ALPHARETTA—Students at Holy Redeemer School are learning about their school’s namesake this Lent.

When Father Tim Hepburn, pastor of St. Gabriel Church in Fayetteville, visited Holy Redeemer earlier this year to celebrate Mass, he sang a song written by Keith Green called “There is a Redeemer.”

“The song helped us to realize just how special our namesake is,” said Roseann Bowen, coordinator of religious education. “We want our children to understand what it means—‘Holy Redeemer’—and why it was chosen as our school name. The song explains it beautifully.”

The song has been chosen as the school theme song during Lent and the students will sing it at all the school Masses.

To help the students further understand their school’s namesake, each student is wearing a button that reads “Jesus Christ is my Holy Redeemer.”

Bowen hopes the students will come to an understanding of what a redeemer is in their lives and what it means to be redeemed.

“A redeemer is one who redeems,” Bowen explained. “To redeem is to set free, rescue or ransom. Mark 10:45 states that ‘the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ His life, death and resurrection is what redeemed us.”

Bulletin boards throughout the school also reflect this same theme and read “Lord, By Your Cross, You Have Redeemed the World.”

Students are also participating in the Stations of the Cross every week during Lent with the help of classroom parents.

“Our focus during Lent will be what Jesus sacrificed for us and what we are going to sacrifice for him in our lives,” Bowen said. “Our namesake, Holy Redeemer, will remind us of this not only during Lent, but throughout the year.”