Catholic Schools Week celebrated at CHS
Published 2:30 am Friday, February 3, 2023
- CHS students lead a song during the All Schools Mass.
The Catholic High School gymnasium was filled to the brim with students Thursday morning as the school celebrated National Catholic Schools Week with an All Schools Mass.
Students from Catholic High as well as St. Edward Catholic School in New Iberia found a spot in the gymnasium and celebrated with a variety of songs before the Mass took place in celebration of the holiday.
CHS Principal Kyle Bourque said the special Mass takes place every year as a way to bring New Iberia’s Catholic community together in celebration of Catholic education.
“Our Mass this year is with the bishop and we invite St. Edward’s, which is our feeder school, so we can worship together,” Bourque said.
Children excitedly sang and danced in the gymnasium in anticipation of the Mass as local residents also piled into the gymnasium to take part in the event as well.
The basketball court of the gym was rearranged with an altar at the front of the gym that students piously bowed to before taking a seat.
Along with the bishop, local priests from various churches in New Iberia also took part in the special Mass for the special occasion. Jennifer Minvielle with CHS said about seven other priests took part in the celebration.
Bourque said the All Schools Mass is an annual tradition that allows Catholic students to worship together in one space, as well as have fun.
National Catholic Schools Week has been an annual observance for Catholics across the country since 1974, and starts on the last Sunday in January. The theme for this year’s National Catholic Schools Week celebration is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.”
Schools typically observe the celebration with Masses, open houses and other activities for parishioners, students and families to take part in in order to open up Catholic educational institutions to the wider community.
“Through these events, schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to our church, our communities and our nation,” according to the National Catholic Education Association.
