In a demonstration of unity, over 700 students and faculty from the Lompoc and Santa Maria Valleys came together Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, to salute Catholic education and mark the beginning of Catholic Schools Week.
Students from the four northern Santa Barbara County Catholic Schools participated.
St. Mary of the Assumption School hosted students from La Purisima Concepcion School in Lompoc, St. Louis de Montfort School in Orcutt and St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria.
Bishop Robert Barron and 10 priests and deacons concelebrated a special All Schools Mass, highlighting their unity in providing a strong faith-based education.
Over 800 community leaders and members, families and friends attended the service.
“Several years ago, these schools were the first in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to come together to celebrate Mass for the start of Catholic Schools Week,” said Carmen Garcia, assistant superintendent of Catholic Schools. “Now we’re seeing this wonderful tradition move to other areas.”
Students from all four schools served as altar servers throughout Mass, lectors for the readings during the Liturgy of the Word and presenters of the gifts at the beginning of the Liturgy of Eucharist while the St. Mary’s School Choir led the congregation in singing.
After Mass, St. Mary’s School hosted the other students for lunch and activities. This one day event is the only time each year all four schools come together.
“We were thrilled to host all of the schools at St. Mary’s,” said Michelle Cox, St. Mary’s principal. “We are blessed to have so many students attend our local Catholic Schools. At St. Mary’s School we’ve been developing local community leaders for 78 years. We hope to continue helping our students develop into moral and ethical adults and leaders for another 78 years.”
Bishop Barron emphasized the role the Catholic Church has played in education and society, and he highlighted how all universities can trace their heritage back to the very first universities established by the Catholic Church. In the United States, Catholic Schools served families before public schools were established.
Bishop Barron enthusiastically spoke of the ability of Catholic Schools in partnership with parents to develop the entire child into moral and ethical adults and the relationship God has with everything from science and math to art and literature.
New to the region, Bishop Barron was ordained Sept. 8, 2015 as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and is responsible for the Santa Barbara region.
In 2000, he founded the global media ministry, Word on Fire. Although he has celebrated Mass throughout the north county, this was his first Mass in Santa Maria.
For additional information, call Michelle Cox at 805.925.6713 or email her at principal@stmarysschoolsm.com.
— Michelle Cox is the principal of St. Mary of the Assumption School.