materialism -- the "now" and "me." We chase money, power, pleasure and honor because we feel incomplete. Our hearts are restless until they rest with Thee.

What can the world learn from Poland?

Cardinal Timothy Dolan:❖ "(Poland) can be used as a model for standing up for

eternal values in a culture that very often snickers at and questions them. Poland is a pro at that. They’ve done it for a great part of their history. They did it in a particularly heroic way from 1939 to 1989, when they were under the oppression of the Nazis and the Communists. They were genuinely a light to the world, in reminding us that — to recover the truth in a culture of lies — the dignity of a human person — where the people were being stuffed in the ovens, and the sacredness of human life, when human life was being jackbooted by thugs, whether they be led by Hitler or Stalin — Poland kept its faith, knew its values, trusted God, like the people of Israel."

Did Jesus give Polish Catholics and other "chosen souls" a special

mission?

The Spark from Poland

"I bear a special love for Poland, and if she will be obedient to My will, I will exalt her in might and holiness. From her will come forth the spark that will prepare the world for My final coming" (Diary of St. Faustina, 1732)

"I have come to bring fire on the Earth and how I wish that it were already kindled." -

Luke 12:49

"The spark

that will prepare the world.."

Finding your destiny, your niche❖ "Jesus is inviting you, calling you, to leave your mark on life, to

leave a mark on history." - Pope Francis, to World Youth Day pilgrims in Krakow, Poland July 30, 2016.

❖ “'To be called' means to know why one lives, why one exists...the first truth and most basic one is this, every person has a vocation in life and on this vocation lies a person’s greatness; the second truth is this: everyone of us has to comprehend his own personal vocation." - St. John Paul II, Orchard Lake Homily, Sept. 23, 1969.

❖ A powerful "Brand," fills and "owns'' a unique "niche" in a way no competitor can.

During Poland's Insurrection of 1863 our founder, Father Joseph Dabrowski, escaped 2,000 Russian troops when he found "a niche" in a wall.

"There was a niche in the wall, not large but of sufficient depth to receive a human body -- I considered this a revelation of Divine Providence" Father Dabrowski, the father of Polish American education, escaped Poland, became a priest starting our Polish Seminary in 1885. He fed it through the work of organizations he began, invited or worked with:- St. Mary's Preparatory- St. Mary's College (now part of Madonna University)- The Felician Sisters - Polish Roman Catholic Union of America.- Polish National Alliance.- More than 800 Polish American parishes that provided students and financial support.

The Orchard Lake "niche"

Orchard Lake SchoolsSS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary

Foundations in Faith Formation

St. Mary’s PreparatoryGod. Family. St. Mary’s

The Polish MissionPreserving Cultural Ethnicity & Tradition

Orchard Lake Polish Seminary: SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary (Krakow and Orchard Lake)

Providing Polish Priests to evangelize America

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory

Leading Catholic Preparatory School

10% of our student body – half our international boarding students – from China

Premier International Boarding School

Students from USA, China, Poland, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

Orchard Lake Polish Mission

Heart of Polonia: Art, culture (Culture means what we value) P

Orchard Lake Schools - the Spark from Poland

Orchard Lake produces

• Priests, deacons and lay ministers (as well as bishops, one cardinal and at least two future saints) who inspire millions of souls around the world.

• State Champs in major sports and All Academic champs in all sports.

• Hundreds of CEOs, executives and leaders on every continent.

• Events and collections that inspire and reenergize thousands of visitors and pilgrims.

Old Gym

Castle

Arturo Mari, Photographer to 6 Popes

“Orchard Lake is so large – students listen, traditions are kept alive,” – Arturo Mari

April 5, 2016 visit

– St. John Paul II, dubbed “The Father of Orchard Lake’’ and an honorary alumnus after his first stay on our campus.

“In this setting, my dear members of the Orchard Lake family, you can think about your vocation...”

Our New Struggle

Vocations in Poland and USA have tumbledSeminary enrollment has dropped from 67 seminarians and lay students six years ago to 26 this fall.

Tuition Revenue has tumbled from 71% to 36% of our budget.

After earning a $903,863 surplus in 2010-11, our seminary has lost $4.27 million since then (subsidized by reserves and the other members of our family).

How we come back❖ Reenergize, renew and expand our relationships, particularly with North

American Polonia. From 1885-1977, most of our seminarians were Polish Americans. During the JPII era, nearly all of our seminarians came from Poland. Ideally, we need Poles, Polish Americans and all others who are called, helping each other, spreading the spark from Poland around the globe.

❖ Evangelize and engage with the 2.5 million World Youth Day pilgrims who gathered in Poland this year. At a post WYD meeting between the Pope and 10,000 participants, 2,000 men and 3,000 women stood when asked if they were considering a vocation.

❖ Draw the faithful inspired by our patron St. John Paul II and The Divine Mercy. In this Year of Mercy, the shrine in our Shrine Chapel was named for JPII during a national celebration of Polish Christianity this year. We celebrate JPII on his feast day and throughout the year. Our new Karol Wojtyla Society encourages planned giving from monthly donors to estate planning.

❖ Cut waste, leverage our underutilized assets and resources, expand development efforts and partner with like-minded people and organizations.

St. John Paul II gave Polonia a mission:

"Fill Orchard Lake, fill it to capacity," - St. John Paul II

"If the Orchard Lake Schools did not exist, it would be necessary to create them,"- St. John Paul II.

Fr. Walter Ciszek Fr. Joe Walijewski Fr. Zdislaw Peszkowski

Alumni: 2 future saints and a Nobel nominee

Who will follow in their foot steps?

How can you help? 1. Prayers and support.

2. Please refer just 1 student.