Blessed Margaret of Castello REACH Program

Namesake

Bl. Margaret of Castello was born in the fourteenth century in Metola, Italy. When the news was brought to the new mother that her newborn daughter was a blind, hunchbacked dwarf, both parents were horrified. Little Margaret was kept in a secluded section of the family castle in the hopes that her existence would be kept secret. Here she lived until she was sixteen, never being allowed to come out. The parish priest became a good friend, and took upon himself the duty to educate her. He was amazed at her docility and the depth of her spiritual wisdom.

Deprived of all human companionship, Margaret learned to embrace her Lord in solitude. Her cheerfulness stemmed from her conviction that God loves each person infinitely, for He has made each person in His own image and likeness. This same cheerfulness won the hearts of the poor of Castello, and they took her into their homes for as long as their purses could afford. 

She was beatified in 1609. Thus, the daughter that nobody wanted is now one of the glories of the Church.

Feast: April 13 (http://www.nashvilledominican.org, 2017)

In November of 2016 the programing for children with special education needs was named the Blessed Margaret of Castello REACH (Religious Education for All Children) Program. 

Mission Statement
 
The Blessed Margaret of Castello REACH Program in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, is committed to providing measurably superior services that address the unique and diverse needs of all pupils. This commitment supports our belief that pupils have the right to an effective education. We believe that this focus on providing an effective education in an atmosphere of Catholic Faith Formation, prepares pupils for their roles as Disciples of Christ, and sets the stage for them to become lifelong independent learners and compassionate and contributing members of a diverse society.
 
Program History

In 1962, Bishop Tracy established special education services in schools. In 1981, the program was consolidated into a special school that was housed in the present day Tracy Center on the grounds of the Catholic Life Center.  In 1987, it was relocated to the school campus of St. Louis King of France so as to address “least restrictive environment” concerns.  In 1988, the high school-aged students were moved to the campus of Redemptorist High School.  In 1990, the remaining elementary students were moved to the campus of St. Gerard, which is now Redemptorist Elementary School.  In 2010, the program was once again consolidated on one campus, that being Redemptorist High School. In 2014, a task force came together to revisit best practices of special education and in the fall of 2015, opened on 6 school sites with 30 students whose needs for services ranged from students on the spectrum to students needing lab services to remediate dyslexia. In 2016, the program grew to 63 students and for the 2017 school year the program is expecting 81 students. 
 

Founded in 1962, the Special Education Program serves the Diocese of Baton Rouge by providing special education centers. The Program serves both Catholic and non-Catholic students from the ages of 6 to 21 who have been identified with an exceptionality according to the Louisiana Department of Education, Bulletin 1508.