Detroit — One need not look far to see a display of Christian virtues being taught at Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Throughout the year, educators have plenty of hands-on ways of getting students involved in service projects and liturgies that further their paths into lives of greater faith, hope and love.
“Catholic educators have awareness that education is more than academics,” said Fr. James Bilot, pastor of Church of Divine Child in Dearborn. “It is really about, as the Archbishop said, teaching a wise way to live. This wise way is nothing other than following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. This is what our teachers teach.”
While the Divine Catholic elementary students donated non-perishable food items during the annual pre-Thanksgiving prayer service, in December the high school Spanish club led its first bilingual novena to the Divine Child over the PA system for world peace. Also, second-grade students paired with eighth-grade students to pray in preparation for their First Communion and confirmation.
Naturally, how much a student does typically depends on their age.
For elementary school students, simple gestures of kindness are as natural to the curriculum as spelling tests. Many schools have students write Valentine cards to senior citizens, assemble care packages for military members, collect monetary donations for soup kitchens, or hold daily school wide prayers.
For the second year, students from the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Bloomfield Hills, participated in the LIVESTRONG walk Friday, Oct. 8, 2010.
LIVESTRONG is a trademark organization of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) that unites people to battle cancer.
Senior Kathryn Mezwa organized the walk where 50 students and faculty from Upper School, Middle School for Girls and Kensington Hall joined together in awareness for LAF. Many wore signs displaying those of whom they walked in honor.
“I planned it with my lacrosse coach Ms. Oakley because she had been recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She unfortunately passed away,” Mezwa said. “This year to keep the tradition alive and get people involved, the walk was in memory of Ms. Oakley.”
Through donations, a healthy bake sale and selling LIVESTRONG bracelets around the school, they raised $400 for LAF.
“She [Oakley] was passionate towards the foundation and looked to Lance Armstrong as inspiration,” said Mezwa.
Mezwa will be graduating this year, but said she hopes someone will continue with organizing the walk for the next school year.
In recent years, Catholic educators have stressed the importance of environmental care, and many schools lead the way in running recycling programs. St. Stephen in New Boston is one example.
As students get older, the more they put their talents and energy to work to serve their communities and strengthen their virtuous tendencies.
High school students may be seen hauling boxes of canned goods for food shelters, attending retreats, and participating in discernment weekends and spiritual reflection.
St. Michael Catholic School, Livonia, students display their Christian virtues in various events that include collecting monetary donations for the poor, joining in daily school wide prayers, and engaging in the Pro Life Club for sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders.
“One of the greatest things is that one of the fundraisers is for Cystic Fibrosis. Last year we did a fundraiser for that,” said Sr. Ratkowski, principle of St. Michael’s for 20 years. They also finished a second fundraiser recently. “Next week, we are getting a special award for helping out,” she said.
The Student Council runs from fifth to eighth-grade and organizes the charitable events where all grades participate.
“We’re trying to help the children realize that academics are extremely important, but that being world leaders for the future is far greater, and that we’re able to help others that seek out our help,” she said.
