During the entrance procession, each school was represented by a banner carried by a student. Shown above are Hannah Witte, an eighth-grader from St. Dominic School (St. Anthony of Padua Parish); junior Alexis Bergman from Quincy Notre Dame High School; and seventh-grader Keegan McDonald from Blessed Sacrament School. QUINCY - Over 1,500 students, faculty and staff from local Catholic schools and families of students and supporters of Catholic education attended a Quincy All-Catholic Schools Mass Sept. 6 in the Pepsi Arena at Quincy University. Bishop George J. Lucas was the principal celebrant, assisted by Quincy area pastors, retired priests, Franciscan friars and deacons.

"I appreciate the great effort required to organize this event in Quincy," Bishop Lucas said. "The students are to be commended for their prayerful participation. I admire the sacrifices made year by year by the Catholics in Quincy and Mt. Sterling to provide Catholic education for so many of these young people who are dear to the Lord."

Those attending included students and faculty from the four Quincy Catholic elementary schools - Blessed Sacrament, St. Dominic, St. Francis Solanus and St. Peter - and St. Mary in Mt. Sterling. Also present were students from Quincy Notre Dame High School and Quincy University.

Members of the QU baseball team served as volunteers at the event, acting as hosts and assisting the younger students. Music for the liturgy was provided by the QND Band and Chorus, augmented by students and faculty from the university.

Msgr. Michael Kuse, dean of the Quincy Deanery and pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish, said this is the third year for the event.

"Area pastors got together during our school consolidation process here in Quincy and decided that an event like this would help promote unity," Msgr. Kuse said. "It's a fantastic celebration, with students from kindergarten through college age involved in the liturgy. And it's a privilege to have the bishop here to celebrate with us."

Msgr. Kuse said the Pepsi Arena at QU was "filled to bursting. When you look at an arena this size filled with students - that's something to see."

QND principal Ray Heilman said the all-Catholic school Mass was a way to celebrate Catholic education all year long, not only during Catholic Schools Week, held annually beginning the last Sunday in January.

"This Mass clearly displays the viability, unity and commitment of Catholic education in our area," Heilman said. "Those involved in and supportive of Catholic education are truly blessed because we have the amazing opportunity to instill the values and lessons necessary in our youth to ensure the future of the church."

The event was organized by Deacon Leo Bistak of Quincy University; QU campus ministers Bill Duffield and Brother Ed Arambasich, OFM; QU student campus minister Stacey Hankins; and Father Ralph Parthie, chaplain and QU vice president for mission and ministry.

Contributing to this story was Tracy Orne in Quincy.