St. Mary School Principal Sister Mary Benedicta Maier has released a letter to KOGT.com following the announcement last week of the school shutting down at the end of the school year.
February 19, 2025
Dear St. Mary School Community,
Thank you so much for expressing kind words and sharing wonderful memories of your current and
previous years at St. Mary Catholic School over these past few days with your phone calls, posts on social
media, emails to us, and conversations. We are so grateful for the hundredfold of blessings that the Lord
has bestowed upon our school community during these 100 years of education in Orange, Texas. The
palpable graces abound: our Bishop David Toups and diocesan administration’s loving support and
leadership, which brings us closer to the goodness of God; our priests who pastor us and celebrate the
sacraments, including weekly school Mass and monthly opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation;
our supportive Advisory Board made up of community members and parents of alumni; our faithful and
dynamic faculty and staff; our current families who are so participatory in our school’s daily life; our
beautiful alumni base who love the school; our generous community partners and benefactors who give
so freely; and the many, many volunteers who chaperone field trips, tidy up the school during quarterly
Working Bees, serve as judges of Science Fairs and Spelling Bees, and make St. Mary School what it has
been, is, and will be for this academic year and through this significant change in its 100th school year.
While there may be 100 strong emotions swirling in all who have known and know the school, we are
peaceful with knowing that our Administrative Team and faculty have worked incredibly well together
and sacrificed greatly, especially over these last years, to push St. Mary School to the 100th school year,
and, we had hoped beyond to another 100 years.
At the moment, though, we are so happy to know that some of our 5th grade students will be continuing at Catholic schools in the Dioceses of Beaumont and Lake Charles, and we are confident that those continuing at public schools will grow in their Christian faith due to their good Catholic school foundation. The work is not done, however. Bishop Toups and our Administrative Team is helping as many current families as possible to continue their Catholic education at a Catholic school in the Diocese for a ½ tuition scholarship. For our current families of our 33 Pre-K3—5 th grade students, we continue with our day-to-day routine in place including Science, English, Reading, Religion, Math, Social Studies, Health, Spanish, Technology Integration, Art, Music, and PE, with breaks at lunch for Student Council, Theology Club, Book Club, Art Club, Spanish Club, and Gardening Club, along with field trips, retreats at churches and more, to live life to the fullest!
Very confidently, we know that St. Mary School is a blessing to Orange because we trust it is the Lord’s work, and we participate in His creative plan. As our Centenary year Scripture verse reminds us, “Shout
for joy and be glad forever in what I am creating” (Is 65:18). Our Lord continues to create us ever anew!
Gratefully in Christ,
Sister Mary Benedicta Maier, RSM, M.S., M.Ed., Principal
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