At the beginning of this school year, Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic School in east Tucson eagerly welcomed Rose Mary Carreon as the new Principal of its school community.
Carreon’s background spans 30 years in education. She has served in various Pre-K through 8th grade schools throughout El Paso, Texas in Socorro Independent School District as a bilingual teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, and as a data grant administrator.
When she isn’t working, Carreon says she likes cooking and crafting, two hobbies that she now gets to enjoy with her grandchildren. Carreon moved to Tucson on July 10th of this year, and she started at OMOS just two days later on July 12th as the principal. Her daughter and son-in-law live in Tucson with their children, and so she is overjoyed to be closer to them and to be able to spend more time with them. “I am getting the best of both worlds” says Carreon, “working at a wonderful school and spending time with my grandbabies.”
Bringing her varied and rich experience to the community of Tucson, the Texas native says her favorite part of Catholic education is that “the students get to learn about their faith with the balance of academics.”
Carreon says that her faith plays a big part in her life on a regular basis: “When I have a hard day, I lift it up to the Lord and he takes control.”
Her faith further guides Carreon in how she views and leads students at school. “When I see my students, I see a beautiful reflection of God and Our Mother of Sorrows,” says Carreon, “and that fills my heart.”
Carreon names St. Anna as her personal prayer intercessor, saying that she prays to St. Anna often, and that praying to the saint brings her comfort.
The new principal of OMOS shares a popular “prayer for students” that can be found in many Catholic teaching resources. Though common, it nonetheless powerfully reflects the prayer that Carreon holds dear in her heart for herself and the students whose education and faith formation she will be ensuring this year:
Loving Father,
Thank you that you are my creator, you know me better than anyone else.
Help me to use the mind you have given me to learn and study effectively.
May I learn with humility and grace.
May I grow in wisdom as well as knowledge.
Let me live a life of integrity in everything I do.
May I grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.To you be glory, both now and forever.
In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Please keep Carreon and OMOS Catholic School in your prayers as they begin a new school year!
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’”. Matthew 19:26