Together with our 106 Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit, we join over 7300 Catholic schools nationwide to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. 

 

This year's theme is "Catholic Schools Celebrate Service", which underscores the great commitment Catholic education has to community service. By teaching students about civic engagement and providing them opportunities to serve, Catholic schools equip them with the tools they need to fulfill their future roles as good citizens, productive employees and compassionate leaders.

 

The theme links to a recently completed initiative by the National Catholic Educational Association, "Birthday Blessings for Pope Benedict." During the pope's April 2008 visit to the United States, Catholic youth were asked to pledge hours of community service to honor the pope's 81st birthday.

 

More than 2 million hours of service were pledged by the end of the campaign. Three Catholic school students representing Catholic youth nationwide had the opportunity to deliver the pledged hours personally to Pope Benedict during a private moment at the Vatican Embassy, where the pope stayed during his Washington, D.C., visit.

 

We salute and thank all teachers, staff, board members, administrators, volunteers, pastors, parishioners, benefactors, and especially parents who have dedicated their time and talents, all working together toward making Catholic education a valuable investment in our lives of our young people.

 

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Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit
February 10, 2009

photos by Larry Peplin