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A Morning of Grace: Mass at May Catholic School
The gymnasium fell quiet as the last students filed into their rows, the rustling of uniforms giving way to a reverent stillness. Every Friday morning at May Catholic School begins the same way — with Mass, the heartbeat of the school’s faith life. This past Friday was no different, and yet it felt entirely unlike any other.
Father Michael walked to the altar as the student choir lifted their voices in the opening hymn. The voices of third-graders blended with those of eighth-graders in a harmony that parents in the back rows described as nothing short of beautiful. Mrs. Ramirez, the school’s long-time music director, had spent weeks preparing the choir, and every note reflected that care.
This particular Mass was special — it marked the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, one of the most beloved celebrations in the Catholic calendar. Father Michael’s homily was gentle and clear, speaking directly to the children about Mary’s courage, her faith, and what it means to say “yes” to God even when the path ahead is uncertain.
“Even the smallest among you can do great things when you trust in God,” he told the students, his eyes sweeping the rows of young faces. Several teachers noticed students sitting a little straighter at those words.
After the liturgy of the Eucharist, students from the sixth grade carried up the offertory gifts — bread, wine, and a basket of canned goods collected for the parish food pantry. It was a small gesture, but one that wove together worship and service in the way May Catholic School has always sought to do.
Following Mass, the school gathered in the courtyard for a brief prayer led by eighth-grader Sofia Hernandez, this year’s student council president. Sofia offered a spontaneous prayer of thanksgiving that drew a quiet round of applause from students and staff alike.
Principal Mrs. O’Brien reflected afterward on what these weekly Masses mean to the school community. “It grounds us,” she said simply. “No matter what else is happening in a child’s week, they know that on Friday morning, we all come together before God. That matters.”
For many families at May Catholic School, the Friday Mass is more than a tradition. It is a touchstone, a weekly reminder of why the school exists and what it hopes to send into the world with every graduating class — not just students who are educated, but young people who are formed in faith, rooted in love, and ready to serve.
As the students returned to their classrooms, the hum of a normal school day gradually resumed. But something of the morning’s quiet remained, tucked into backpacks and carried home in young hearts.
Eagles Take the Field: Spring Soccer Season Kicks Off
There is something about a spring afternoon at May Catholic School that feels made for soccer. The sky over the back field was a clear, cloudless blue last Tuesday when the Eagles took on St. Anthony’s in the opening match of the diocesan spring season — and the home crowd was ready.
Students, parents, and teachers lined the sidelines, some wrapped in light jackets against the morning chill that had not yet burned off. The Eagles’ royal blue jerseys stood out sharply against the green grass as Coach David Torres gathered the team for a final word before kickoff.
“Play together. Play hard. Play with joy,” he told them — the same three words he says before every match, a mantra the players have come to know by heart.
The first half was tightly contested. St. Anthony’s came in with a strong midfield, and the Eagles found themselves working to carve out space. Then, in the twenty-second minute, seventh-grader Marco Delgado dribbled past two defenders and threaded a pass to classmate Javier Cruz, who headed the ball cleanly into the top corner of the net. The sideline erupted.
May Catholic School added a second goal before halftime, a free kick expertly placed by sixth-grader Isabella Torres that sailed past a diving goalkeeper. Parents cheered. Teachers cheered. Even the school’s normally reserved librarian, Mr. Hoffman, was seen pumping his fist from the far end of the bleachers.
The second half brought renewed pressure from St. Anthony’s, who narrowed the gap to 2-1 with a well-worked team goal. The Eagles dug in, playing disciplined defense and relying on goalkeeper Amara Williams, whose two crucial saves in the final ten minutes kept the lead intact. When the final whistle blew, the score stood at 2-1: a hard-earned, joyful victory.
Coach Torres praised the team’s composure. “They didn’t panic when St. Anthony’s scored. They trusted each other, and that made the difference.” He was quick to single out the team’s leadership, noting that the older players have set a strong example for the younger students who joined the team this year.
Off the field, the soccer program at May Catholic School is about more than wins and losses. Players are required to maintain academic standing to participate, and the team holds a monthly service project as part of their commitment to the school’s mission. This month, they spent a Saturday afternoon raking leaves and cleaning up the grounds of a local senior center.
The Eagles have seven more matches ahead before the diocesan tournament in April. If Tuesday’s performance is any indication, May Catholic School’s faithful fans have plenty of reason to pack the sidelines all season long. Go, Eagles!
Hands and Hearts: Students Serve at the Community Food Pantry
On a crisp Saturday morning in November, a yellow school van pulled up to St. Bridget’s Community Food Pantry on Elm Street, and twelve students from May Catholic School climbed out — backpacks in hand, smiles on their faces, and ready to work. What followed was four hours of service that none of them will soon forget.
The annual food pantry volunteer day is one of the most anticipated events on May Catholic School’s service calendar. Students in grades five through eight have the opportunity to sign up, and each year the list fills quickly. For many, it is their first experience working alongside adults in a real act of community service, and the impact is immediate.
“I didn’t realize how many families need help,” said fifth-grader Lily Chen, who spent the morning sorting canned goods alongside pantry volunteers twice her age. “It made me want to do more.”
The students were organized into small groups, each assigned a different station. Some sorted incoming donations, carefully checking expiration dates and organizing items by category. Others packed weekly food boxes — carefully balancing nutrition, variety, and the dietary needs noted on client cards. A small group worked near the entrance, greeting visitors with warm smiles and helping carry bags to cars.
Pantry director Maria Esteves, who has run the facility for eleven years, said the May Catholic School students stand out for their enthusiasm. “They come in ready. They listen. And they treat every person who walks through that door with dignity. That’s not something you can teach in a morning — it has to come from somewhere deeper.” She paused and smiled. “I think it comes from home and from their school.”
The visit was coordinated by the school’s service learning coordinator, Mr. Patrick Flynn, who has built the program over the past four years into one of the most active in the diocese. Under his guidance, May Catholic School students collectively logged over 900 hours of community service last academic year alone.
Before leaving, the students gathered with the pantry staff for a brief prayer of thanksgiving. Eighth-grader Daniel Park, who has volunteered at the pantry three years running, led the group in a spontaneous prayer he had written the night before. His words — simple, earnest, and full of gratitude — moved several adults in the room to tears.
Back at school on Monday, the students debriefed in their homerooms, reflecting on what they had seen and felt. Many wrote journal entries that their teachers described as among the most honest writing they had produced all year.
May Catholic School’s next service project will take place in December, when students will be assembling gift boxes for families in need through the parish’s Christmas outreach program. Donations of toiletries, warm socks, and small toys are currently being accepted in the school office.
Welcome, Mrs. Garcia: A New Face Joins the May Catholic Family
There is a new classroom on the third-grade hallway this year, and if you walk past it during reading time, you are likely to hear the sound of laughter mixed with the careful sounding-out of words — a sure sign that Mrs. Elena Garcia has settled in beautifully at May Catholic School.
Mrs. Garcia joined the faculty this past August, stepping into the role of third-grade lead teacher after fifteen years working in Catholic education across two states. She comes to May Catholic School with deep roots in faith-based learning and a teaching philosophy centered on what she calls “whole-child education.”
“I want every child in my classroom to feel known,” she explained on a recent afternoon, her room still warm with the evidence of the morning’s lessons — a handwritten anchor chart on fractions, a bulletin board covered in student drawings of their favorite saints, a reading nook tucked into the corner with a small wooden cross above the bookshelf.
Getting to know Mrs. Garcia reveals a person of remarkable energy. She grew up in a bilingual household and uses her fluency in Spanish regularly in the classroom, something that has been warmly received by the school’s growing number of Spanish-speaking families. She has already begun a small Spanish conversation circle that meets during lunch on Wednesdays, open to any student who wants to participate.
Students have taken to her immediately. “She makes math actually fun,” reported third-grader Tommy Nguyen with the kind of absolute sincerity only a nine-year-old can muster. His classmate Priya Shah agreed: “She tells us stories about the saints like they were real people. Because they were!”
Mrs. Garcia is also an advocate for parent engagement. In her first month, she launched a monthly newsletter — written in both English and Spanish — that gives families a detailed window into classroom life. She has already hosted two parent coffee mornings and has plans for a classroom “open day” in the spring where parents are invited to sit in on a full morning of lessons.
Principal Mrs. O’Brien described Mrs. Garcia’s arrival as a gift to the school community. “She walked in on day one and immediately felt like she had always been here. That is rare, and it speaks to who she is.” The sentiment is shared by her colleagues in the third and fourth-grade wing, several of whom have already begun collaborating with her on cross-classroom projects.
When asked what she loves most about May Catholic School, Mrs. Garcia did not hesitate. “The spirit here. The way the children and the parents and the staff all share something — a common purpose, a sense of belonging. You can feel it the moment you walk in. That’s what Catholic education looks like at its best.”
May Catholic School is grateful and delighted to have Mrs. Garcia as part of its family. If you have not yet had the chance to introduce yourself, she welcomes a visit — her door, like her classroom, is always open.
The Spring Carnival Returns: A Celebration of Community and Generosity
The first weekend of May brought sunshine, the smell of popcorn, and the cheerful chaos of a school carnival to the grounds of May Catholic School — and this year’s event may have been the best one yet. The annual Spring Carnival, the school’s largest fundraiser of the year, drew a record crowd and raised over fourteen thousand dollars for the school’s technology fund.
Families arrived in waves through the afternoon, filling the school parking lot and spilling out onto the adjacent field where tents and game booths had been set up in a cheerful maze of activity. Children darted between the ring toss, the balloon darts, the cake walk, and the beloved dunk tank — where, to absolutely nobody’s surprise, Principal Mrs. O’Brien took her place above the water with characteristic good humor and more than a little dignity.
“She went in four times,” reported third-grader Max Torres with barely concealed delight. Mrs. O’Brien confirmed this with a laugh and noted that she had already been warned by last year’s dunk tank champion, Mr. Hoffman, to bring an extra change of clothes.
The carnival was months in the making. The parent volunteer committee, led by chairperson Diane Castillo, coordinated over eighty volunteers across two days of setup, the event itself, and Sunday morning cleanup. The committee organized sponsorships from twelve local businesses, several of whom contributed not only financially but by staffing booths and donating prizes.
Inside the gymnasium, a silent auction featured more than sixty items donated by families and community partners — everything from restaurant gift cards to a weekend getaway donated by a local bed-and-breakfast. The auction alone raised nearly four thousand dollars.
The food tent, operated by the eighth-grade families as their class fundraiser, was a particular draw. This year’s menu featured homemade tamales, fresh lemonade, funnel cake, and a surprisingly popular Korean fried chicken dish contributed by the Kim family, whose recipe reportedly drew a line that stretched the length of the building.
Student Council organized the carnival’s opening ceremony, which included a short prayer of blessing for the event and a performance by the school choir. Student council president Sofia Hernandez welcomed the crowd with words that drew applause: “May Catholic School is not just a place. It’s a family. And today, we get to celebrate that.”
The funds raised will go directly toward updating computer equipment in two classrooms and purchasing new tablets for the school’s resource room — a project that teachers have prioritized for the past two academic years. Mrs. O’Brien expressed deep gratitude to everyone who participated. “This community shows up every single year, and every single year I am moved by it. We are so fortunate.”
Planning for next year’s Spring Carnival is already underway. Families interested in joining the organizing committee are encouraged to contact the school office in January. Based on this year’s success, the bar has been set high — but if the May Catholic community has proven anything, it is that rising to meet a challenge is simply what they do.