What is Catholic Schools Week at St. Bede?

You can see the differences just by looking around the school first thing in the morning during the last week of January. Students walk in the doors dressed like their favorite teachers, sporting plaid shirts, sensible skirts, fake beards, and other regalia of their academic stewards. There’s an excited chatter as students show off their interpretation of the day's theme. Faculty and staff members chuckle as they see their proteges walking around, marveling at the creativity and mirth of their students.

This sense of levity can be brought about by any number of spirit weeks at schools across the American midwest. But at St. Bede Academy, this is a feature of a week that means so much more to the school at large. Amid the fun and excitement of a dress-up week is the “reason for the season”; the celebration that comes at the end of every January. This is Catholic Schools Week.

According to ADToday, Catholic Schools Week was established in 1974 through promotion by the National Catholic Education Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The week was originally created to highlight schools in the Catholic tradition, often employing catchy phrases and other fun activities. As the years pass, each Catholic Schools Week highlights different themes and causes near and dear to those in the schools. Weeks normally begin with the celebration of Mass and emphasize community within the school itself. The ultimate goal is to celebrate the community found in a chosen school and highlight the positive academic, social, and spiritual impact that a Catholic education can have on a student.

At St. Bede Academy, our student government and campus chaplain, Fr. Dominic Garramone, lead the festivities of the week. Each class has a Mass celebrated, with a breakfast for the group after their communal worship and reflection. Fr. Dominic leads each class in worship and reverence for our shared community, while Mrs. Theisinger and SBASG organize a spirit week for the school to celebrate. Themes this week have included Decades Day, where we pay homage to the parents who sent our students to Catholic Schools, and Role Model Day, where students dress like an adult at St. Bede that they look up to.

When a student chooses to attend a school like St. Bede Academy, they ultimately become a member of something bigger than themselves. They join decades and generations of proud Bruins who unite in a pursuit of higher learning and an environment that encourages them to strive for excellence. During Catholic Schools Week, we celebrate this institution and so many others like it that give students a foundation in learning, faith, and community.