By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles
Helping students grow in spirit, mind and body is what Catholic education is all about. Schools in the Diocese of Lake Charles will have the opportunity to celebrate this during the 50th year of National Catholic Schools Week scheduled January 28 – February 3. The theme is “United in Faith and Community.”
Catholic schools in the Diocese are St. Louis Catholic High School, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School, St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic School, and Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School, all in Lake Charles; Our Lady’s Catholic School in Sulphur; and Our Lady Immaculate Catholic School in Jennings.
The mission of Catholic education is to prepare the student to face challenges of the future as a Catholic Christian, firmly rooted in the faith filled with hope and living charity. Principals of each school shared their approach to this mission.
St. Louis Catholic High School
Principal: Mia Touchet
The educational approach of St. Louis Catholic High School is a holistic one — recognizing each member of the school community as a child of God. Meeting academic, spiritual, and social needs collectively means these are not taught in isolation. Our faculty loves the content they teach and are masters of it.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral School
Principal: Blair Tadlock
ICCS administers the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, where student experiences are shared to explore and prepare our students for a religious life. In addition, The Disciples of Christ: Education in Virtue is an application used throughout the school with the purpose of shaping student and staff behavior by incorporating the language of virtue within our daily lives.
St. Margaret Catholic School
Principal: Wendy Wicke
Our mission is “nurturing all children and achieving academic success in the spirit of Christ.” We provide our students with practice in Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity and the Cardinal Virtues of Temperance, Justice, Prudence, and Fortitude.
Throughout the school year, we offer many opportunities for our students to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith with our Saints Parade, Eucharistic Procession, weekly confessions and Mass, Advent and Lent activities, special activities on Marian Feast days and more.
Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School
Principal: Trevor Donnelly
The mission of OLQHS, “learning and living the Good News,” is part of all we do. It can be seen in the lessons in our classrooms, in prayer services and Masses, but it can also be seen most earnestly in the day-to-day interactions on our campus – the small, yet significant “holy moments.”
The love, care and encouragement our teachers extend to our students, and in turn, the love our students share with us each day is remarkable — and Christ is at the center of it all. There is no greater gift than to work in partnership with parents on this like-minded goal.
Our Lady’s Catholic School
Principal: Nichole Tanner
This year’s theme, “United in Faith and Community,” is a simplified definition of Our Lady’s School. Being the only PreK-8th grade school in the Diocese of Lake Charles that is West of the Calcasieu River and multi-parish owned, we are blessed with students, families, and priests from six church parishes who play a role in creating our OLS family.
The staff and faculty incorporate the teachings of our Lord and Catholic faith in all we do. We are committed to building the future of all students through the grace of God and academic excellence.
Our Lady Immaculate Catholic School
Principal: Julie Cassidy
Faith formation is a prevalent part of the day — beginning and ending with prayer. Students participate in a variety of activities including bi-monthly Masses, Reconciliation, Adoration, rosaries, and paraliturgies for our PreK3-2nd grade students. OLI hosts Advents Prayer Services, May Crowning, and Eucharistic Processions in addition to public presentations of the All Saints Program and Way of the Cross.
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During this time of National Eucharistic Revival, principals also shared what their schools will be doing to foster a deeper devotion to the Real Presence.
“There is nothing more humbling as a school principal than witnessing teenagers sit and adore our Lord, especially in this noisy world,” said Mia Touchet, principal at St. Louis. The adoration chapel on campus has seen a growing number of students as part of the revival but will also be encouraged during Catholic Schools Week.
Since the beginning of the Eucharistic Revival, St. Margaret Catholic School has hosted Eucharistic processions throughout the neighborhood around the church and school.
“This year, our procession will be during Catholic Schools Week, and our plans are to do a special nighttime procession,” said Wendy Wicke, principal. “Our junior high students have taken an active role in the processions, which are open to parents and parishioners of St. Margaret.”
Our Lady Immaculate Catholic School will be reciting the “Prayer for the Revival” throughout the week as well as attending Adoration, according to Julie Cassidy.
“Gathering together to share in the Eucharist is the absolute most important thing we do as a Catholic community,” said Donnelly at Our Lady Queen of Heaven. “This year, we are emphasizing our relationship with Christ bringing to life the words contained in the Catholic Profession of Faith (Nicene Creed), helping students understand the true sacrifice in its living form.”
Blair Tadlock at ICCS said the school’s theme is focused on the Eucharist. “During our study, we focus more closely with these associated words — ask, receive, nourished, and give. We use these words to reflect on the meaning given to us in the Eucharist and in communion with one another and the Church.”
To highlight Catholic Schools Week, Bishop Glen John Provost will be the celebrant for a school Mass for St. Louis Catholic High School seniors and eighth graders at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 31, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
