Clarion Herald readers are invited to take the survey about Catholic school education sponsored by The Catholic University of America. The survey is available at http://cua.neworleans.sgizmo.com . It will take less than 10 minutes to complete and help with feedback for the strategic plan for Catholic schools.

A strategic planning process conducted by The Catholic University of America and scheduled for completion in May 2012 is evaluating Catholic elementary and high schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans in terms of Catholic identity, financial resources, school governance and marketing.

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans has received the largest single grant in its history – $15 million from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation – to oversee a collaborative of nonprofit organizations that will provide direct assistance, counseling and job force training to coastal Louisiana fishing families affected by the 2010 BP oil spill.

Father Peter Akpoghiram, a native of Nigeria who has served as a tribunal judge for nearly four years in the Diocese of Richmond, has been appointed judicial vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of New Orleans , succeeding Dominican Father Raymond C. Finn.

For someone who has devoted his life’s work to teaching the Catholic faith, the prayer service, “Celebrating the Diversity of God’s Family,” Sept. 9 at St. Clement of Rome Church in Metairie represented an extraordinary homecoming and teachable moment for Walter Bonam .

In “Letters from Rifka,” a Jewish teen and her family flee their oppressive Russian homeland in 1919, enduring separation, hunger, disease and cruelty during their transatlantic escape to America. While discussing the novel with her eighth-grade literature students at St. Rita School in New Orleans, Marianite Sister Annette Baxley decided to bring the era alive by bringing in a little “show-and-tell”: records detailing her own Russian grandparents’ voyage from England to Philadelphia in 1908.

When an art contest challenged her to consider a quote from the Gospel of St. John – “Lord, I put my faith in you” – Madeline Campo recalled the eye-opening time she spent distributing food at the Covington Food Bank.

Katy Nunez is so “in the zone” when she’s running in track meets, she doesn’t even hear the cheers and claps of spectators. Why? She’s too busy sizing up two things. “I am totally focused on the people behind me and the people in front of me,” said Katy, a St. Elizabeth Ann Seton seventh grader and cross-country athlete whose performance at last summer’s Junior Olympics earned her an 11th place ranking in the United States in the 3,000-meter run.

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Kolby Weber is cooking dinner for his mother. Angelle Keller is helping an elderly couple clean their home. Courtland Crouchet is weeding a garden for the first time in his life. The kicker? Each of the St. Charles Borromeo eighth graders is performing these tasks for the “bargain-basement” fee of $3.

ST. MARY’S ACADEMY, 6905 Chef Menteur Blvd., New Orleans – Providing a superior Catholic education in a loving and nurturing environment is a standard for St. Mary’s Academy. Founded and administered by the Sisters of the Holy Family in 1867, the private Catholic school serves students in grades pre-K3 through 12.

Del 20 al 22 de septiembre, usted celebrará una convocatoria llamada “Cultivando la Unidad” para los sacerdotes de la Arquidiócesis. ¿Cuál fue el principio de esta iniciativa? En mis conversaciones con sacerdotes y hablando a los sacerdotes en el Consejo Presbiteriano y el Consejo de Decanos, se hizo evidente que los sacerdotes pedían más oportunidades de compañerismo, oración y el apoyo mutuo.

Utilize sacraments Slidell Re: Archbishop Aymond’s column (Archdiocesan-wide confessions set for Sept. 14, Clarion Herald, Sept. 3 issue): I’m so glad to hear Archbishop Aymond’s plan to call for an archdiocesan wide day of confession on Sept. 14.

Crying out to God when one is in the grips of pain or fear is a sign of faith in God, Pope Benedict XVI said. A central tenet of faith is believing that the loving God is always close to his creatures and ready to reach out and save them, the pope said Sept. 7 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Saints head coach Sean Payton has quoted his mentor, former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, many times. One of his favorites is, “Each week in this league, it is either a catastrophe or a carnival.” And, this week, the former is the mindset of New Orleans football fans.

When schools like Jesuit and Holy Cross faithfully compete against each other every year without fail in a series that dates back to 1922, the event becomes a Holy Game of Obligation for families, friends and alumni of the two schools.

De La Salle High School President William J. Hebert announced the appointment of long-time faculty member and Academic Assistant Principal Peggy M. St. John as the school’s new principal. Additionally, he announced that Michael Buras, former lead teacher of social studies, has been appointed academic assistant principal.

Jessica, a student at a magnet high school in New Orleans, had lived in a crazy home environment for so long that she was beginning to think her mother’s explosive tantrums were normal and perhaps even justified.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond addressed a gathering of more than 100 principals and presidents of Catholic elementary and secondary schools on Sept. 8. He asked the administrators to consider seven requests during the upcoming academic year.

Ernest Webre Who is he : Married 55 years to Shirley and has five children. He worked for American Cyanamid for 41 years. Early faith memories : He jokes about the first time he attended Mass twice – on his first Communion with Bishop Gerard Frey (after whom he named his son).