Holy Spirit Preparatory School kicked off Catholic Schools Week by sponsoring the annual Msgr. Edward J. Dillon Catholic Trivia Bowl. On Monday morning, Jan. 25, 14 students in second to fifth grade and eight students in sixth to 10th grade answered questions that were far more advanced than trivial. Lower school students assembled first to watch the winners from each classroom vie to be the champion. Quiet descended over the cafeteria as teacher Susan Stephens explained the rules and began to ask the questions. What does Catholic mean? What is a sacramental? What do we celebrate on Easter Sunday? After an hour’s time, the competition whittled down to third-grader Emily Browning and fifth-grader Will Pereira. By describing an alb, Will was declared the winner.

The middle-school contestants were next to take their seats on the stage while their fellow classmates offered encouragement. As expected, the questions posed by teacher Michael Verlander were more difficult: What does the Book of Exodus contain? What was the main work of a prophet? What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? The competition ended with seventh-grader Jillian Bredwell as runner-up and sixth-grader Richie O’Connell as champion.

Each day during Catholic Schools Week had a special designation, including Academic Appreciation Day on Monday, Teacher Appreciation Day on Tuesday, Parent Appreciation Day on Wednesday, Student Appreciation Day on Thursday and Clergy Appreciation Day on Friday.

The culmination of Catholic Schools Week at Holy Spirit was the all-school Mass celebrated by Archbishop John F. Donoghue on Friday, Jan. 30. As the archbishop walked down the school hallway, he passed a bulletin board display depicting some of his activities as head of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Archbishop Donoghue greeted students who waved handmade flags bearing his crest. Upper school students and parents joined the archbishop at a reception in the school media center. A school-wide talent show completed the week of celebration.