Catholic Schools Week

The annual observance of Catholic Schools week begins today.  It's theme is Community, Faith and Service.  We take time to reflect and celebrate the gift of Catholic schools where we can talk about God freely in a supportive, and in the case of our Marist Schools, a FAMILY atmosphere.  At Central Catholic, in addition to the prayers at the beginning and end of the day and before each class, we will have Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and an all-school liturgy, gathering us all in community to participate in Holy Mass, the source and summit of our spiritual life.
 We are able to bring students together from our Marist Schools for an intense experience of encountering Christ, where students who have drifted from their belief in God and practice of their faith are brought back.  How moving and encouraging it is to see faces which were stressed and detached, come alive as that faith returns, thanks to the prayers and loving concern of the many who make these encounters possible.
Service projects, or mission collections add the hands-on dimension that put our faith into action.  At Central Catholic, we will be collecting for the people suffering in Beirut, Lebanon, and  for our new school in poverty stricken Bangladesh.  The school is under construction and we are trying to help them build the dormitories needed for the students who come from all parts of the country.  Thus we are participating in our global Marist community.  Our Catholic schools system, and our Marist schools network,  make all this possible.  Surely something for which to be grateful and to celebrate.
Bro. Rene