Jackson St. Therese students prepare for Mass VIEW GALLERY (use keyboard arrow keys to navigate)
By Fabvienen Taylor
JACKSON — On Thursday, Aug. 14, St. Therese Elementary School teacher Kathy Devenney led her first grade students in a review of the sacred signs, symbols and gestures – genuflecting, Sign of the Cross, etc. – used during the Liturgy in preparation for their first Mass on the feast of the Assumption, Friday, Aug. 15. Religion class is scheduled in the mornings for all classes.
“All students participate in the Liturgies and each week a particular grade is responsible for the readings and other responsibilities,” Sister Brenda Monahan, principal of the south Jackson pre-K - 6th grade school.
“The review helps them to feel comfortable and they can ask questions about why they do different things, such as genuflecting.”
Later that day, Father Jeffrey Waldrep, administrator of St. Therese Parish, led the pre-K and kindergarten students on a tour of the church. “That too is part of making the children feel comfortable in the church and its surroundings,” she said.
Weekly Liturgies and daily prayer are important parts of the Catholic identity of the 18 elementary and secondary schools which opened earlier this month in the Diocese of Jackson, according to diocesan school officials.
Catholic identity is recognized by a school’s community, how faculty and staff teach the gospel message to students, and how the message is put into practice in the form of service to others, according to Cathy Cook, assistant superintendent of diocesan schools.
Cook supervises all diocesan faculty/staff in their education, maintenance and on-going support of their school’s Catholic identity. “Gospel values, that’s what we’re all about,” said Cook.
During the year, St. Therese students participate in several service projects in their community, said Sister Monahan. Last fall students adopted seven families from Catholic Charities Shelter for Battered Families, raised money and bought them gifts for Christmas.
In the spring of this year, students raised funds for Relay for Life for the needs of cancer patients and cancer research.
