Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • June 9, 2023 20 When a loved one passes away, we still feel a sense of connectivity to this person, even though they are no longer with us in our physical world. This “invisible string” is a symbol of that connection and the inspiration for the Buddy Bench at Nativity BVM Catholic School. NBVM students, Charlotte and Connor Williams, lost their grandfather, “Pops” Gilford Boudreaux, Jr., in 2020. After being given the book “The Invisible String” and knowing they wanted to find a way to keep Pops in their memory, Charlotte and Connor decided to donate a buddy bench and little free library to their elementary school in his honor. Affectionately known as Pops’ “little buddies,” Charlotte and Connor knew these benches would be a great way to pay tribute to their grandfather, while bringing something new and special to their school. From the sales of their lemonade stand, Charlotte and Connor raised enough funds for all of the needed supplies and Pops’ Buddy Bench was soon installed. On May 22, Charlotte and Connor, along with their parents, Patrick and Amanda, Amanda’s sister, Katie Boudreaux, and Amanda and Katie’s mother, Pops’ loving wife Marilyn Boudreaux dedicated Pops é Buddy Bench in his honor. Friends from Charlotte and Connor’s second grade and kindergarten class, along with principal Traci Kessler, were there to celebrate. Father Bartosz Kunat blessed the benches and library and said it best when he spoke about the ways this memoriam would help cradle and inspire the imagination of all the children that would come to visit this sweet place. Nativity BVM thanks the Williams family for this incredible gift to our school and we know that Pops is looking down on all of his little buddies and smil- ing. The Boudreaux/Williams family, along with Nativity Kindergartners and second graders dedicated “Pops’ Buddy Bench” “Pops’ Buddy Bench” N ativity BVM S chool , B iloxi S t . S tanislaus C ollege , B ay S t . L ouis Construction Class Rickey Ladner, who works as a building inspector for the city of Bay St. Louis, recently visited Freddy West's construction class to provide them with a work permit for their upcoming projects. Our construction class is highly sought after by students, as they are able to acquire valuable skills that will benefit them for a lifetime. (L-R): Rickey Ladner, Freddy West, Dylan Lamb, Lane Hearty Rock Night St. Stanislaus rolled out the red carpet to welcome the new Rock-A-Chaws who will join us in August. Rock Night festivities included welcome messages from President Brother Barry Landry and Principal Gary Blackburn, a performance by the Rock-A-Chaw band, and a panel discussion lead by current parents and students. The evening concluded with a formal introduction of each new Rock-A-Chaw. Rock Night Video: www.youtube.com/c/SaintStanislaus (L-R) Matthew Guzman Jenkins, George Ray III, Evan Peterson, Tommy McCauley South State Champions Sat. Stanislaus varsity baseball team claimed the South State championship title after winning two games against the Clarkdale Bulldogs in the best-of- three series. The Rock-A-Chaws, after winning the South State title, are scheduled to meet the Amory Panthers in the state championship. The venue for the event is Trustmark Park in Pearl, MS. Congratulations Rock-A-Chaws! Baseball South State Title SSC 2023 Baseball South State Champs To include your parish and school events and activity information in “Diocesan Briefs”, email that information to: tdickson@biloxidiocese.org.