School year focuses on Year of the Eucharist

From visits to the Blessed Sacrament to painting ornaments, Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have incorporated creative ways to “Encounter Christ’s Presence” during the Year of the Eucharist.

“Teaching our students to encounter Christ through the Eucharist is part of our mission,” said Dr. Donna Hargens, superintendent of Catholic Schools.

The archdiocese has provided online resources to Catholic schools to live out the four days of encounter: Feast of Corpus Christi, June 6, 2021; Eve of All Saints’ Day, Oct. 31, 2021; Word of God Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022; and Good Shepherd Sunday, May 8, 2022.

In addition to providing online resources, Hargens said the archdiocese has distributed an exhibition package of the “Eucharistic Miracles of the World” by Blessed Carlo Acutis to schools for children to learn about the Eucharist.

Students from Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Baynesville and School of the Incarnation in Gambrills painted ornaments with drawings of the Eucharist and gifted those to the bishops at the Catholic Center in Baltimore.

St. Mary School in Hagerstown implemented a faculty retreat focused on the Eucharist, held adoration days at the parish chapel and promoted the devotion of praying the Holy Rosary in family for the intention of the school and community.  

“We want the children to develop habits of mind and heart to come to know and love Jesus as their best friend,” said Frank Nicely, principal of St. Mary School. “The best way to become a friend is by being present and communicating.”

During the Year of the Eucharist, St. John Catholic School in Westminster started “Adoration Thursdays,” exposing the Blessed Sacrament all day for worship. Teachers with their respective classes and school parents volunteer throughout the day so the Blessed Sacrament is never left alone and exposed all day. At the end of the school day every Thursday, benediction broadcast over videoconferencing takes place in every class. The elementary school has its own school chapel, which students decorate with religious art during their art classes. 

“It is fundamentally important, but also a joy and a blessing, that kids can come to school and have the Eucharist there, not just learn about the Eucharist,” said Jesse Read, principal. 

In addition to “Adoration Thursdays,” students participate in weekly Mass and eucharistic art can be found all around the school, especially bulletin boards. 

Father Mark S. Bialek, pastor of St. John will be involved in a eucharistic procession and blessing of the school during Catholic Schools Week. 

Our Lady of Hope/St. Luke School in Dundalk adopted the theme: “Be the ‘You’ in the Eucharist” and created a bulletin board for display with the names of the students of each class.

School Sister of Notre Dame Irene M. Pryle, principal, said the school tries to make the theme personal for the students. The school has used resources provided by the Archdiocese of Baltimore for the Year of the Eucharist and Eucharist-related resources from Formed.org. The students attend Mass regularly. 

After watching a video on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the 8th graders were asked, “How can you be the ‘you’ in the Eucharist?” One student responded by saying “I can be the You in the Eucharist by showing reverence. I can stand up for it and with it, unashamed. Treating it as it is Jesus and realizing it’s real and precious.” 

Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Baynesville created a calendar, in which a saint devoted to the Eucharist and the presence of Christ was selected for monthly study. 

“We want to make sure students are learning about these wonderful role models from different times, ages and cultures because our Catholic Church is universal,” said Oblate Sister of St. Francis de Sales Susan Louise Eder, principal. “We are Christ’s presence at home, in school, in our community and all these different places.”

The school also embraced a theme song for the year, “We come to share God’s special gift.” The students had a quarterly day of adoration and access to pray in the chapel or church on school days.

“If children can come to know and love Jesus in the Eucharist from their Catholic school experience into their lives,” Sister Susan Louise said, “then they have been given the greatest gift possible.”

Email Priscila González de Doran at pdoran@CatholicReview.org

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