Catholic Education Week is celebrated in schools and parishes in the month of February (normally 12th to 18th, but this can be varied to take account of local school holidays.) This year’s celebration was officially launched on Friday 4th February when Bishop Joseph Devine (President, Catholic Education Commission) visited Our Lady & St Francis Primary School in Carfin, Lanarkshire.  The entire school community – pupils, teachers and parents –  gathered in the school hall for a wonderful assembly in celebration of this year’s theme: “This is our Faith”.

Pupils celebrated their efforts to develop their faith through prayer, liturgy, the Sacraments and religious education.  As the music of “Highland Cathedral” played, senior pupils paraded through the hall with banners proclaiming their commitments to support particular charities.  Other pupils led the Assembly by welcoming Bishop Devine, local Parish Priest Fr Francis McGachey and other guests before inviting the assembly to join in prayers for the local and global community.

Bishop Devine praised pupils, teachers and parents on the quality of the Assembly which was, he said, “a great tribute to all that is excellent in a Catholic school” and on their use of the Catholic Education Week resources which had been provide by SCES to support their celebrations.

In thanking the school community for their support in launching Catholic Education Week, Michael McGrath reminded them of their involvement in the recent publication of ‘This Is Our Faith’, the Church’s new R.E. syllabus and presented the school with some photographs of their former pupils who were featured in the publication.  He thanked these ten pupils, now attending Taylor High School, who were also present for the Assembly.