February 4, 2023

Catholic Schools Week highlights faith, excellence and service

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath

 

SPRINGFIELD – In front of a sold-out crowd at the MassMutual Center for the Thunderbirds game, Saturday, Jan. 28, students from St. Mary Academy in Longmeadow performed “God Bless America,” followed by students from St. Stanislaus School in Chicopee leading the “National Anthem.” Then Bishop William D. Byrne blessed the players, dropped the puck, and kicked off National Catholic Schools Week.

National Catholic Schools Week always begins on the last Sunday in January and highlights the academic excellence of Catholic schools which are rooted in Christ.

“Catholic education is a profound gift to the church and to the world,” said Bishop Byrne, who celebrated Mass at St. Agnes Parish in Dalton early in the week for both students from St. Agnes Academy and St. Mary School in Lee.

“Catholic schools educate not just the mind or train the body in gym class, we educate the whole person, the entire kid. We don’t go to Catholic schools where we have to pray, we get to pray,” he said.

Following Mass, students from both schools gathered at St. Agnes Academy for lunch and activities.

“The best part of Catholic school is really the community,” said Anna White, grade eight student at St. Mary School.

“Like all the Catholic schools I have gone to have had a really great and strong community where everyone is very welcoming of you. That’s my favorite part of going to Catholic school,” she said.

Calen Spratt transferred into St. Agnes Academy two years ago, during the pandemic.

“So we go to Mass the first Friday, and holy days. It’s a really good experience,” Spratt said.

The theme of Catholic Schools week was faith, excellence and service. Students from St. Agnes Academy collected diapers for mothers in need, food for a local shelter and toiletries for Soldier On as part of their service.

Students at St. Thomas the Apostle School in West Springfield did similar activities for the community.

“So we all made (knitted) hats. We did it for about three Thursdays and we did it for the homeless people and for community service. It was a fun thing to do as a class,” said Julia Bonfitto, a grade eight student at St. Thomas the Apostle School.

In addition, students collected care packages for military members serving overseas, and made cards for first responders and seniors.

“During every holiday, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas we write to the homebound parishioners who are unable to go to church just to keep in touch and make them a part of the community here at St. Thomas,” said Grant Stoddard, who is also in eighth grade.

Catholic school enrollment has remained steady in the last two years with some schools seeing an increase including St. Mary High School in Westfield and Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield.

Shae McDonald transferred into St. Mary High School her senior year after she said she had an unbelievable experience at the Steubenville East Conference last July.

“I went with Blessed Sacrament (to Steubenville) but we met up with St. Mary’s. We kind of did everything together. I went up to the principal and I was like I want to go here,” explained McDonald. “I did the paperwork. I enrolled a week later. It was the best decision I ever made.”

McDonald recently traveled with fellow St. Mary students to Washington, D.C. for the national March for Life.

“We went to the March for Life in D.C. and we also went to the March for Life in Springfield,” said Rob LePage, the dean of student life at St. Mary High School and religion teacher.

“So we gave the kids an opportunity to do a national event to demonstrate their faith and live out their pro-life commitment but also a local one so people can see right here in Massachusetts that St. Mary’s is committed to life,” he said.

Bishop Byrne celebrated Mass for the St. Mary school community in Westfield  on Thursday, Feb. 2. He also visited Blessed Sacrament School in Holyoke and Pope Francis Preparatory in Springfield during the week.

This story will be featured tonight on “Real to Reel,” which airs at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22NEWS.