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ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN
 

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from November 5, 2006
Adoption Brings Joy to Couple
South Korean Students Dive into Catholic School Life
Weather Does Little to Dampen Celebration of Life
Priest Brings Healing to Oklahoma
Donation Puts High-Tech Tools in Classrooms
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
      Funds Help Empower Local Parishes     
      Two State Programs Get Grants

 OKLAHOMA CITY — The Psalm Response at Mass on Oct. 22 was “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.” This simple and yet so powerful prayer must have seemed oh-so-fitting to those gathered in the Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Chapel at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. The Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Archbishop Beltran was dedicated to the new academic center that would be officially blessed and dedicated later that day and to the many generous donors who supported the effort. The impressive three-story structure carried a budget of $10 million, making it the largest education campaign ever in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The leaders of the fund-raising effort certainly tagged it correctly when they labeled it the “Building Faith” campaign.         
Principal David Morton stands ready to cut the ribbon on the new education center at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School that he learned moments earlier would be named in his honor. Sooner Catholic Photo

Another move that probably seemed quite appropriate came at the ribbon cutting and blessing ceremony. Moments before Archbishop Beltran, campaign co-chairs Tom Casso and Judy Love and McGuinness Principal David Morton were to cut the ribbon, Casso announced the new Mc-Guinness building would be officially known as the David Morton Education Center. Morton was visibly stunned by the announcement. The audience of well over 100 broke into applause, as Morton, a 26-year fixture at McGuinness as coach, educator and administrator, bowed his head as tears began to well up in his eyes. The Irish band, directed by M.J. Mateo, broke into the school fight song.

             
 Above, Archbishop Beltran cuts the ribbon on the new center.Below,  Father James H. Ross, retired, stands in the new commons area at  Bishop McGuinness with the  historical mural behind him. Father Ross  was the school’s first athletic director in the 1950s.

Earlier at the Mass and again at the blessing ceremony, Archbishop Beltran said he takes great pride in the new education center as well as the many accomplishments achieved by students at Bishop McGuinness and all the other Catholic schools in the archdiocese. At the same time, he reminded the listeners that Catholic education is about more than buildings and accomplishments. Catholic education is about preparing students to know, love and serve God.