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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK: Students, Faculty and Staff Gear Up to Celebrate Catholic Education
Each day at St. Dominic Catholic School is a blessing and a cause for celebration. But the celebrations go a step further during Catholic Schools Week, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5. During this special week, everyone at the school has a chance to celebrate the true gift of Catholic education.
All year, the focus at St. Dominic Catholic School has been on the Great Commission, which comes from Matthew 28:19-20 — “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
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Our school has focused on Mary as the first disciple, as well as the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church — the Profession of Faith, the Celebration of the Christian Mystery, Life in Christ, and Christian Prayer.
The students and staff have learned about a Marian apparition each month. They started the year learning about the only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States — Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wis. They’ve also learned about Our Lady Undoer of Knots, Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal, and Our Lady of Kibeho, Rwanda. Each of these has been connected to one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. In addition, students have taken part in a service project connected with each theme. For instance, for Our Lady of Kibeho, students collected spare change for a nonprofit called Teach Rwanda.
Given our school's particular focus on learning about Mary, St. Dominic should be considered to have been the first person to hear from Mary to pray the Rosary. Principal Carol Frericks said this was discovered a few months into the school year.
“We are just learning as we go and it’s all connecting nicely," she says.
During Catholic Schools Week, each class will do something connected to their Marian theme. They will also participate in the Super Bowl of Caring, a food drive to benefit Catholic Charities.
“Through this year, we have discovered new ways to be disciples and to make disciples,” Mrs. Frericks says. “We want to showcase that during Catholic Schools Week."
As in past years, Mrs. Frericks looks forward to taking time to truly celebrate St. Dominic Catholic School, as well as the gifts and blessings of Catholic education. She loves that Catholic education truly makes life richer.
“Catholic education provides the opportunity for family faith formation,” she says. “As a school family, we are developing and learning how to become disciples. Deepening our faith and relationship with the Lord is possible with Catholic education.”
Happy Catholic Schools Week to everyone at St. Dominic Catholic School!
Fifth-grade students gather with a bulletin board of Our Lady of Fatima.
Students pray the Rosary before Mass.
Eighth-grade students learned about Our Lady Undoer of Knots.
