Rev. Rick Jones: Blessed be resurrection of student newspaper at St. Vincent de Paul school

The Rev. Rick Jones blessed the first edition of the new The Bobcat Spirit newspaper at St. Vincent de Paul Grade School in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.

The last issue of the newspaper was in May 2003. A group of students restarted the newspaper with faculty assistance and help from the Southeast Missourian.

"We see about how we want to share the good news of what we have been given, the good news of what's in the world.

"Now, there are those bad things that happen, but remember, as a follower of Jesus, we always try to see about how, even in the bad things, that we can find something good, that there is something that is showing us how God is with us, how God is walking with us.

"And so I hope that this newspaper is going to be something, a tool, a device, to help us to see how we can share that good news with others. We know that in the world, there's all kinds of opportunities to share bad news. It's one of the things I have the most difficulty with, with regard to any type of social media, any type of social media can always serve as a way of tearing other people down, but we're about building people up, and that's what I hope this newspaper is going to be able to do.

"I know I've looked through the first issue here, and it does that. It's very, very good, and it's able to see how we can share in God's love and pass that love on to others.

"So I'm going to bless the newspaper, but when you pick up the newspaper for yourself, remember you are blessed. You are blessed too, because you're picking it up and you're reading it, and you're going to share that good news with others."