More than 800 Catholic school students, teachers, staff members and chaperones gathered Wednesday (Jan. 28) in downtown Phoenix for the annual Catholic Schools Week Mass and rally. The celebration coincides with National Catholic Schools Week, the annual, nationwide celebration of Catholic education in the United States.
Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares celebrated Mass at 10 a.m. at the historic St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix, followed by a Eucharistic procession around the basilica and the Diocesan Pastoral Center next door. The rally, which included student musical groups, recognition of 25- and 50-year school employees and a shared celebration of Catholic schools, culminated the day’s events.
The rally took place at The Virginia G. Piper Plaza, an open area between the two properties that was once the location of St. Mary’s Elementary School, which was closed in the mid-1990s. The historic doors of the elementary school remain as a landmark in the park, a reminder of the significance the school played for more than a century and a witness to the lasting impact of Catholic education in the Diocese of Phoenix.
