ReaganGraeve

With Marian being in the heart of Omaha, a city centered in Catholicism, celebrating Catholic Schools Week is vital. Omaha’s journey with Catholicism started back in 1856 when St. Mary’s church in Nebraska was established. The religion made an impact on the community that spread far and wide. According to the Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic Schools, the city now contains 134 parishes with more than 220,000 members. At least 20,000 of these members are currently enrolled in one of the 18 Catholic high schools or 58 Catholic elementary schools in Omaha. 

Marian’s own journey started in 1918 when the Servants of Mary were called to Omaha to form a school within the Holy Name Parish. The sisters soon purchased  20 acres of land in 1920 to construct a convent. Eventually in 1955, Marian High School was officially established to educate and empower young women. 

This year, the theme for Catholic Schools Week is United in Faith and Community. Marian’s Campus Ministry FIAT Core Team has been planning activities and service projects to reflect the nationwide theme since mid-fall. 

On Jan. 25, the FIAT members decorated the school with colorful balloons and the iconic cardboard cutout of Pope Francis. He’ll be featured in hundreds of selfies throughout the week. On Friday, Jan. 26 students and faculty were already anticipating the exciting week to honor the shared values and traditions of Marian. 

Catholic Schools Week began on Monday with an awareness dress day for worldwide issues such as cancer, human trafficking, and mental health struggles. On Tuesday girls were asked to wear their Marian Medals to honor Marian’s Core Value of Marian Identity. Mass was held where students gathered to reflect on the significance of Marian’s community and education in their lives. Students could also wear crazy socks with their uniform in honor of vocations. 

On Wednesday, the faculty and staff had a breakfast to commemorate their hard work at building a successful learning environment for students. On Thursday, girls wore their class shirts to celebrate our diversity in students while recognizing the sense of community within the halls. There was even a raffle for prizes such as a Marian Stanley.

 The week concluded with a few school wide service projects. Each class took time to go through service stations where students made blankets, as well as other projects to support the Omaha community. Students actively contributed to making a difference in their local communities. 

One of the roations at the service CAB was focused on spreading awareness of Catholic social teachings. Speakers were invited to lead discussions on the values of being an active member in their faith. “The staff is focusing on Catholic social teachings this year. We thought it would be a good idea to bring students along with that,” Mrs. Anna Kolterman, Campus Minister, said. 

Students learned about the seven teachings: Life and Dignity of the Human Person, Call to Family, Community, and Participation, Rights and Responsibilities, Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, the Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers, Solidarity, and Care for God’s Creation. 

Kolterman explains that she loves working at Marian because she can “help people to come together in prayer.” Working at a Catholic school is so important to her because she has the comfort and freedom in her work environment “to talk about God, learn about God, and think about God. The work we do with service is huge and being able to start every day with a prayer is so special,” Kolterman said. 

Mr. Kory Delkamiller has been a theology teacher at Marian since 2000. He found his passion in educating students about religion. “My favorite thing is having the freedom to bring spirituality into every subject that’s taught here and walking with students on their spiritual journey,” Delkamiller said

Catholic Schools Week at Marian is special because students are able to celebrate their uniqueness and appreciate the opportunities that a Catholic school provides.