Catholic Schools Week is a tradition that takes place in Catholic schools across the United States, as a celebration of solidarity for the Catholic faith and identity. However, the layout of the week is different in every school, with some schools emphasizing specific groups of people each day, while some ditch the normal uniforms and opt for dress-up and dress-down days. Most schools use this week as a time of outreach to help support the surrounding community. Each year, Cardinal Gibbons celebrates with numerous festivities to commemorate its Catholic identity. This year is no exception. Below are some of the faith-filled activities for students and teachers to participate in during the week of celebration.
Photos of Seniors
This year’s seniors graduated middle school in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They completed the last three months of their eighth-grade year in virtual learning, which meant they never had a formal eighth-grade graduation. But how does this apply to Catholic Schools Week?
The Spiritual Life staff is dedicated to celebrating this graduation along with the Class of 2024’s high school graduation. Thus, pictures will be taken of all the seniors who graduated from one of the nine feeder area Diocesan middle schools. In addition, the staff will be matching these with kindergarten photos and using them to honor their eighth-grade graduation.
Book Drive
One service outreach that will be taking place during Catholic Schools Week is a book drive in support of a non-profit organization called Book Harvest. Book Harvest is a book collection and distribution operation. They have supplied over two million books to children/families during their 13 years of service in the state of North Carolina. This event will be hosted by the Gibbons Book Club throughout the whole week. Students are encouraged to donate!
Mass with Bishop Luis Zarama and a Dress-Up Opportunity
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, there will be an All School Mass. The service will be led by Bishop Luis Zarama. Students are invited to dress up in celebration of Catholic Schools Week and the Feast of St. John Bosco. Mass attire/senior dress code will be enforced. After the mass, five Gibbons educators will be recognized “for their years of service,” according to Mr. Meyerl. These are Mr. Mangum, Ms. Anders, Ms. Hammersley, Mr. Casas, and Ms. Paez, with the first three having served 15 years at Cardinal Gibbons and the latter two serving 25 years.
Alumni and Legacy Family Mass
On Thursday, Feb. 1, the Alumni and Legacy Mass and Reception will be held at 7:30 am. This mass will honor former students of Cardinal Gibbons, as well as “legacy families.” These are alumni who have chosen to send their kids to Gibbons. That evening, the Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame Induction will take place to honor three former athletes at the school, inducted for their outstanding athletic accomplishments and demonstration of alignment with the morals and values of a Gibbons student. The inductees this year will be:
- Karen Rotheschild Rembert ’86 – tennis
- Shannon Boyle ’03 – golf
- Sarah Rapp ’11 – cross country and track
Spirit Day
While Wednesday will be a dress-up day, Friday will be a dress-down spirit day. All students will be allowed to dress in clothes that reference a Catholic institution, such as Notre Dame, Cardinal Gibbons, Villanova, Catholic middle schools, etc. This will be in recognition of Cardinal Gibbons’ education and identity as a Catholic community.
St. Monica School Alumni and St. Monica House Meeting
In addition to Spirit Day, the Saint Monica House will have a very special house meeting during community time. Alumni from the former St. Monica School, an All-Black Catholic school that closed after desegregation, will be coming to the meeting for a Q&A session. There will be a reception in the Spiritual Life Center afterward for the alumni.
Blessing of Throats – Feast Day of St. Blaise
Another event that will take place on Friday is the Blessing of Throats. This will be held in celebration of the Feast Day of Saint Blaise, which is on Saturday, Feb. 3. Father Luke and the Spiritual Life Team will be blessing the throats of students and staff at the Chapel during the day. For those who choose to participate in this ritual, there will be a sweet, cold treat to take as they leave.
Outreach Opportunities
Catholic Schools Week is all about celebrating the Catholic faith, and there is not a better way to do so than to serve in outreach opportunities. Throughout the week, there will be several opportunities for students to serve in different ways. In addition to the aforementioned book drive, Franciscan Youth International (FYI) will be visiting the Brookdale Retirement Community after school on Tuesday. On Thursday, FYI will also be visiting Beginning and Beyond, a child development center for kids from the ages of newborn to twelve years old. FYI Club will be attending the facility to help tutor the kids there. Through these activities, students can join together in their faith as they enjoy serving others with their peers.
“The celebratory aspects of Catholic Schools Week allow for spirits to be raised,” said Mr. Meyerl.
Coming back from winter break, students often find themselves in a slump, no longer motivated to take part in the school community or do their work. However, when Catholic Schools Week rolls around, students are able to celebrate their Catholic identity by honoring their service and faith. As this week is about to begin, students should take advantage of the opportunities given to them at Cardinal Gibbons and take part in these activities to grow closer in the faith and connect with others.
