UNION COUNTY, NJ — From creating colonial villages to “unplugging” for an afternoon, the 64 schools within the archdiocese of Newark recently became hubs of service and celebration for National Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 25-31.
More than 21,000 students throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties participated in projects that highlighted the values of charity, learning and community that Catholic schools instill year-round. These included acting out Bible stories at Christ the Teacher Academy in Fort Lee, crafting religious art at St. Mary High School in Rutherford and filling socks with toiletries for people in need at St. Cassian School in Upper Montclair. In honor of America’s 250th birthday, St. Theresa School in Kenilworth even transformed its gymnasium into a Colonial village, where students, dressed in 1700s-era attire, taught visitors about what life was like at the dawn of the United States.
Catholic Schools Week was also an opportunity for students to celebrate the joy of education. To that end, schools hosted fun activities including sports, dress-up days and an “unplugged” afternoon where students at St. Leo’s School in Elmwood Park gave up their phones to bond over board games. Some schools welcomed special guests such as musician and motivational speaker Tony Melendez, who was born without arms. Before a rapt audience at Westfield’s Holy Trinity School, Melendez used his feet to play the guitar, demonstrating that everyone can overcome their obstacles and achieve their dreams when they have faith in Christ.
“Catholic school education is more than just a path to academic achievement; it is a journey of spiritual formation that shapes hearts, minds and souls,” said Father Stephen Fichter, Episcopal vicar of education, and Barbara Dolan, superintendent of schools, in a joint statement commemorating National Catholic Schools Week. “This holistic approach to education prepares young people to become compassionate, ethical and faith-filled individuals – ready to make a positive difference in the world as they follow Jesus, who is ‘the way, the truth and the light.’”
To learn more about archdiocesan Catholic schools, visit www.catholicschoolsnj.org.
Photo Courtesy of the Archdiocese of Newark
