By Ambria Hammel | April 2, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

Local Catholic school students are donating to and praying for the 2009 diocesan Charity and Development Appeal with the goal of supporting the community in these dismal economic times.

This marks the first time in CDA’s 40-year history that every school is actively participating. The CDA is typically supported by Catholics in each parish or mission.

“Our students, beginning with preschool and reinforced throughout their Catholic school education, will make stewardship a part of their lives if they learn the importance of sharing their blessings with others on a daily basis,” said MaryBeth Mueller, superintendent for the diocese’s Catholic schools.

School administrators will encourage students to offer the CDA prayer during class at school, and with their families at home. They’ll also encourage students to help their community by giving to the CDA. Some 32,445 families have already contributed $7.6 million to this year’s appeal.

Students at St. Theresa Catholic School have already started doing their part. They recently raised $700 for the CDA through a “penny drive.”

Students at Notre Dame Preparatory are chipping in, too. They pitch their contributions and prayer pledges into a chapel-shaped donation box that is pushed across campus on a cart during breaks between classes. The cart also has a list of the 70 local charities that the CDA supports.

Similar speckled-gray chapels reside at all of the other Catholic schools. The copper-roofed donation boxes feature the school’s name on the front, a mission-style door and the CDA logo with the “One Family in Christ” theme printed on the side.

“Students seem interested in learning about the variety of charities that CDA supports,” said Carolyn Rock, development director at Notre Dame Preparatory. “Our students volunteer at a number of the same charities and supporting these charities is important to them.”

Dean Dwyer, a local Catholic artist who also made the Stations of the Cross at Mount Claret, among other artwork throughout the diocese, created each of the 42 chapels for the schools.

“We wanted to do something that was engaging for children,” Dwyer said. “They’re beautiful donation boxes to inspire the children and their families alike to give to the CDA.”

That’s what 13-year-old Sarah Serrano expects to happen with the CDA chapels. Sarah is the daughter of Ric and Davonna Serrano, co-chairs of the 2009 CDA.

“When I go home and I tell my parents something that is important to me, they’re more likely to get involved,” Sarah said. She added that when students share the story of the CDA with their parents and grandparents, more people might get involved.

“I like to think that if more people are willing to give even a little money to a great cause, it can be better for the CDA and the community,” Sarah told her classmates last week. “Giving a little means a lot.”

Sarah and her younger brother, Stephen, presented the challenge of the CDA on March 23 during a religion class for seventh-grade students at St. Mary-Basha School in Chandler.

Other schools are allowing members of their student councils to visit each classroom to talk about stewardship and the CDA. Some parishes plan to put the CDA chapel on a table outside their church after Mass, having students staff the table to encourage participation.

“Stewardship is about sharing your gifts from God,” said Ric Serrano. “All of us receive these gifts no matter how old we are.”