KENDALL PARK – The eighth grade class at Saint Augustine of Canterbury School recently had the opportunity to visit the United Nations headquarters in New York City and meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
“I was delighted to accompany the eighth grade students on their field trip to the UN Dec. 1. I think they all had a good time and learned some new things. I know I did,” parent chaperone Erin Friedlander said in a prepared statement from Saint Augustine School.
One of the parishioners of St. A’s serves as the secretary to the UN secretary general and was able to facilitate a private meet-and-greet opportunity.
I think the trip will be a long-lasting memory. What an honor and privilege it was for the students and administrators to actually meet and have a photo taken with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,” Friedlander said. “The secretary general appeared to be very relaxed and unhurried during his time with them. He spoke to students about the three pillars of the UN in the distinct areas of Human Rights, Peace and Security, and Development – and observed that the church’s mission often runs parallel to the mission of the UN. The secretary general mentioned that he’d met Pope Francis a number of times and he praised our Holy Father’s recent encyclical, ’Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home,’ written for all on the care of God’s creation.”
Before he left the room, the UN dignitary took the time to shake every person’s hand, Friedlander said, “which was most impressive.”
The group also toured the UN building. In addition to entering some of the large conference rooms where international meetings take place, they saw the statue of St. Agnes recovered from a cathedral in Nagasaki, Japan, following the atomic bombing there and the Golden Rule mosaic, a gift to the UN from the United States, which is based on a work by American artist Norman Rockwell.
“My group’s tour guide, a Jordan native, was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information. The kids were engaged and asked him some good questions, too,” Friedlander said. “Before you knew it, it was time to head home. Some of us wished we had a little more time to explore. What a wonderful experience for all.”
