On Friday, February 2, sixteen students represented Brother Martin High School at the annual Archdiocese of New Orleans Catholic Schools Week Mass celebrated by Archbishop Aymond ‘67 CJ at Divine Mercy Church in Kenner. Students attended from all of the 80 Catholic schools in the archdiocese. The theme of Catholic Schools Week this year was “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.”
A few Brother Martin students who attended the Liturgy reflected on their experience…
“When you step back and take a moment to think about what we were gathered to celebrate, it is truly incredible. Over eighty schools, united in one mission—that of Christ—celebrated Mass together. Catholic education is so much more than academics; it is about preparing young people for life by instilling the intrinsic value associated with the actions of learning, serving, leading, and ultimately succeeding in young people. Faith underpins everything in Catholic schools. This is very important to me because I know that when bad things happen in life, my faith, instilled in me at a very young age and developed over the years, will help me through. It is truly a blessing to be educated in a Catholic school, surrounded by adults who have accepted the calling to the vocation of being a part of the formation of young people in Catholic schools. In a world where many only discuss the negative qualities of young people, it was awe-inspiring to see the youth of our Archdiocese come together to celebrate Catholic education and praise God.”
– Alex Genois ‘18
“This Catholic Schools Week Mass was a good experience for me. I learned a lot about Catholic schools both here in New Orleans and in the United States. From this Mass, I learned that the oldest Catholic school in the United States is Ursuline Academy and that we, as a city, started the idea of Catholic schools in the United States. I also learned that there are more Catholic schools then I ever thought there would be. This Mass has helped me to become even more thankful for the privilege of being able to attend Catholic Schools throughout my life such as Brother Martin, St. Catherine, and St. Christopher. I thank my parents and God everyday for this opportunity. Catholic Schools Week Mass has taught me a lot about Catholic schools here in New Orleans, but it has also taught me that we are all called by Jesus to follow and worship him through prayer.”
– Patrick O’Neill ‘20
“Attending Catholic Schools Week Mass was an eye-opening experience. Seeing representatives from eighty Catholic schools come together in one place is not something one gets to see everyday. I learned a lot about the history of New Orleans during this Mass as well. I found out that Ursuline Academy was the first Catholic school established in the United States. I actually have a sister currently enrolled there as a sophomore. Attending this Mass gave me insight into the many privileges that we have in attending Catholic schools. The Archbishop relayed one thing from the gospel that day, “We are called by Jesus.” Jesus calls us to him, even though we do not always hear his call clearly. We are called through prayer, people around us, and also through our own experiences. This was a great experience.”
– Tyler Thompson ‘18
2018 Catholic Schools Week Mass
