Maine Catholic Schools Week 2023 will celebrate the mission of Catholic schools: to evangelize students by nourishing faith and encouraging academic excellence while accentuating the importance of community and service in a nurturing environment. During the week, each school holds a variety of fun activities, family gatherings and special service projects.

St. John’s Catholic School in Brunswick will welcome Bishop Robert Deeley for the opening Mass of Maine Catholic Schools Week at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29, at St. John the Baptist Church, 39 Pleasant St. All are welcome. There will be different festivities throughout the week:

• Monday, Jan. 30: Students will dress in Maine apparel; play in a Maine trivia game featuring the Rev. Phil Tracy, pastor of All Saints Parish in Brunswick, and many others; display projects for the school’s Religion Fair; and participate in the school’s Variety Show at 6 p.m.

• Tuesday, Jan. 31: Following a schoolwide Mass, students will welcome different members of the clergy and religious life to discuss vocations with them, including Tracy, the Rev. Peter Shaba of All Saints Parish and Sister Christianna Hamann, FSE, who is on the staff at St. Dom’s in Auburn and Lewiston.

• Wednesday, Feb. 1: The school will welcome WMTW in Portland for a presentation on weather and host a career day for local professionals to come and talk about their careers with the students.

• Thursday, Feb. 2: The students and staff will dress in appropriate attire for Hawaiian Day, write thank-you letters to their parents and guardians for sending them to receive a Catholic education, and take part in a Winter Carnival.

• Friday, Feb. 3: The school community will dress in neon colors for “Our Future is Bright Day” and participate in the longstanding tradition of “Minute to Win It” at the school, during which students and staff try to complete different tasks in less than a minute.

• Saturday, Feb. 4: Catholic Schools Week concludes when the school hosts a father-daughter dance at the St. John’s Community Center at 5:30 p.m.

Other schools participating in Maine Catholic Schools Week are St. Brigid School, Portland; All Saints Catholic School, Bangor; St. James School, Biddeford; Mount Merici Academy, Waterville; Saint Dominic Academy, Auburn and Lewiston; Holy Cross School, South Portland; St. Thomas School, Sanford; and St. Michael School, Augusta.

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