Greetings from the Zuni Pueblo where the crisp feel of autumn is in the air, and the oaks and cottonwoods are flaming yellows and burnished golds. I returned from my trip to Scotland to find the buildings still standing, the School fully operational and the office work up-to-date. It made me wonder if I was needed or even missed? As […]

Blessings of Peace from St. Anthony’s. I have wanted to begin a newsletter with just such a greeting for a long time. Today as I wander through the School and find each grade hard at work in class, the cafeteria staff silently preparing food, and even the maintenance men (while pulling apart some of the roof) humming quietly to themselves, […]

I have such a sense of relief, joy, concern, hope and faith all mixed together as I bring you the wonderful news that St. Anthony’s has reopened once more with 140 students present for “in person” learning! Among those mixed emotions joy and faith are dominant as the 2021/2022 adventure begins. Adventure is the appropriate word as we step forward […]

Greetings from a wonderfully wet Zuni! Yes, we’ve had several days of good rain and pray that it continues. Our local Rain Dances must have encouraged the reluctant clouds. Many parts of New Mexico and neighboring states are still dangerously dry so we count every drop as a blessing. Our summer school was a wonderful success. With 58 students attending […]

Greetings from a peaceful Zuni! All of us are experiencing an amazing sense of relief and gratitude. Although summer school still has a few days to run, the bulk of the students departed on May 28th for a well earned summer break. Soon the faculty will be able to enjoy their much-deserved break as well. Our great sense of relief, […]

Greetings from a sunny, warm and cheerful Zuni!If you have ever been preparing for a journey and packing a small handy suitcase at the very last moment only to find that you can’t squeeze much more into it, then you will know how I feel in this month of May 2021. Our primary focus is the end of the school […]

It’s all coming together!I truly hope that you had a wonderful Easter celebration filled with as much light and joy as was ours. I am in my 34th year of priesthood and have served on several continents, but I can’t remember ever having been as elated as I was this year! With glorious sunshine on Easter day, in all four […]

Lenten greetings from Zuni! I am really not a person who remembers dates very well, but March 15th 2020 is indelibly written in my “wee brain.” It was the day that we had to close St. Anthony School, saying goodbye to the students, for how long, nobody had any idea. Approaching the one year anniversary, I cannot help but reminisce. […]

Greetings from the Zuni Pueblo! Although two thirds of our students are still learning at home, there is a gradual trickle of students back into classroom learning. This month an additional seven youngsters returned to “in person teaching.” It doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a tremendous difference to the atmosphere in our classrooms and generally around the campus. […]

Welcome to St. Anthony’s 2021! I hope that you had a blessed Christmas season and an enjoyable welcoming of the New Year. It was certainly memorable for me if for no other reason than there were no weekend restrictions with which to cope! I am a little irritated when people speak of the “New Norm” since our aim is to […]

We thought we would share a little “Christmas Cheer” with some videos from our 2019 Christmas Program. We think every child from our school is a natural dancer and artist. Enjoy! 8th Grade Surprise Performance Pre K Christmas Performance 4th Grade Christmas 2019 Audience Participation Have a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas!St. Anthony’s Mission School Blessings always…Sincerely, Fr. Patrick McGuire […]

Autumn greetings once again from the high desert, where as I write to you the blustery winds are bringing hope of much needed rain and even snow. I hope that this letter will reach you before Thanksgiving because I want you to know how deeply and personally I am grateful for the support and encouragement that you have always given […]

Autumn greetings from the high desert, where the first signs of fall are beginning show forth. After such a disappointing monsoon with almost no rain, we look forward to the local cottonwood and scrub oak dazzling us with their fall colors. (It is rather nice to speak of such ordinary things rather than renovations, distancing and safety measures!) Let me […]

“Joy to the world!” No, I’m not speaking of Christmas Joy (although we should have it all year round) but joy that the students are finally returning to St. Anthony’s! I can’t tell you how good it feels to share these few words with you. As of September 8th the first group of students has returned! I should explain our […]

I hope all is well with you and your family while we continue to live through these difficult times. As the weeks pass by, we in Zuni need constant reminders to be vigilant and not let down our guard against the “unseen enemy.” At the moment I am taking consolation in the words of St. Paul when he wrote to […]

Greetings from the very dry and hot high desert! Sadly, we have had almost no “monsoon season” this year. Sunday’s prayer for rain did bring the blessing of a 10 minute downpour…a good start, but much more is needed. Never one to give out my age, I have to confess that the 1960’s song by Andy Williams “Almost There” has […]

“Didn’t you know?” This phrase has been a recurring theme for me since I last wrote to you. It has been a stark reminder of how much I still have to learn, even after nearly six years at St. Anthony‘s! It has been a humbling reminder for me to never feel over confident and to always expect the unexpected. The […]

“Staying Safe” is a phrase that in these last few weeks has taken on a whole new significance. Allow me to extend my sincere wish that you and your family are safe and well. We are very grateful that the vast majority of the Zuni Pueblo members are staying healthy and doing their best to keep the pandemic out of […]