Photos courtesy of OSV News photo/Vatican Media via CPP
Holy Innocents School seniors pose with Pope Leo XIV and other members of their group at the Vatican.
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Long Beach, CA – A chance trip to Rome for the senior class of Holy Innocents School included an audience with Pope Leo XIV and a moment of recovery for the California group.
The Rome senior trip is usually held during Holy Week, but this year it was moved to early February. During their tour of the Vatican, the group was given an audience with Pope Leo XIV, which was a salve for their souls.
Sophia Gutierrez, a senior at Holy Innocents School, reacts to meeting Pope Leo XIV following the pope's general audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.
Holy Innocents School became national news after the school was vandalized the week of February 2. Aside from general property destruction, the desecration of holy objects was the most wrenching for the parish and school community. The original Virgin Mary statue was broken into pieces. A different Mary statue had its hands cut off, missals and hymnals were torn and tossed around, and the bronze tabernacle was thrown to the floor. Miraculously, although the tabernacle ruptured, the internal chamber holding the Holy Eucharist was intact.
The Holy Innocents social media post said it best: “Standing before the Holy Father, receiving his blessing, was not just a photo opportunity—it was a moment of healing for our students and our school community. In a week that began with desecration, it ended with grace.”
Photo courtesy of KCAU News
Diocese of Sioux City
Le Mars, IA – Sherry Jo Wittkop, a sophomore at Gehlan Catholic School has been an eager and gifted athlete her whole school career. A diagnosis of Osteosarcoma two years ago put her sports prowess on hold when she had to have her right leg amputated to fight cancer.
Her disappointment in not being able to play basketball or ever score points in a game became a rallying cry for the tight-knit Catholic school community. On January 16, Sherry Jo was put in the game against Harris Lake Park and, among cheers escalating to a deafening roar, she scored two points and ended the game with a steal and an assist.
Her dad, Russ, has said that her “strong faith and constant positive outlook” has never wavered. And clearly, neither has it for her supportive family, school, and community.
Photo courtesy of Holy Rosary Academy
Archdiocese of AnchorageJuneau
Anchorage, AK – Holy Rosary Academy closed out National Catholic Schools Week by working a booth at the Anchorage School Choice Expo on January 31.
The Alaska School Choice Expo invites families to explore various educational schools. It features schools, programs, and resources that offer alternative educational approaches, allowing parents and students to find the best fit for their needs and interests.
Holy Rosary Academy’s presence at such an event helps further the advocacy work of NCEA, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Council for American Private Education (CAPE), and other private and faith-based organizations to spread the word that federal programs can help families choose a private or Catholic education for their children.
Read the article Good Catholics, Good Advocates, by Emma Jugao in this issue and visit the NCEA Talk blog for more information on school choice.
Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston
Sugar Land, TX – On January 29, 2026, St. Laurence Catholic School (SLCS) celebrated the installation and dedication of a new Freedom Shrine on campus. The Freedom Shrine was generously donated by the Sugar Land Exchange Club and includes replicas of foundational American documents to promote patriotism and civic education. The Exchange Club also gifted an American flag in loving memory of Father Drew Wood, Pastor of St. Laurence Catholic Church from 2002 to 2024.
Photos courtesy of St. Laurence Catholic School
