As the calendar gets ready for a page turn to February, it means that, even in an unprecedented school year, Maine Catholic Schools Week is upon us, an annual celebration that offers an opportunity to reflect upon the mission of Catholic schools as centers of faith, academic excellence, community, and service.

This week, fun activities, special events, and projects benefitting a wide range of organizations and charitable groups fill the daily schedules at the schools. On the first day of the weeklong commemoration, Bishop Robert Deeley officially kicked off the celebration with Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland on Sunday morning, January 31. 

“It is a time in which we lift up with gratitude the importance of those schools, and the significant contribution they make to the Church and the community,” said the bishop during his homily.

This year, that contribution has included a commitment to in-person learning, the availability of distance learning, and the adherence to strict protocols to keep the schools safe.

“There are many reasons for which to be grateful for our schools but this year, it seems to me, we can be particularly thankful for the commitment our teachers and administrators have made to the common good during the time of this pandemic,” said Bishop Deeley. “The very fact that they have made a heroic effort to provide in-person classroom education five days a week is a tribute to their wish to see our schools at the heart of the community of the Church. This has been a tremendous service to the parents and the families of our young people.”

That dedication, shown forth each day by the school principals, teachers, staff, and Marianne Pelletier, superintendent of Maine Catholic Schools, has made it possible for this important mission of the Church to carry on, even when faced with seemingly limitless obstacles.

“That makes it possible for us to offer these centers of educational opportunity and excellence. Thus, this week of celebration provides a good opportunity to thank them for what they do to build up the schools. They provide, in their own lives, the values which make the schools such an important part of our Church,” said the bishop, who also thanked donors to the annual Catholic Appeal and parish communities for their crucial and continuing support of Catholic education. 

Bishop Deeley noted that the purpose of Catholic schools is to help parents in their responsibility to be disciples and to help their children understand that the source of all love is God himself.

“Academic excellence is at the heart of a Catholic education, but a full education for life also includes moral values, discipline, and service,” said the bishop. “Persons are created for relationship. Our schools strive to help our young people to see the ties they have with others, and the responsibility they have for each other.”

The Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, the Make-A-Wish Maine, Bangor Ecumenical Food Cupboard, Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, Catholic Charities Maine’s Refugee and Immigration Services, Camp Waban, St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion, Meals on Wheels, and Woodlands Senior Living are just some of the community organizations that will be the recipients of the children’s service projects during the week. The students will also take the time to write letters, make cards, and create other gifts of gratitude for residents at nursing homes, clergy, and veterans, as well as health care workers, first responders, and local businesses for their efforts during the pandemic. 

“Take some time to learn about the good things happening in our schools and see if this might be something you would want for your children,” said the bishop, who also channeled St. John Bosco, the patron of Catholic schools, to conclude his reflections on Sunday. “His thought seems very appropriate for our own time: ‘If we want to have a good society, we must concentrate all our forces on the Christian education of the young. Experience has taught me that if we wish to sustain civil society then we should take good care of the young.’”

Pictures and stories from Maine Catholic Schools Week can be found throughout the week on the diocesan social media platforms on Facebook (www.facebook.com/PortlandDiocese), Twitter (www.twitter.com/PortlandDiocese), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/PortlandDioceseME). For more information about Maine Catholic Schools Week, including schedule updates and additions, visit www.portlanddiocese.org/CatholicSchoolsWeek2021.