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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 11, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
In Briefs
Johnston, Anna Hammacher, Bailey Weston, Maddie Ring, Carrie Sorrell and Erika Miller. Coaches are Sherri Elliott and Michelle Johnston. — Mendy Yarborough
Run with the Lions WINSTON-SALEM — St. Leo School will hold its 16th Annual 5K and 10K Road Race and Fun Run Saturday, March 19. The newly-designed 10K course and the original favorite 5K course wind through the beautiful Buena Vista neighborhoods in Winston-Salem, while the One-Mile Fun Run provides a family-friendly shorter route for all to enjoy. On Friday, join the Knights of Columbus in their Fourth Annual Pre-Race Pasta Dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Parish Center. All proceeds from the pasta dinner will be split between St. Leo School and Operation L.A.M.B. For more information, go online to stleocatholic.com or contact Pam at 336-4069792 or zellpam@yahoo.com. — Kathy Dissosway
CCHS students honored CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School seniors Michaela Reinhart, Michael Batres, Ellen McDermott and Kelci Schilly have been nominated for the 2011 Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Program. Also, seniors Anthony Lopez and Kelci Schilly have been named finalists for the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program. — Jennifer B. Johnson
IHM girls basketball team excels HIGH POINT — The junior varsity girls basketball team of Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point recently took first place in the Piedmont Elementary Catholic School Athletic Association Tournament and brought home the sportsmanship award. Team members are: Emily Elliott, Belen Perez, Molly Bernard, Hannah Menzel, MaKenna
Science Fair winners named SALISBURY — Five students from Sacred Heart School in Salisbury who won the school’s 2011 Science Fair competed in the Rowan County Division of the N.C. Science and Engineering Fair Feb. 8. They were: eighth-grader Erin Ansbro – Impact of Texting on Grades; seventh-grader Kaytee Leonguerreo – Rocket Propulsion; seventh-grader Sara Bess Hallett – Gender Memory: Does It Really Matter?; seventh-grader Kayla Honeycutt – Save the Birds; and fourthgrader Jack Fisher – Burn, Baby, Burn: Testing the Effectiveness of Sunscreens. Hallett and Ansbro advanced to the Regional 6A Level of competition Feb. 11, and Ansbro won the Gold Medal of Distinction at the Regional Science Fair. — Robin Fisher We welcome your school’s news. E-mail items to Editor Patricia Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.
photo provided by Tricia Wendover
Fourth- and fifth-graders at St. Matthew School in Charlotte, members of the “Friday Morning Eucharist Group,” show off their new daily Missals that they received through a grant from the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation. Pictured with them is fourth-grade teacher Tricia Wendover and Father Robert Conway, parochial vicar at St. Matthew Church.
Friday morning Mass: a tradition at St. Matthew School Tricia Wendover Special to the Catholic News Herald
CHARLOTTE — A week before Lent four years ago, I was sitting in a prayer circle with my fourth-grade homeroom students at St. Matthew School in Charlotte, talking with them about their plans for the Lenten season. The students were all sharing their plans and the promises they planned to make. I told them that I was planning to attend daily Mass. The children were inquisitive about what I meant. I told them that I often attended Mass in the morning before school started, but that I made a special effort never to miss morning Mass during Lent. The students asked me if anyone could go to daily Mass and I responded, “Of course! You can come any day if you would like. The door to God’s house is always open to you.” We made a plan to meet every Friday morning at 7 to attend Mass together in the chapel before school, then share a quick breakfast before going to class. Everyone really enjoyed this special way to start the day, so when Lent was over the students asked me if we could continue to attend
Mass together. That brought tears to my eyes! With that the tradition of the “Friday Morning Eucharist Group” was born. The group is now made up of about 20 fourthand fifth-graders who meet in front of the St. Matthew Chapel at 7 a.m. every Friday, year ’round. I have to admit that the simple breakfast of fruit and muffins has improved over the years as parents have volunteered their help, but the joy of having the students get up early to join in the celebration of the Mass every week is still as special and uplifting for me as it was that very first Lenten Friday years ago. Last year, I received another blessing. The Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation generously provided daily Missals for the group. These Missals allow the students to more fully participate in the Mass by following along with the reading and the Responsorial Psalm. I am so thankful to the MACS Education Foundation for contributing in such a wonderful way to this group. Tricia Wendover is a fourth-grade teacher at St. Matthew School in Charlotte.