WATERTOWN — St. Thérèse School in Watertown recently celebrated “Bagels with the Bishop.” 

The event was a prize for being one of two winners of the Diocese of Madison’s Giving Tuesday campaign for Catholic schools. 

St. Thérèse School was the school with the highest participation (based on the number of people who gave compared to the number of students). They celebrated their victory on March 24.

The event began with a school Mass celebrated by Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison. Fr. Tim Renz, pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, and Fr. David Drefcinski, parochial vicar, concelebrated. 

Bishop Hying gave the homily, taking the opportunity to ask the students what was different in the church. 

One student piped up, “All the holy people are covered!” That student was correct — it was just after the fifth Sunday of Lent, and the statues in the church had recently been veiled. 

After talking about why the statues were veiled, the Bishop spoke about the beauty of the love of Christ on the Cross. 

“We can never pass a crucifix with indifference, or say, ‘Oh, I’ve seen that before,’ because in every crucifix, we see Jesus with His head bent to kiss us, His arms open to embrace us.”

Bishop Hying also offered his gratitude. “It’s a great joy and gift for me to visit your school today, to pray this Mass with you, and to visit you. So it gives me a wonderful opportunity to thank our priests, our principal, our teachers, the staff, your parents, people of the parish.” 

After Mass, the students proceeded to the school gym to enjoy their bagels. 

When they’d had a chance to get bagels (and seconds), the bishop gave a presentation on the Diocese of Jacmel in Haiti, the Diocese of Madison’s sister diocese. 

He spoke about the life of school children there and how the connection with our diocese helps them. 

The students responded to his questions, reflecting on how different life would be without electricity or running water. 

The bishop’s talk encouraged the students to embrace gratitude and generosity, while also pointing out that even in very poor places, the Church is present and Christ brings joy. 

“‘Bagels with the Bishop’ is a special celebration that reflects the heart of our school community,” said Sherry Harms, the principal. 

“It serves as a joyful reminder of who we are at St. Thérèse Catholic School. I am incredibly grateful and proud to serve as principal here. Each day, I witness our staff living out their faith through their dedication, compassion, and support for one another and for our students. It is truly a blessing to be part of such a strong and faith-filled community.”