February 2021: The Gift of Faith

Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. '76
Dear Members of the Archmere Community, 

We are in the season of Lent - a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. During this pandemic, Lent has taken on an even deeper meaning for me. In the national and international news we hear about the needs of so many people affected by COVID-19, from the loss of their jobs and homes to unprecedented needs for food, access to health care and the basic necessities of life. 

In a 2019 Pew Research Center Report, Millennial life: How young adulthood today compares with prior generations, data show how millennials’ (those born between 1981 to 1996) future earnings and wealth have been affected by a Great Recession and a pandemic. “Millennials with a bachelor’s degree or more and a full-time job had median annual earnings valued at $56,000 in 2018, roughly equal to those of college-educated Generation X workers in 2001.” The report goes on to say that real earnings have declined over this same period for those who do not have a college degree. 

In 2019, we heard how Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, have entered the workforce and were closing the “wage gap” experienced by millennials; then the pandemic hit. However, the long-term view for our current students, who are a part of Generation Z, is that they will have successful careers. Collectively, they are characteristically entrepreneurial, ethical, hard-working and competitive, fully digitally native, communicative, and will command the greatest percentage of wealth in our society in the coming decades.

8 Ways Generation Z Will Differ From Millennials In The Workplace

These generational transitions seem accelerated to me, or at the very least, accentuated by the impact of COVID-19. Perhaps it is because I know of family and friends who lost their lives prematurely due to complications of the virus. Or perhaps it is just as I age, I gain perspective looking back over the years. It is a “heavy topic” no doubt to discuss transitions, life and death, passing from this life to the next, even with faith-filled people. While it can be challenging, it can also be helpful to reframe issues for all of us as we consider what we have and we do not have; what should concern us and what we should consider to be just a “part of life.”

These unsettling times cause us to raise these unsettling questions. Lent is a perfect time to discern the answers for ourselves. Some questions may have no answers, and other answers are intended to make changes in our lives that we did not expect or even want to do. Yet, it is important to listen in prayer, particularly in response to the needs of others, as this season of almsgiving invites us to do. If we give of ourselves from our blessings to those in need, we, in turn, become richer for it. 

In private independent schools like Archmere, we rely on the philanthropy of the community to meet all of the annual financial needs of the school. Currently, the Archmere Fund stands at $243,000, less than 50% of our $500,000 goal to be reached by the end of this fiscal year on June 30. Archmere Fund dollars are needed to support the general operations of the school that tuition dollars do not cover. Every student benefits from a gift to the Archmere Fund. A gift of any amount is appreciated, as participation in our fundraising effort is most important in showing your support of the work that we do. You can make a donation at any time by using this link or by sending a check to Archmere Academy. Questions can be directed to Ainsley Palladino ‘05 or Elaine Reily ‘83 at 302-798-6632, extensions 757 and 637 respectively.

Some people may think that Archmere does not need their support, as there are so many other worthy causes with needs in the community. While it is true that there are many worthy charities doing good work, Archmere has a very socio-economically diverse community of families, and real financial need exists to support these families, especially those affected financially by the impact of COVID-19. Our resources are stretched to respond to these increased needs while maintaining the operations of the school. In addition, our school community engages in service to other communities outside of Archmere, from the Claymont and Knollwood Community Centers and the Holy Rosary Food Closet to regional, national, and international causes that support people in need. In a real sense, giving to Archmere helps us give to others, paying it forward.

Whenever I think of almsgiving particularly in Lent, I think of the parable of the Widow’s Mite. “Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12:41-44

In Jesus’ own words, he is telling us that we know in our hearts what we are able to do and should do for others in the name of our God. The widow truly made a sacrifice at the Temple, having been moved by her faith. It is this gift of faith for which I pray during this Lenten Season, a faith that will bring optimism and creativity to manage through these pandemic days, a faith that believes in these next generations of millennials and Gen Zs, a faith that continues to be grateful for the blessings I have in my life, and a faith that allows me to continue to ask questions, so that the journey becomes richer and more meaningful with each passing day.

Happy Lent!

Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. ‘76
Headmaster
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Archmere Academy is a private, Catholic, college preparatory co-educational academy,
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.