BELOIT — At Our Lady of the Assumption (OLA) School in Beloit, the middle school students have been putting their faith into action through a year-long Works of Mercy Project.
“While every religion teacher’s goal is to teach the Catholic religion, we all also challenge the students to live their faith in a meaningful way,” said Michele Twardowski, OLA middle school religion teacher.
“I am absolutely amazed and proud that the students took this project to heart.”
A variety of activities
Students participate in a variety of activities.
For the corporal work of mercy of visit the sick, they are pen pals with the homebound and elderly of the parish.
Just recently, they each individually wrote Stations of the Cross booklets.
They summarized each station in their own words and illustrated it, and the booklet was mailed to a pen pal’s home.
Students regularly earn and give up their own money for charitable causes fulfilling the work of mercy of feed the hungry.
They earned money to adopt needy families at Christmas, gave to God’s Fund (OLA parish’s outreach program to the needy in the community), and organized fundraisers for Stateline Works of Mercy (shelter the homeless).
The eighth graders organized a Coats for Kids and Adults Drive last fall.
They collected bags and bags of coats and donated them to the St. Vincent de Paul Society (clothe the needy).
They also take up collections for Catholic Relief Services to provide clean water to countries around the world (give drink to the thirsty).
The list is endless.
Among other examples, the students have:
- Read religious books to younger students, as well as siblings
- Invited young people to Mass who don’t normally attend
- Made tie-blankets for Babies and Beyond of WI
- Written modern-day skits that parallel the Stations of the Cross and presented them to the whole school
Prayer is also an essential part of the project and their school days.
They regularly pray for prisoners and for souls in purgatory.
Inspired by the saints
Saints have been their inspiration.
“I have recently discovered one of my new favorite saints, St. Thérèse of Liseaux, who said [to] do little things in a big way. That is what our Works of Mercy Project has done for me,” said Sofia Zagal.
“It has shown me that it usually isn’t the big things that matter. It is the little things that I can do in a big way with a smile on my face. It makes me really happy, and more importantly, it makes God happy.”
Diana Reza-Zavala is inspired by St. Katharine Drexel who, as she said, spent her life and her inheritance working for equal rights and opening schools for children of color.
David Andres added that he admires that St. Katharine always knew the important thing in life wasn’t having money but pleasing God.
The eighth grade class said, “This project has brought us closer to God. It has opened our eyes to new and exciting ways to serve God.”