Four Schools. One Mission.

Amidst the devastation facing the Texas Hill Country in recent weeks, one need not look further than the Bishop Lynch High School Welcome Center on the morning of July 14 to see hope alive. In just four hours, and with the help of a small army of parent and student volunteers, the entrance to Bishop Lynch was filled to the brim with cleaning supplies and essential items to aid flood victims Kerr County. Coordinated between the three Diocese of Dallas high schools including John Paul II High School in Plano and Bishop Dunne Catholic School, the items were received through Notre Dame Catholic School in Kerrville, Texas.

“Being part of a faith community means that we’re all connected in happiness and in sadness,” shared Bishop Lynch President Chris Rebuck during an interview with CBS11 News about the drive. The donations poured in throughout the morning; a steady stream to match the day’s rainy weather. Bishop Lynch student volunteers met donors at their cars to receive the items and thank them.

“I expected a good response from the BL community to the call for donated items, but the response from this community went beyond what I had imagined,” commented Dr. Chad Riley, Bishop Lynch principal. “The BL community's dedication to this effort was so robust that we had to make additional arrangements for the items that were collected on our campus. I am proud of the way our Friar community demonstrated a commitment to the Dominican pillars of Community and Service.”

In total, the Friar family collected twelve pallets of food and hygiene items, two school buses full of diapers, wipes, and paper products, and three box trucks of water and cleaning supplies, along with over $1,800 in gift cards. It’s a powerful example of what is possible when a community embraces the call to service.