Catholic Schools Week: Celebrating the Gifts and Blessings of Catholic Education

from Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church Newsletter — January 2022

Highlights of Our 2021 Stewardship Renewal

While other schools are winding down their celebrations after Christmas, Catholic schools are just getting started! During the last week of January, Catholic schools around the country will celebrate Catholic Schools Week, and Our Lady of the Assumption School is no different. “Catholic Schools Week is a chance for our students to continue the attitude of celebration,” says Robert Love, Principal. “We are able to acknowledge past and present students and their achievements.”

At Our Lady of the Assumption School, Catholic Schools Week starts with what Mr. Love calls an Open House Mass.

“All Catholic school students, past and present, are invited to light a candle and bring it up at a certain point during Mass,” he says. “The light of the candles is a great image, showing the influence of Catholic education.”

After Mass, present and prospective families mingle in the halls of the school, walking in and out of classrooms that have been decked out with the hard work of the students. Families have an opportunity to see the variety of student achievements and celebrate the community of the parish and school.

But the Open House Mass is only the beginning. During the school week, students and staff celebrate the collective school community, with different days that focus on service, the students, vocations, and the staff. Students get the chance to write “thank you” notes to parish ministry leaders and public service members in the community. Staff, parents, and students work together to create a full week of celebration through other fun activities including school-wide field trips, luncheons, and dressout days.

“It is phenomenal how tight the community is, and the responsibility we feel for one another,” Mr. Love says. “The spirit of celebration is strong. We work hard so we can also play hard. Catholic Schools Week is really an opportunity to live out the school motto, ‘Hands to Serve, Hearts to Love.’”

There is a year-round connection between the ministries of the parish and school. Mr. Love works closely with Joan Cotton in supporting the Faith Formation Ministry of the parish, and the school would not be where it is without parents and parishioners who volunteer their time and talent.

“Catholic education is so important,” Mr. Love says. “A Catholic school graduate is six times more likely to attend weekly Mass as an adult compared to a non-Catholic school graduate. Families are picking a school for their babies. Catholic Schools Week is an opportunity for prospective families to see the positive interactions between school families and to showcase student successes.”