CATHOLIC SCHO Celebrating the Spirit and Many
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nce 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
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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,
