Catholic Schools Week Recap

ALL SCHOOLS MASS CELEBRATED BY BISHOP DALY

On January 30, Bishop Daly and priests of diocese joined students and staff from each of the area Catholic Schools for the annual All Schools Mass. This continues a tradition where schools send students from two classes, who fill the Cathedral for this special Mass. Students carrying banners representing all 16 schools in the diocese processed in with Bishop Daly and the other priests, deacons and liturgical ministers. The Diocesan Youth Choir provided the music.

ALL SAINTS MARKS CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK - By Katie Bohr

All Saints celebrated Catholic Schools Week by embracing everything that makes All Saints special to our students and families. We've spent months telling the stories of why our families choose All Saints through a series we've called #WhyAllSaints. Here are a few of the statements we've received:

• “The staff lead by example. They are great role models.”
• “The curriculum had my child more than ready for high school.”
• “I love the other parents and families. It’s so welcoming and friendly. You know there is so much support.”
• “The community! The All Saints community always sets us apart. It’s like a family.”
• “It’s the constant reminders to give back. They learn the importance of helping those who may be in need. And they don’t just learn it, they do it.”
• “My child can talk about God. He can love God with his classmates.”
• “Each day starts out with prayer. It’s amazing to see.”

ASSUMPTION HONORS VETERAN EDUCATOR

On February 1, Assumption Catholic School in north Spokane celebrated and honored Valerie Sonderen who poured her passion for books and reading into developing the Assumption School library program 33 years ago. Students, staff, and alumni gathered for the unveiling of the new name for the library at Assumption School, The Valerie Sonderen Library.

ST. PATRICK IN PASCO LEARNS MORE ABOUT THE VOCATION OF MARRIAGE - By Jessica Morgan

Students at St. Patrick Catholic School were given real world examples on the vocation of marriage and the grace a couple receives in this sacrament. Joe and Julie Roach, St. Pat’s parents, spoke to students in K-3rd grade on their vocational journey, which started as childhood friends, long before they became adults. Joe and Julie shared typical wedding vows as several students have never attended a wedding. Mr. Roach advised the young men in the group to be kind to the girls their classes, “... because you never know, you could be sitting next to the girl you marry.”

The older students witnessed Mark and Marja Henderson, St. Pat’s grandparents, express their love for one another after 45 years of marriage. When asked about the best part of being married, Mr. Henderson replied “getting to wake up next to this beautiful face every day. She is more beautiful today than when I married her 45 years ago.” This immediately inspired a group “aww” by the adult women in attendance.

The couples educated children on the unique nature of the vocation as the only Sacrament established between the individuals themselves and requiring two people. Both couple are a true example of vocational life.

ST. CHARLES STUDENTS VISIT OLYMPIA FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

St. Charles fourth-grade students visited the Washington State Capitol in Olympia during Catholic Schools Week. The students, along with students from eight other Catholic schools, visited the capitol as part of the first Catholic Schools Day in Olympia. St. Charles students toured the capitol building, met with Representative Timm Ormsby and discussed school safety with other lawmakers and State Superintendent Chris Reykdahl.

CATALDO SCHOOL CELEBRATES CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK - By Anita Condon

During Catholic Schools Week, we are given the opportunity to take a moment to be grateful for the incredible blessings that surround us in Catholic schools.

At Cataldo Catholic School, we celebrated our parishes: Sacred Heart, Saint Augustine and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. We are deeply grateful for the support of our parishioners and the leadership and guidance of our three pastors. At the forefront of Catholic education is our Faith. We celebrated Mass with Bishop Daly and the other Catholic schools in the diocese at the All Schools Mass. For Community Appreciation, we held a blood drive in honor of all those in our community who may be in need. For Family Appreciation, we hosted Family Bingo Night with an Ice Cream Social. Our school’s leadership class co-hosted a coffee in honor of our parents and our many volunteers. Parent Club provided a wonderful luncheon for our entire staff on Staff Appreciation Day. At the end of the week, our students celebrated with a fun themed dress day, a schoolwide assembly, followed with tasty treats.

A particularly special part of the week was the food drive led by our seventh grade students. Cataldo students collected over 1,500 cans of food and $290 for St. Margaret’s Shelter. This week-long community effort is a testament to the power of love, generosity and compassion witnessed in Catholic schools. The food drive was a fitting way to end Catholic Schools Week, a week when the staff, parents, and students demonstrate all there is to celebrate about our extraordinary community and school.