Catholic Schools Week is a time to share how God’s light shines brightly. It’s a time to recognize and give thanks for the selfless dedication of priests, administrators, educators and school personnel who continue to put their personal needs aside to come together to provide a new, safe and engaging educational experience for families.
Please enjoy our video segments that will take you through this journey. Experience with us the marvel of what community means within the Diocese of Raleigh’s Catholic schools as we demonstrate how we are committed to what we can do rather than what we cannot do.
We invite you into our community not only during Catholic Schools Week, but every week of the school year.
As we have seen the past 12 months, each week has brought challenges and rewards. In March 2020, COVID-19 changed our lives. Schools could no longer provide in-person instruction for over 9,000 Catholic school students in the Diocese of Raleigh. Teachers needed to create remote, online learning options, while learning new instructional methods themselves. Not only were educators navigating these challenges, our parishes, students and parents came together as a collective body to support one another.
God’s light shined brightly as faith and support were shown in creating “drive-up” opportunities for students to see their teachers and administrators. School signs were delivered and placed in families’ front yards, gift bags were dropped off by educators and devices for remote instruction were distributed.
Administrators and educators kept the community informed and connected by conducting virtual meetings, taking calls and answering emails all hours of the day and night. They checked on students needing assistance, listened with open hearts and offered understanding.
In April 2020, Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama asked school children to write him a letter about how they were doing during. It was their “homework assignment.” In his video, he expressed his appreciation and noted that prior to COVID-19 homes may have been empty as families were busy. But, with the pandemic, he said, came the freedom to be together more often as a family.
Watch videos in the playlist below or on YouTube.