CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2022: Celebrating the Spirit and Many Blessings of Catholic Education

Once a year, Catholic schools throughout the whole nation set aside an entire week to celebrate the gift of Catholic education. Here at Our Lady of Lourdes, we have a lot planned to make Catholic Schools Week special for the staff, students, and parish community. Chris Sutton, Principal of Our Lady of Lourdes School, thinks of this week as a sort of spiritual Spirit Week.

“It’s a Catholic Spirit Week,” Mr. Sutton says. “It’s a nationwide celebration of Catholic schools. Catholic schools are relatively small, but their impact is powerful.”

While the school will have plenty of fun to celebrate — with dress-up days and all you might expect from a spirit week — Catholic Schools Week is also a reminder of what makes a Catholic education unique.

“One of our mottos might be ora et labora, pray and work,” Mr. Sutton says. “We are going to pray together and we’re going to have community. We rely on the perfect example, the perfect teacher — Christ is the inspiration for every teacher and staff member. He is the guide of the teachers and inspiration of the students.”

A Catholic education teaches to the whole person, forming the heart, mind, and soul of each student. A Catholic school stands on the foundation of the faith first, then offers academic excellence. All of it is rooted in a spirit of service.

“Christ came to serve, not be served,” Mr. Sutton says. “Christ said, ‘Feed my sheep.’ As Christ does, we follow that example.”

Throughout Catholic Schools Week, we will celebrate our entire community by showing our gratitude for all the people who work together to make our school a success. One day will focus on teacher appreciation, another day will highlight our volunteers, and on another day we will celebrate the students themselves.

Traditionally, the school hosts an Open House, Art Show, and Science Fair, each of which showcases the hard work of the students. The community will be welcome to come and see the fruit of the students’ labor and get an inside look into what goes on at the school.

Mr. Sutton sees his work at Our Lady of Lourdes as a ministry — having the opportunity to work in a place where faith is central is a huge blessing.

“It’s responding to Christ’s call to serve one another,” he says. “I can live out my faith and be able to point to what saves me.”

He hopes that this blessing is shared by everyone, staff and students alike. At the end of Catholic Schools Week, Mr. Sutton hopes his students come away with a deeper understanding of their value and dignity.

“I hope they take away that they are loved, they are cared about, and that their life is respected,” Mr. Sutton says. “You’re made in the image and likeness of God.”

If you would like to learn more about Our Lady of Lourdes School, please visit the school website at www.olls.org.