Catholic Schools Week focuses on character, compassion, values

The Commonwealth joins the entire nation in celebrating Catholic Schools Week, which has adopted the theme “Character, Compassion, Values” this year.

Bishop Tomas A. Camacho led the proclamation signing Monday afternoon declaring Jan. 29 to Feb. 3 as the Commonwealth’s Catholic Schools Week.

Students from Saint Joseph’s Catholic School on Tinian and Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja on Rota joined Mount Carmel School students on Saipan during the ceremony.

The proclamation reiterated the 1972 pastoral message of the National Conference for Catholic Bishops that stated concerns on Catholic education.

“Education is one of the most important ways by which the Church fulfills its commitment to the dignity of the person and the building of community,” reads part of the over 30-year-old pastoral message. It also noted that the community is central to education ministry, “both as a necessary condition and an ardently desired goal.”

The students from Tinian and Rota led the reading of the proclamation.

The Catholic Church on Saipan has played a vital role in bringing Catholic education to the CNMI, first by establishing Mount Carmel School in 1952. In 1985, the church on Saipan was elevated to a Diocese, which subsequently set up the Catholic Education Office. In 1989, the people of Rota established Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja and in 1997, St. Joseph Catholic School was established on Tinian.

Bishop Camacho recognized the contribution of Mount Carmel School, Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja and St. Joseph Catholic School for promoting “character, compassion and values” among the CNMI’s students.

“I urge my fellow citizens to participate in observance of this week in appropriate ways that will help instill an awareness and appreciation of the values that Catholic education instills in our children, which enhance the quality of life for all our people,” said Camacho.