‘I am very proud of your school’
CHARLOTTE — Holy Trinity Middle School welcomed Bishop Peter Jugis Jan. 28 during National Catholic Schools Week, which runs from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2.
Bishop Jugis celebrated an all-school Mass in the school gymnasium. Father Joseph Matlak, school chaplain, served as master of ceremonies, and a student choir accompanied by Dr. Gianfranco DeLuca of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte provided the music.
During his homily, Bishop Jugis noted that National Catholic Schools Week is a special time to thank God for the gift of our Catholic schools and to ask God’s blessing upon teachers, staffs and all of the students and their families.
“I hope that you will take the opportunity through all of the events that are scheduled this week, to realize how fortunate you are to have such a great school community where our faith in Jesus is lived and celebrated,” Bishop Jugis told students.
“I am very proud of your school,” he emphasized. “By living your faith may it be evident to everyone that indeed Christ is alive here in this school. My wish for all of you is that you will always stay close to Jesus and you will always be strong witnesses to the love of Christ and the presence of Christ here in this school and in your lives.”
Bishop Jugis will celebrate a similar Mass Jan. 30 at Charlotte Catholic High School.
The theme for National Catholic Schools Week is “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.”
Each day of National Catholic Schools Week focuses on a specific theme for students, teachers and families: Celebrating Your Parish; Celebrating Your Community; Celebrating Your Students; Celebrating the Nation; Celebrating Vocations; Celebrating Your Faculty, Staff and Volunteers; and Celebrating Families.
Nearly 1.8 million students are currently educated in 6,352 Catholic schools in the U.S. There are currently 5,817 students in 19 Catholic schools across the Diocese of Charlotte.
Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week has been the annual celebration of Catholic education in the U.S., sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Catholic Education. Schools typically observe the annual week-long celebration with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. National Catholic Education Association contributed. Photos by SueAnn Howell.
See more photos from Catholic Schools Week around the diocese.
BELMONT — An eighth-grade class from St. Pius X School in Greensboro toured Belmont Abbey College during National Vocations Week Nov. 3-9.
Students toured the campus, ate in the student dining hall and enjoyed discussions with the Benedictine monks, diocesan seminarians who attend the college and other university professionals.
Benedictine Father Elias Correa-Torres explained to the students what being a Benedictine is all about.
Amid their questions, he shared with them his reasons for choosing to enter the order and how his life has been blessed by his choice. Students were also able to speak with seminarians from St. Joseph College Seminary in Charlotte.
The young seminarians reiterated their own choices in choosing to become priests and gave a detailed description of the significance of the cassock and sash they wear.
The final highlight was the surprise opportunity to speak with Belmont Abbey College’s men’s and women’s lacrosse coaches. The coaches spoke to the students about the academic and spiritual requirements of players they look for as they recruit from local Catholic high schools.
— Photo provided by April Parker