National Catholic Schools Week, which begins the last Sunday of January, is an annual fixture at Billings Central Catholic High School (BCCHS). This weeklong event features themed dress-up days, a talent show, a theology quiz bowl, and an all-system Mass taking place at BCCHS alongside the primary school’s—Saint Francis Catholic’s—students and teachers. All of whom play a role in Catholic education.
The senior team celebrating their win with the Theology Bowl trophy. (Ella Fairbanks)
Today, the Catholic Church maintains a presence in most all countries and has been especially prominent in education throughout the world. On the history of Catholic education, BCCHS’s principal, Nolan Trafton explains, “The Catholic Church has had a strong arm in education in general, starting some of the earliest colleges and universities in our own nation. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was truly instrumental in starting schools for all, making education equitable for everyone.” Due to the prominence of Catholic Education in the United States, Catholic Schools Week was created to celebrate Catholicism’s role in the history of education.
Part of celebrating Catholic Education is recognizing the substantial percentage of non-Catholic students within BCCHS. According to Trafton, around 40% of the school’s population is non-Catholic. This percentage constitutes various Christian denominations and nonreligious students which has only grown over the years. As believed by Trafton, “I think that our academic excellence piece really draws people, the smaller class sizes, that family spirit environment, those are the kinds of things that I think families are looking for, even if they’re not Catholic.”
Among other things, BCCHS also offers non-Catholic students a greater opportunity to interact with Catholicism during Catholic Schools Week. In Trafton’s words, “I would hope it’s an opportunity where they [non-Catholic students] could ask questions. I hope every day is an opportunity for that, but maybe Catholic Schools Week is just the opening that they need. You know, leaving that door just ajar enough for them to start asking questions.” In an era of religious misinformation, the opportunity to ask questions regarding the tenants of a religion can be especially useful to non-Catholic students attempting to navigate their religious beliefs in a Catholic school.
Father Leo giving the Eucharist to Catholics and a blessing to non-Catholics. (Courtesy)
Given that BCCHS is a predominately Catholic school, Catholic Schools Week can evoke various reactions in its non-Catholic student body. For Jimi Jensen, a junior at BCCHS who is not currently Catholic but is in the process of converting, Catholic Schools Week is mostly welcoming. “I think it’s very welcoming because it doesn’t exclude. The thing that kind of did exclude was the trivia thing,” Jensen explained. The Theology Bowl was a quiz competition between the four grades meant to measure religious knowledge. However, the six students chosen to represent each grade were almost all Catholic. Although each student was selected by a class vote, many non-Catholic students such as Jensen—while not being Catholic—have attended the Billings Catholic Schools for several years and have received the same theological education as their Catholic counterparts.
Despite this, Jensen describes the week saying, “It just really connects people, you know?” Jensen goes on to explain that the Church is a community of people all gathered together as one. “That’s what kind of makes me think like, but everyone’s welcome.” This sentiment is shared by another non-Catholic, nonreligious student, junior Sahara Small. “I like the spirit and embracing. And I love how it’s like a community for them,” said Small.
For non-Catholic students navigating lives surrounded by various religions, Catholic Schools Week serves not just as an opportunity for understanding a different religion but also a greater opportunity for all BCCHS students to connect. While religious individual who non-Catholics may disagree with will always exist, there are also individuals who give others a new perspective. For Jimi Jensen, “They make, not just Catholic Schools Week, a great week. They make every day a great day.”
