QUINCY — Nearly 1,500 kindergarten through high school senior Catholic school students, teachers, principals and others came together Jan. 28 in the Quincy Notre Dame High School gymnasium for Mass celebrating the start of Catholic Schools Week.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki was the celebrant with 11 priests concelebrants, two deacons, a master of ceremonies and five Fourth-Degree Knights of Columbus serving as the bishop's honor guard.

Concelebrants were: Monsignors Michael Kuse and Leo Enlow; Fathers Roy Bauer, Rajanna Burusu, John Kennedy, Donald Knuffman, Louis Schlangen, Jeffrey Stone, Thomas Shaugnessy, OFM, Donald Blaeser, OFM, and Ducanh Pham, OFM. Father Daren Zehnle was master of ceremonies, and Deacons Bob Lundberg and Terry Ellerman assisted. Fathers Thomas Hagstrom and Irenaeus Kimminau, OFM, were also in attendance, but did not concelebrate.

QND Principal Mark McDowell welcomed and thanked everyone for coming, then introduced Quincy Mayor John Spring, who read a proclamation recognizing Catholic schools for the quality education they provide.

"It is fitting today's Mass honors St. Thomas Aquinas," Bishop Paprocki said in his homily. "His writings are still used today, more than 700 years after his death."

Bishop Paprocki told students, "As important as academic grades are, we know it is the knowledge of faith that opens doors in our life."

The QND concert choral and mixed chorus, under the direction of Monica Scholz, and the QND band, under the direction of Keith Wiemelz, led the music during Mass.

Others attending the All Quincy Catholic Schools Mass included Quincy University President Dr. Robert Gervasi; Ray Heilmann, retired QND principal, now QU director of off campus studies; Matt Bergman, QU director of university advancement; and Julie Bell, QU vice president for university advancement.