VALPARAISO – St. Paul Catholic School welcomed a special guest on Oct. 22 – Bishop Robert J. McClory. The shepherd of the Diocese of Gary prayed with the school community during Mass and also spent time interacting with students as he visited classrooms.
Principal Lisa Hughes was among those who greeted the bishop and said she was excited to share details regarding the school’s growth since his last visit.
“It is important for the students to know who their bishop is so that they can see him on a more personal level, much as they do Father Doug or Father Roque,” Hughes said.
Father Doug Mayer, pastor of St. Paul, concelebrated Mass with the bishop in the morning with students in grades K-4.
“By coming to St. Paul School, Bishop McClory provided the children an opportunity to know him and appreciate why we have a bishop to lead the Church of Gary,” Father Mayer said.
Bishop McClory visited each classroom to speak with the students and took time to answer questions from them. Many of the classes inquired about how someone is selected to be a bishop. After answering questions, the bishop provided a blessing to each class. He also recognized the teachers during the classroom visits and asked the students to be thankful for all that their teachers do for them.
Nycole West, a 5th-grade teacher, shared that the bishop emphasized the importance of the Catholic faith, kindness and gratitude in everyday life when speaking to the children. She explained that his message encouraged the students to live out their Catholic faith not just in church, but through their daily actions at school and at home.
“The students were so excited and genuinely inspired,” West said. “Many of them talked afterward about how special it was to meet the bishop in person – they especially enjoyed how approachable and kind he was during his visit.”
In turn, West said she hoped she conveyed to the bishop how the school community strives to nurture both academic excellence and spiritual growth of its students, and how grateful they are for his leadership and presence in the Diocese of Gary.
“It was a wonderful opportunity for our St. Paul school community to come together in faith and celebrate the bishop’s visit to our school,” West said. “We’re so thankful he took the time out of his busy schedule to be with us and hope he can return to St. Paul again soon.”
For more information on the Catholic schools within the Diocese of Gary, visit https://dcgary.org/office-catholic-schools.
