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Catholic Schools Week: Celebrating Faith, Fun, and Vocations!

Hau Vu

By: Joe Bedard, January 31, 2025

 

Catholic Schools Week is always a time of joy, faith, and celebration! It’s a special opportunity to recognize the incredible impact that Catholic education has on young minds and hearts. It’s a week filled with gratitude for our schools, teachers, students, and families who help nurture faith and learning every day. But most importantly, it’s a time to reflect on how God calls each of us to a special mission in life.


As a Vocations Office, we love being part of this exciting week by sharing the beauty of listening to God’s call. Whether He calls someone to the priesthood, religious life, marriage, or the single life, Catholic Schools Week reminds us that God has an amazing plan for each of us!


Bringing Vocations to Life

 

What better way to connect with students than by playing alongside them? Our priests, sisters, deacons, and seminarians took to the field for a friendly (and competitive!) game of soccer against the students at Our Lady of the Assumption in San Bernardino. There was laughter, teamwork, and some impressive moves from both sides!


The game was more than just fun—it was a beautiful way to show students that priests, sisters, deacons, and seminarians are real people who love to engage with their communities. Vocations are about serving God with joy, and what better way to demonstrate that than through something as universal and exciting as soccer?


One teacher who participated in the game stated, "I think getting out and playing with the kids helps them realize that those who dedicate their lives to God’s service are not distant figures, but joyful, active, and relatable people who love being part of the community".



A Deeper Conversation

 

While the soccer game was about showing vocations in action, we also wanted to provide a space where students could ask questions, share their thoughts, and learn more about how to discern God’s call. That’s why we were thrilled to be a part of a Vocations Discussion Panel at St. Peter and St. Paul Parish in Alta Loma.


The panel featured a Priest, a Sister, a Deacon, and a married couple—a beautiful representation of the different vocations God calls us to. The students had the opportunity to ask questions about:

    •    What inspired each panelist to follow their vocation

    •    What daily life looks like in different vocations

    •    The joys and challenges of saying “Yes” to God


One of the most powerful moments of the panel was hearing personal testimonies of how each person discovered their calling. Some had a clear sense of their vocation early on, as early as 2nd grade, while others took years of prayer and discernment. But each story had one thing in common—God’s plan is always greater than our own, and following Him brings true joy and peace.


The presence of a married couple on the panel was especially meaningful. Many young people assume that “vocation” only refers to priesthood or religious life, but marriage is also a sacred calling! Seeing a couple share how their marriage is a path to holiness and service helped students realize that every vocation—whether priesthood, religious life, or marriage—is a way to bring Christ into the world.


By the end of the discussion, we could see the impact it had on the students. Many left with new questions, new inspiration, and perhaps even the first stirrings of their own vocation journey.


Why Connecting with Students Matters

 

One of the greatest joys of Catholic Schools Week is the opportunity to engage with students face-to-face, heart-to-heart. It’s one thing to talk about vocations, but it’s another to show them through our presence, our actions, and our enthusiasm for life.


Many young people may not realize that God could be calling them to a special mission. By spending time with them—whether through a soccer game, classroom visit, or a panel discussion—we help plant the seeds of discernment. They get to see firsthand what it looks like to say “Yes!” to God’s plan.

    •    A Priest shows what it means to serve God’s people with love and dedication.

    •    A Sister reflects the joy of living a life completely devoted to Christ.

    •    A Deacon models service and compassion in the Church.

    •    A married couple exemplifies the beauty of love, sacrifice, and family life, showing that marriage is also a path to holiness.


Every vocation is a response to God’s love and an invitation to serve others. By interacting with students, we help them see that whether they are called to marriage, priesthood, or religious life, their vocation is a gift from God meant to bring them joy and fulfillment.


As Catholic Schools Week comes to a close, our mission continues. We remain dedicated to helping young people listen to God’s call, trust in His plan, and embrace the incredible adventure of faith.


“Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” – St. Catherine of Siena



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2 comentários


Veronica Saiz
Veronica Saiz
7 days ago

Enjoyed the soccer game on facebook. I am an alumni of parochial school and I do believe I received a wonderful education with the Sisters who taught at my school. I wish we had a Catholic School in the High Desert.

Curtir
Hau Vu
Hau Vu
6 days ago
Respondendo a

I'm glad you had a positive experience of parochial school. It is so much needed for the raising and upbringing of our children, today more than ever! Let's keep praying, who knows maybe through our prayers there will be a Catholic School in the High Desert!

Curtir
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