Celebrating Catholic Schools Week—

St Rose Welcomes Bishop Lori

By Eliza Hallabeck

A week before Catholic School Celebrations at St Rose of Lima began, the school welcomed Bishop William E. Lori to the school as he made his way through visiting multiple Catholic schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport for Catholic Schools Week events.

“I wanted to congratulate you on being a Blue Ribbon school,” said Bishop Lori to students and St Rose of Lima faculty and staff as lunch was about to begin. He said he planned to visit seven schools in the Diocese, which consists of 39 schools, as part of Catholic Schools Week this year.

“We are very proud of this school,” said Bishop Lori as he sat down for lunch with students, “and all of our schools. Certainly, the Blue Ribbon signifies academic achievement, and our schools are places of faith and values.”

The following week, St Rose of Lima recognized Catholic Schools week, February 1 through 5, with multiple programs. On Monday, February 1, students dressed in their school colors, red and white, and attended a pep rally, complete with a pig race.

Each homeroom in the school decorated a windup toy pig and teachers were responsible for overseeing their homeroom’s pig did its best during a race against the other homerooms in the school.

St Rose of Lima Principal Mary Maloney oversaw the pig race.

“Are our pigs ready?”

Applause from students sounded through the school’s gym in response.

The top three winning pigs after the final round were In Piglicious from Heather Phillips’s kindergarten class in first place, Green Eggs and Ham from Elaine Smith and Sam Kohler’s eighth grade homeroom in second place, and Swine Flew from Cortni Kemlage’s fourth grade homeroom in third place.

Other events during Catholic Schools Week at St Rose of Lima included an eighth grade versus faculty basketball game, a bus driver appreciation day, a pajama day that raised donations toward St Catherine’s Special Needs School, and a Blue Ribbon Sock Hop Celebration Friday Night.