Finding Family at Catholic School

They say it takes a village to raise children, and for Hilda and Aguedo Blanco, who have four girls, that village came in the form of the community they found at Blessed Trinity in Richfield.

Hilda, who is originally from Mexico, and Aguedo, who came to the United States from El Salvador, decided to enroll their oldest daughter in Catholic school when their friends recommended Blessed Trinity as a potential alternative to public school. The couple met at church, so religion was already a part of their story, and they wanted it to continue with their family. “We tried [Blessed Trinity], and we really liked it,” says Hilda. “The teachers are involved, and the parents are involved with the school. It feels like a family.”

The Blancos made the decision to send all four of their girls to Blessed Trinity and sought funding from the Aim Higher Foundation to make that a financial possibility. “Without their support, my husband and I would not be able to give our girls a Catholic education,” she says. “We are very thankful for their help!”

The small size and the diverse makeup of Blessed Trinity was a blessing for the Blanco family, as well. If Hilda found herself in a bind with varying schedules or the multiple demands of four children, she could turn to her parent peers at Blessed Trinity for aid. “I like that as parents, we are involved so we know all the community and the kids in this school,” she says.

The diverse makeup of Blessed Trinity also created a welcome environment for Hilda, Aguedo and their children. “Our community is a multicultural community, so it’s nice because you don’t see just one culture—you learn from everybody else,” says Hilda. She even learned from her children, who constantly shared unique and engaging lessons they discovered at school and brought home to the family. “Through the years, I’ve been learning from them things that I didn’t know about religion because I was never taught the way they are,” says Hilda.

It’s that attention to detail—and the level of engagement from the teachers—that Hilda feels elevates the Catholic education her daughters have received. “If I need something, if I’m concerned with my kid, if I see any trouble I can reach out to the teachers, and they reach out to me,” says Hilda. She even turned to the teachers at Blessed Trinity when her oldest needed assistance with a high school dilemma.

Now, with their oldest out of college and their youngest still at Blessed Trinity, Hilda is confident in her place in the community and in the role Catholic school has played in shaping her family’s story. “I like the education. I like the teachers,” she says. “I think everything has helped them to grow and to be successful.”