Catholic Education Week coming up

At its regular meeting last week, the Northwest Catholic District School Board was updated on plans for Catholic Education Week, which runs April 27-May 2.
This year’s theme is “We are Called.”
“[It] celebrates the incredible fact that each person is called by God, not just as part of the collective, but by name,” explained Kathleen Mueller, the board’s Catholicity co-ordinator.
“We are loved by our Heavenly Father and we are invited to love in return as children of God—to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly, to serve generously, and to live peacefully,” she noted, adding each of these actions will be featured during the week.
Mueller indicated the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association provided schools with kits that included prayer celebrations and follow-up activities.
There are activities suggested for each grade level, and each school also has planned some larger events encompassing all students.
A 24-hour fast for development and peace, a drama production for community and school presentations, and the Knights of Columbus’ free throw contest are among the activities at St. Francis School here.
Meanwhile, the St. Michael’s Home and School committee is hosting its annual spaghetti dinner and information night, a native awareness day, and a bike rodeo.
Our Lady of the Way students will be celebrating creation and being part of God’s great plan through an outdoor mass. There also will be presentations of rosaries, masses, and daily prayer.
Catholic Education Week begins at church with an introductory speech at each of the masses in the communities.
“The strong connection between family, school, and church will be emphasized as several of our schools will be celebrating first communion and confirmation during this week,” Mueller added.
“We must not under-estimate the power we have to evangelize through our schools.”
She explained many young families return to active participation within the parish because of the activities of the children in school who are preparing to receive the sacraments.
Mueller stressed Catholic education plays an important role in the school community, and indicated many parents and teachers feel the same way.
She shared a few comments that were received from a questionnaire sent out to community members regarding Catholic education. She believed many of the responses captured the impact the schools have.
One parent, for instance, stressed the positive way Catholic education impacted their family.
“Our children received an excellent education in our Catholic schools,” the parent noted. “The education, however, was not just of the mind but also a nurturing and growth of the soul and the spirit.
“They were given a sense of social justice and fairness, and the importance of the person in the world and the impact each of us has in our world.”
Another mother provided two stories about how God worked through the teachers of the school to help her raise her children in the knowledge of faith.
A former student indicated “students of Catholic schools learn about living a life of compassion, respect, and love for others. These are lessons worth celebrating and preserving.”
Mueller said Catholic schools connect students with their God, church, community, province, country, and the world.
“They are called to use their gifts to be the best they can be, and use those gifts to contribute to the common good and the betterment of the world in which they live,” she remarked.
“May our Catholic Education Week truly be a celebration of the good things we bring to our children, our families, our church, our communities, and our world,” she added.