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By Erika Anderson
Staff Writer
ATLANTA-At a Mass held in celebration of Catholic Schools Week at The
Donnellan School, Archbishop John F. Donoghue thanked the parents in attendance
for the sacrifices they have made to send their children to a Catholic school.
Students, parents and teachers sang "We Are Children of the Lord"
as the archbishop and concelebrants, Msgr. Edward Dillon, pastor of Holy Spirit
Church, Atlanta, and Father John Hopkins, LC, chaplain at The Donnellan School,
processed into the school's cafetorium to kick off Catholic Schools Week Feb.
1.
Msgr. Dillon, president of The Donnellan School, delivered the homily in
which he said that the school's success is reflected in the students' faces.
"I know on freezing mornings when I am down at the carpool, I always
see smiling faces. I do see a few glum ones, but, by and large, you boys and
girls are smiling. It's a good sign," he said. "It's good to know
that you are happy and in an environment that you really like."
Msgr. Dillon also addressed the many parents in attendance.
"It's wonderful to see so many parents here. Thanks for all you
do," he said. "You have been such a big part of making this school so
very successful."
The archbishop spoke to the congregation and expressed his joy in returning
to the school.
"This is one of my favorite times of the year, when I go to the various
schools and celebrate the Eucharist with young people and their parents,"
he said.
Archbishop Donoghue told the parents that although the students may not
appreciate their Catholic education now, they will be grateful for it when they
are older.
"I can think of many public schools that give a great education,"
he said. "But no school can serve people more than a Catholic school. We
have much to celebrate during this week, not only during this Catholic Schools
Week, but throughout the year. We have much to be grateful for."
He extended a blessing over the parents.
"My prayer is that the Lord will continue to bless you and to give you
many blessings for the sacrifices you have made to send your children here, and
I pray that you will always be grateful to the Lord," he said.
Following the Mass, Angela Naples, principal of The Donnellan School,
expressed her gratitude to the priests for their encouragement and guidance.
"We are very blessed with supportive clergy," she said. "We
are very fortunate and grateful to have priests with us every day."
Naples then presented each of the priests with a gift basket and ceramic
plates made by the children. To Archbishop Donoghue, Naples presented the gift
basket and plate, along with a spiritual bouquet of 6,000 Our Fathers and
10,000 Hail Mary prayers that students offered for him.
A reception for parents was held in the school's media center and hosted by
eighth-grade students.
Eighth-grader Cailin Coulson said that it was a "big day" because
the archbishop celebrated Mass.
"We really look at him as a leader," she said. "We all (the
eighth grade) have to move on from Donnellan after this year and a lot of us
are going to go to St. Pius or Marist because we believe the same thing that
the archbishop does-a public school can be a good place to go for education and
sports, but you have to have some place to go for religion and you have more
opportunities at a Catholic school."
Ted Staros, also an eighth-grade student, said that because The Donnellan
School is such a small school, it is "kind of cool when the archbishop
comes to visit." Staros said that he is a little sad to be leaving the
school at the end of the year because he has grown so much in his faith while
attending The Donnellan School.
"Before I came here, I didn't really like church, but everything has
changed," he said. "I'm praying now and I really believe in God. I
think this school has changed my life."
Father Hopkins said that many of the students were excited to see the
archbishop.
"This is the most important thing we do during the year," he said.
"The archbishop is a father to us and it's very important that the kids
know that he is a father to each one of them and that they pray for him."
"We're blessed to have such a man of God (in the archbishop)," he
continued. "The kids see that and that's why they get so excited when he
is here."
Many parents, like Karen Tam, a mother of two students at The Donnellan
School, felt affirmed by the archbishop's expression of gratitude toward them.
"It really makes you feel good because you realize that the long-term
benefits are beyond this time, this moment," she said.
Christine Chriscoe has two children who attend the school and believes
strongly in the education they are receiving.
"I think it's a wonderful place," she said. "It's a blend of
good solid Catholic education and academics and it's just a warm
environment."
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