Our Elizabeth Police Force

The Campus Ministers meet with members of the Elizabeth Police Police Force

to discuss and present the

United Nations Law Enforcement Human Trafficking Toolkit. 

The United Nations Law Enforcement Human Trafficking Toolkit contained training information for front line defenders to identify potential human trafficking situations, stabilize and control the situation, help prepare the victim, and resources to refer victims to specialized service providers.

 Sergent Mike Jones, Sergent Jim Kearns and Detective Micki Colon shared an important message for all people, especially immigrants. "Don't be afraid to come to police. They will help you.." So often, people mistakenly believe that the police will arrest them for other violations. They are only interested in protecting the victims of these horrible crimes and persecuting the serious criminals abusing young people, especially young girls. The laws currently protect anyone, whether documented or undocumented, who are coerced into forced labor or sexual exploitation. 

 Everyone should be outraged about this inhumane violence against young women and children. We can be silent no more. We must use our VOICES and tell everyone. There was a recent article in the news that most perpetrators are meeting their victims through facebook, twitter and instagram by asking to be a friend. They then have access to your name, photos, friends and information. DO NOT ACCEPT ANY PERSON AS YOUR FRIEND. It is dangerous.... and warn your friends.

Youth Service Challenge

Ariana, Alumnus, was visiting Benedictine Academy and enthusiastically delivered a special message for the youth in our state who are doing service to help make our world a better place. 

YOUTH SERVICE CHALLENGE.net  

Deadline: April 1

Submit your Service Project

JEFFERSON AWARDS

Recognizes the Young People in our State 

Approximately one dozen Service Categories

 

BENEDICTINE ACADEMY AT UNITED NATIONS

Ten Campus Ministry Leaders (Benedictine's Cor Defenders) headed off to the United Nations to attend a United For A Culture Of Peace Conference at the United Nations General Assembly, with Moderators, Mrs.michalski, Sr. Donna Jo and Coach Jones.  Sponsored by six Permanent Missions to the United Nations from the leaders of Guatemala to the leaders of New Zealand, they worked in partnership five other Permanent Missions from the Republic of the Philippines to the leaders of Zimbabwe.

 The World Interfaith Peace Conference was presented by H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic', President of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, The United Nationals Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and The Committee of Religious NGO's at the United Nations.  

Speakers from countries around the world, including Ambassadors and Secretary Generals, shared their reflections on the Role of Interfaith Harmony in the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes.  We were especially inspired by the powerful words of Ms. Kiran Bali, the Chair of the United Religions Initiative of the Global Council. A practicing Hindu, as well as Interfaith Minister, is the youngest global chairperson to lead the United Religions Initiative.  She has received numerous honors for her dedicated work in gender equality and community cohesion projects, including the MBE from Queen Elizabeth II.  Underpinning her efforts are the principles of acceptance, justice and mutual respect.

Dr. Patrick Ho, Secretary General, China Energy Fund Committee,  equally moved our hearts and minds with his message of peace.

The Second Part of the Conference was a moving Symphony of Peace Prayers, accompanied by Jon Blond on flute, by a member of the Indigenous, Baha i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian faiths, followed by the preciously sweet voices of theJunior Chorus  of the United Nations International School.

The Conference concluded with a powerful World Peace Flag Ceremony - 192 countries praying with the thousand attendees - MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH.

"  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me." Matthew 25:34-36.

 For the jean tag day, Ms. Powell and her students raised money for the Kevin Reinhard Scholarship at St. Joseph’s High School in Metuchen, NJ and the Wounded Warrior Project which gives aid to wounded war veterans and their families. We raised $300 to be split evenly between these two causes. It filled her heart with joy and pride to see our girls proudly showing off their USA colors!

Earlier in the month, Ms. Branco and her students raised several hundred dollars for the American Heart Association.

Benedictine Academy is a School for the Lord's Service. We all believe as one sacred community that we have a shared responsibility to build a more just, peaceful world.

Photos courteous of our faithful friend, Ms. Anderson, Director of Development.

NATIONAL YOUTH SUMMIT

A live interactive webcast was held today by the National Youth Summit at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.. Several of our Freedom Partner student leaders participated in this most important webcast on Human Trafficking, Modern Day Slavery.

It was 150 years ago, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation declaring slavery to be willfully wrong. The injustice of this hideous crime continues today. President Barack Obama on September 25, 2012 declared, "Our fight against human trafficking is one of the greatest human rights causes of our time."

Alison Stewart, a Peabody Award winning journalist and former host of TED radio hour, interviewed the distinguished panel of speakers including:

Lois Brown, Professor at Wesleyan University, is a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Award recipient and affiliated with the Harvard University DuBois Institute for Afro-American Research. Professor Brown is a renown lecturer on 19th century African American literature and abolitionist narratives.

Ken Morris Jr., Founder and President of the Frederick Douglass Foundation is a direct descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Our Benedictine Academy Freedom Partner, continues the legacy of his great great great grandfather, Frederick Douglass, by leading a modern Abolitionist Movement in schools all across the country educating against human trafficking.

Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking of Persons, United States Department of State. "Ambassador Luis CdeBaca was appointed by President Obama in 2009 to coordinate U.S. government activities in the global fight against contemporary forms of slavery."

If you are interested in being part of the Abolition Movement and be a voice for the voiceless, go to
www.change.org/petitions/u-s-department-of-education-help-teach-kids-about-historical-and-modern-slavery and sign our petition. Benedictine Academy, along with nine other schools across the nation, wrote a New Proclamation of Freedom calling for education in our public and private school systems about the injustice of slavery against the human race.

Acceptance Gathering

It was a wonderful evening as students from almost a dozen schools gathered together.   Samantha, our Senior video producer and editor, opened the ceremony with an introduction on the importance of the Jefferson Awards Students In Action Program.

This welcome was followed by an informative video providing an inside look of the many service projects being accomplished by the Benedictine Academy student community.  The short film production concludes with an invitation by alumna, Ariana (currently a student at New York University - Tisch School of the Arts), asking all the young students to submit a service project as part of the Youth Service Challenge.

Mr. Jennings then recognized the top three elementary schools, St. Genevieve, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and St. Mary's for their outstanding service to the community.  The students from each of these schools received a Students In Action certificate and a letter to the Principal explaining that a banner would follow shortly.   St. Michael's and St. Joseph the Carpenter also received a certificate for their valuable service to the communities.

The Benedictine Academy Students In Action Team are proud of all the accomplishments of their younger students.  Inspired and inspiring, they hope that this affirmation will continue to flame the passion for helping others in need.  We believe we have a shared responsibility to build a more, just peaceful world.

SIA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

 

Benedictine Academy's Jefferson Award Gold Medal SIA team joined over 150 other students, including our brothers from St. Benedict's Prep,  for a Leadership Conference at Kean University.

Several of our students presented and shared their passion for their service projects in the educational/literacy and peace/justice fields.

A SIA Senior devotes over hundreds of hours each year to helping the disabled learn to read and write in her community literacy program. A SIA Sophomore student, Modern Abolitionist and member of the Freedom Partner Club, shared about our country's plight and action needed to help eradicate Human Trafficking.

The students then collaborated with other schools to tackle a pressing issue within our communities. Their analysis included developing a plan for a project incorporating the 7 goals of effective leadership. Two of our SIA Ambassadors mentored and guided the group addressing a peace and justice issue currently affecting our society.

It was a dynamic fun-filled experience for all the students as they begin to prepare for the April Competition. The winning school will receive a banner and an expense paid trip for two of the students to the National Jefferson Awards Ceremony in Washington D.C..

Benedictine Academy was awarded a National Jefferson Awards Gold Banner in their first year of the Regional Competition and was named BEST NEW JEFFERSON AWARD HIGH SCHOOL in the nation for the school year 2010-2011.

In the school year 2011-2012, Benedictine Academy was awarded the National Jefferson Awards Regional Gold Banner and was recognized as the # 1 JEFFERSON AWARD HIGH SCHOOL IN THE NATION, competing against over 350 schools in the country.

This year, Benedictine Academy has been invited to compete as an AMBASSADOR HIGH SCHOOL against the top four Jefferson Gold Medal high schools in the nation. The AMBASSADOR HIGH SCHOOL serves as a public volunteer service high school, mentor high school, and civic leadership high school. In addition to accomplish the Seven Students In Action Goals, there are an additional four extremely challenging goals. Provided all eleven goals are achieved, the Ambassador School may enter into the competition with an extensive essay report and presentation.

Follow-Up on CALL IN DAY

The Senate Offices were flooded with over 10, 000 calls asking for their support of greater gun control.  Over 75 religious organizations, including Benedictine Academy, made the calls last Monday.   Sen. Feinstein tweeted:  "Making an impact:  47 faith groups made 10,000+ calls to senators demanding an end to gun violence #Faiths Calling http://bit.ly/WN0HvB. Civic leadership is one of the many ways Benedictine Academy activates the power of knowledge learned in the classroom.  We joined together with our brothers and sisters of all faiths across the country for this critical cause!  It is our shared responsibility and our privilege to help build a more just world.

Interested in becoming an SIA Jefferson Award School?

 Hon. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Ariana

Students In Action have seven goals:

1. ENGAGE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. Build significant awareness and interest in volunteerism.

2. CREATE EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP. Apply team leadership skills to lifelong civil engagement.

3. EXPAND VOLUNTEER CAPACITY. Expand both volunteer hours and the number of volunteer projects.

4. EXPAND FINANCIAL CAPACITY FOR VOLUNTEERS. Raise $$$ to invest in volunteerism within the school.

5. TELL STORIES IN THE COMMUNITY. Build greater community awareness of the positive impact of youth.

6. GROW AND EXPAND. Increase overall high school volunteerism to other schools.

7. INNOVATE. Leverage best practices and learn how to be effective.

 We help our neighbors. We help our communities. We help the world. 

If you are interested in becoming a Jefferson Awards School and bringing Compassionate Action into our world, call us at (908)352-0670, ext. 125., Campus Ministry, Benedictine Academy. We'd love to work with you to make this a reality.

CALL OUT TODAY!

Today, we answered the Franciscan's call to Action for gun control.  

TODAY, Students were invited to participate in the Interfaith Call-In Day to Prevent Gun Violence. Call, after call, after call, after call, was made to Senator Lautenberg's Office. Our students learned how to introduce themselves and asked the Senator's Office for their support of the following action: require universal background checks for all gun purchases; ban semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; make gun trafficking a federal crime; improve access to mental health services.   After several dozen calls, the Senator's Office shared that we need not persist in the call out.  Senator Lautenberg fully supports the proposed gun control to help prevent gun violence.  SUCCESS!  Students were then invited to write thank you letters to the Senator for his support.   Civil Advocacy Leadership Skills, in response to the Gospel Message, are not only learned, but experienced at Benedictine Academy.  The Power of We, united with the Spirit of God, can help build a more just world.  It is our shared responsibility, our honor, our privilege as disciples of the Lord.   Isaiah hears God's voice asking, "Whom shall I send?"  and Isaiah responds,  "Here I am, send me!" (Is. 6:7-8)

Youth Recognition Award

We are pleased to announce that the following Benedictine Academy students and adult have been awarded the Archdiocesan Recognition Award for their dedication and good works both at the school and in their community's parish.

Analisa Branco, with her beautiful mom, attended the Recognition Mass held at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.  Analisa has been a role model for our students over the past several years and we thank God for the gift of her presence at Benedictine Academy as the Director of Admissions.



Stephanie, a Sophomore Student, and Samantha, a Senior, were also honored, affirmed and congratulated with a Youth Recognition Award for being faithful servants to our communities in the name of our Lord, Jesus.

We ask God to bless them in their ministry and all our students and staff who devote their lives to help build the Kingdom of God.  Together, during this Year of Faith, let us continue to spread the Good News of Jesus in our lives.

HARD AS NAILS

Justin and his Hard As Nails team came to Benedictine Academy sharing the Lord's message of forgiveness and healthy self-esteem..

"Feelings aren't the Truth. The Truth is the Truth. Today is the day to throw away the lies... throw away the trash we have been given..."   

Ezekiel 36:26

²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 

 

Every one experienced God's grace and a deeper sense of community with their sisters. The message: You are Beautiful in God's eyes and He loves you unconditionally.

UNSUNG HEROES

Last evening, we honored several schools in the local communities who did ordinary service in extraordinary ways. Our Students In Action team went in search of elementary schools who were helping the people in need in countless ways from donating food and clothing, to helping the Hurricane Sandy victims, Operation Smile Donations, Cancer walks, giving toys to tots, and reaching out to grieving families.

As a Catholic School, Service Leadership has been a cornerstone of our school culture for almost 100 years! This June, Benedictine Academy was awarded as the #1 High School in the Nation for Public Service Leadership and received the Jefferson Award Gold Medal in Washington D.C.. The Jefferson Award was established forty years ago by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Sam Beard to inspire leaders to be instruments of change in our world.

The top three elementary schools in public service were St. Genevieve School, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and St. Mary School in Newark. Each of these schools received Students In Action certificates and will receive a banner for their outstanding service. 

St. Michael School, St . Joseph the Carpenter School and Holy Spirit School were also honored for their service to the communities.  

President Barack Obama proclaimed this past Monday that "Service is what this nation of America is about." He reminded America that we have a dream, like Martin Luther King Jr., for all our brothers and sisters in America. At Benedictine Academy, we too have a dream... to be an avalanche of hope for the world.  Our Benedictine Academy parents, Mrs. Herrejon and Mr. Roque, were recognized for their outstanding contributions in helping our school make dreams come true.

WKTU RADIO STATION - NYC

Benedictine's Cor Defenders headed off to New York City to be interviewed by the most amazing Cindy Vero on WKTU Radio Station.

We had a most awesome time meeting Cindy Vero and other radio personalities. There were five major radio stations in the Clear Channel facilities including 106.7 and Z100.


The reason for our visit was to raise awareness about the dangers of human trafficking - 21st century slavery. The interview will be aired Sunday, February 17 at 6:00 a.m. and its recording will be available on their website.  Take a peak preview behind the scenes.

January was declared by President Barack Obama as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. He urges all Americans to become educated on the dangers of human trafficking and help put an end to this gross evil. At Benedictine Academy, we are the first Freedom Partner of the Frederick Douglass Family Foundation. Ken Morris,Jr. continues the legacy of his great great great grandfather, Frederick Douglass and his great great grandfather, Booker T. Washington. "Education means Emancipation." We are working to help educate other people so that they do not fall victim to the deceit and fraud of the perpetrators.

What is Human Trafficking? The United Nations defines Human Trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, or harbouring of persons by means of threat, force or coercion...

What is the Blue Heart Campaign? A campaign sponsored by the UNODC to help raise awareness against the dangers of human trafficking.

What is the magnitude of the problem in our world? It is a 32 billion dollar industry, the second largest crime next to drugs.

How many people are trafficked? It is said that every ten minutes, one person is trafficked in the United States and one person every minute is trafficked in the world. There are approximately 27 million people being trafficked, of which most are women and young children.

How can we get more information or who should we call if we need help or suspect someone is being trafficked? Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline Number - 1 -888-3737-888.  We ask that you place this number in your cell phone... tweet it... facebook it... ask 5 friends to re-tweet. 

What can we do to try to help abolish human trafficking? Twitter, facebook, blog the hotline and ask 5 friends to re-tweet. Talk about it to friends, family and business associates. Support legislation to increase penalties for the perpetrators and support education in our school systems.

Prevent Child Abuse

Working with Trinity Academy, the Campus Ministers made little comfort bags full of beannie babies, valentine cards and candy for abused and homeless children.

The New Jersey Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America visited Benedictine Academy and shared their mission to bring help and healing to young children and teenage moms.