Appreciating a Catholic education

St. Catherine of Siena students spent last week honoring the community around them as part of Catholic Schools Week.

The tradition began in 1974; all 42 Catholic schools in Orange County celebrate concurrently. This year’s theme is “Catholic Schools Light the Way.”

School pastor Eamon O’Gorman described the difference between Catholic and public school education Wednesday.

“We believe that the child comes from above,” he said. “That’s what makes us unique. We’ve gone beyond the stage of competition with public schools. We all have to find our own voice.”

Catholic schools use the weeklong event to build relations with a variety of stakeholders.

Spirits are riding high at the school, which has just won city approval to go forward with a much-postponed renovation project.

This is the first major school remodel O’Gorman has faced under his tenure; many of the county’s schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s and, like St. Catherine’s, are becoming structurally obsolete.

St. Catherine’s had an open house Sunday, followed by Community Appreciation Day Monday.

Kids made cards for city officials and place mats for local nursing homes; the student council also led a canned food drive.

A highlight for many students was the act of putting together care packages for the homeless.

On Parent Appreciation Day Tuesday, kids made letters for their parents. Wednesday, the kids celebrated Pastor Appreciation Day by presenting class books to O’Gorman and Father Doug Dale.

“Every classroom made one,” Wyatt said.

Teachers and school staff honored the priests with a breakfast before the all-school assembly.

The kids found themselves to be the honorees Thursday, when they celebrated with music and dancing during lunch.

The school will celebrate its 50th anniversary in April with a mass for all of its alumni.

“Since I was ordained, I think we’ve been in different phases of Catholic education,” O’Gorman said. “I think we’re on the verge of an interesting renewal of Catholic education from the inside out.”