Article by James Hilepo, Class of 2016:
On May 22, Bishop Chris Cardone visited Kellenberg to speak to all students about the work that the Church is doing in the Solomon Islands. The students, over the past few weeks, had watched a video that portrayed some of this work. The video showed the people of the Solomon Islands, the conditions they live in, their love of education and the Church, and their need for help.
Bishop Cardone, brother of Kellenberg Chaplain Father Tom Cardone, S.M., talked to the students before the Activity Awards assembly, explaining in more detail needed help is in this area. He noted, for example, that one American dollar is equivalent to about seven Solomon Islands’ dollars. Along the same lines, while a gallon of gasoline in the United States is about four dollars, a gallon of gasoline in the Solomon Islands costs about twelve to fifteen dollars.
One of the main points of focus in the Solomon Islands is education. The children of the islands are eager to learn. These children need all the help they can get so that they have the opportunity to do so. The Church has been a major part of education as members of the Church have taught in many public schools on the islands. Bishop Cardone told the students that there is currently a Catholic secondary school on the islands and there is soon to be a second. He also thanked the Marianists for their help in the islands and expressed his hope that there would one day be a Marianist school in the area that would be run just like Kellenberg.
The students each received an envelope in homeroom which they were asked to fill with any donations that they could make to help Bishop Cardone’s cause in the islands. The entire Kellenberg family raised a large amount of money which will hopefully aid Bishop Cardone’s work to increase the role of the Church in the Solomon Islands.