An anchor in my life and for many others

As another school year begins at our 17 Catholic schools, we once again gather with a renewed sense of purpose, energy and promise. The opening of the school year has always been an exciting time for me. My appreciation for this annual event began more than five decades ago, when I was a kindergarten student at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Roslyn, Long Island. Whether I have experienced the first week of school as a student, teacher, principal or superintendent, I have always loved the energy and anticipation that accompany a new school year.

When I visit our schools in the coming weeks, I know that I will see classrooms coming alive as students return, teachers welcoming new and returning students, families adjusting to new teachers, new schedules and new routines, and the excitement that comes with beginning again.

Each year, the Catholic School Office selects a theme to help guide our schools in living out our mission. This year, our theme is “Anchored in Faith, Filled with Hope, Guided by Love.”  These words are more than a theme. They express who we are as Catholic schools and how we are called to live our mission each day. They remind us that Catholic education is about far more than academic achievement. We certainly want our students to learn, to grow and to excel. But we are ultimately called to accompany young people as they discover the gifts God has given them, recognize their dignity as children of God, and discern how they are being called to use those gifts in service to others. As is always the case, our theme is rooted in Scripture. This year, we were inspired by the words of Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul.”

I do not typically share much about my personal life when I write for public audiences. However, something that happened in my family this summer made me reflect deeply on this year’s theme. My father, Bruce Bott, was an anchor in my life for as long as I can remember. He passed away in 2017, and I still find myself missing him. I know that his presence remains with me in countless ways, but there is no replacing the physical presence of someone who played such an important role in your life.

My father was also a Catholic educator. He spent 40 years at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, serving as a teacher, administrator and coach from 1967 until his retirement in 2007. He was also a graduate of Fordham Prep, a member of the Class of 1959.

It was always clear to me that my father viewed his work at Fordham Prep as a vocation, not simply a job. He loved the school, his colleagues and, most especially, his students. He spoke about them and cared about them as if they were members of our own family. When he retired, Fordham Prep invited alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends to share messages with him. The response was so overwhelming that the school published a 130-page book filled with those reflections, “Honoring Bruce Bott for 40 Years of Service to Fordham Prep.” Those messages made something very clear: he loved them, and they loved him.

This summer, my siblings and I received an unexpected and deeply meaningful call. Fordham Prep had decided to name its newly renovated athletic complex in his honor. This September, our family will return to the school for the dedication of The Bruce Bott ’59 Athletic Complex. I share this not to brag about my father, although I am certainly proud of him. I share it because, as I reflected on our school year theme, I realized how much of his life embodied those three simple words: faith, hope and love.

My father was not beloved because he was a perfect teacher, coach or administrator. He certainly had his faults, as we all do. What made him special was the way he lived his vocation.  He was a deeply faithful Catholic who was grateful to work in an environment where he could openly share his faith. He was also a perpetual optimist who seemed capable of finding a reason for hope even in the most difficult of circumstances. He had a gift for helping others navigate challenges while reminding them that better days were ahead.

But perhaps most importantly, my father loved people. He loved his students, and they knew it. He loved his colleagues, and they knew it. He treated people with dignity and respect. He offered guidance and wisdom. He mentored others, showed compassion and extended kindness. Even to this day, when I meet graduates of Fordham Prep who knew my father, these are the qualities they remember most.

Our Catholic schools are places where young people learn mathematics, science, history, literature and the many other subjects that prepare them for college, careers and life. But they are also places where students learn something even more important, how to live. We teach them to have faith when they cannot see the path ahead. We teach them to have hope when circumstances are difficult. And we teach them to love, not simply as an emotion, but as a way of seeing and serving others. This calling belongs not only to our teachers and administrators. It belongs to all of us.

Although our theme was chosen for our Catholic schools, I believe that every member of the Diocese of Albany is part of this community of faith and education. We all have opportunities to be anchors for others, to provide stability, encouragement and hope during uncertain times. We all have opportunities to guide others through our example of faith and, most importantly, through love.

Perhaps, in doing so, we might each strive to be a little more like my father, Bruce, not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but faithful, hopeful and above all, someone whose life made other people feel loved. May God bless our students, our families, our teachers, our administrators and the entire Diocese of Albany as we begin another school year together.

May our faith be our anchor, our hope be our strength, and our love be our guide.

Dr. Christopher Bott is Superintendent of Schools.