‘A Pattern of Hope’ event pays gift of Catholic education forward
December 22, 2020
A kindergarten teacher at Corpus Christi Catholic School in Houston meets with her student. An upcoming Feb. 5 event will benefit schools like Corpus Christi in supporting student enrollment and tuition. (Photo courtesy of the Catholic Schools Office)
HOUSTON — One of the first things people envision when they think about Catholic schools is the iconic plaid pattern of the uniforms. There might be no other pattern more synonymous with a Catholic education.
More than merely a pattern of fabric for generations of students, the plaid of a Catholic school uniform has served as a pattern of hope. This year, Catholic schools in the Archdiocese have committed to being a light of hope and a constant in the lives of their students as so much has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To fully provide for the needs of students, the network of Catholic schools will be hosting A Pattern of Hope: Benefiting Catholic Schools on Feb. 5 as its inaugural virtual fundraising event during National Catholic Schools Week.
A Pattern of Hope will showcase academic and extracurricular school programs with special guests featured throughout the broadcast, which will be available for viewing at ChooseCatholicSchools.org/Hope.
Funds raised from the event will support the COVID-19 Support Fund for Catholic Schools that provides tuition assistance scholarships and benefits educational technology enhancements needed for remote learning.
The economic realities brought by the pandemic have made it difficult for families dealing with job losses, and across the network of schools, the Catholic Schools Office and campus principals are doing all they can to ensure their students can remain in the school community they have grown up in.
The goal for A Pattern of Hope is to continue the legacy of Catholic education and to invite sponsors and friends of education to “pay it forward” by making a gift to help schools cover the increased need for tuition assistance and vital technology needed to keep students on a continuum of learning whether in a virtual classroom or on campus.
This celebration of the work of the schools during Catholic Schools Week and the event itself couldn’t come at a better time, according to Cathy Stephen, assistant superintendent of Operational Vitality for the Catholic Schools Office.
“Now, more than ever, we need your support. We have families who have asked for additional support in tuition assistance so that their children can remain enrolled,” she said. “Your gift, as part of this newly imagined event, is critical to our schools and these children. It is appreciated immensely, so thank you for whatever level you are called to give.”
The event, which features Father Clint Ressler, pastor of St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal in Texas City and president of the Archdiocesan School Council as emcee, hopes to take the viewer through a virtual tour of the network of schools in a way that hasn’t been done before.
Stephen said it is all being done for a very important cause.
“This event allows us to continue to keep our children first in mind as we serve their social, emotional and academic needs at our schools,” she said. “Learning continues in our masks, and this virtual event allows us to carry on in as normal a way as possible. Past the masks, you’ll see the smiling eyes of the students as they work at learning in their schools.”
For more on how to become a sponsor of A Pattern of Hope, visit ChooseCatholicSchools.org/Hope. †