Our parish and school have formed a partnership with this K-8 Catholic School in East St. Louis, a ministry of the Diocese of Belleville, opened in 1989 when all the other Catholic Schools in East St. Louis were consolidated into one. Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School is located in one of the poorest communities in our State, and nearly 95% of the students need tuition assistance. It seeks to provide a holistic learning approach to faith development and education through music and the arts and has a philosophy not to just educate the whole child, but also to educate the whole family, in their efforts to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Students from our parish school attend their annual Advent Prayer Service, and the students from Sister Thea Bowman occasionally make visits to our school. Every August we have a special envelope in our monthly packet to accept donations to support this unique ministry in our Diocese.