Living Our Faith with Open Hearts: Holy Week, Tradition, and Welcoming Every Family
- Jessica Paige Glenn
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
As spring approaches, something shifts on campus.
There’s a quiet sense of reflection. A slowing down. A deeper awareness of purpose.
At St. Victor School, Holy Week is something we live, together, in community.
Parents often search for meaningful ways to help their children understand Holy Week and grow in their faith. While a child’s faith life begins at home, it isn’t meant to rest on parents alone. During this season, families often turn to the Church, Catholic schools, and communities like ours to support that formation, because it truly takes a village.
This is what Holy Week looks like at St. Victor.
How Holy Week Shapes Daily Life at St. Victor
In the weeks leading into Holy Week, faith becomes visible in the small, everyday moments.
It’s not just about attending Mass or marking the Holy Days, it’s about how students begin to understand their role in the world and in one another’s lives.
You might see:
Students reflecting quietly during prayer or journaling time
Class discussions about sacrifice, gratitude, and compassion
Acts of service woven into classroom projects
Teachers helping students connect faith to real-life choices
Even our youngest learners begin to grasp these ideas in age-appropriate ways. While older students attend school-wide liturgies, our preschoolers experience these traditions through storytelling, classroom visits, and hands-on activities that help them understand why these moments matter.
Faith formation here is lived, practiced, and gently guided each day.
Experiencing Holy Week: From Reflection to Real Understanding
As Holy Week approaches, our community leans into tradition with intention by helping students not only learn about these sacred days, but truly understand their meaning.
Throughout Lent, students participate in almsgiving with the Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl. Each child is given a small bowl at the start of the season, gradually filling it with change over time. At the start of Holy Week, these offerings are collected and donated. Connecting faith directly to action helps students to see how even small acts of giving can make a meaningful impact. What begins as a simple habit becomes a powerful lesson in generosity, sacrifice, and awareness of others.
On Holy Thursday, one of the most meaningful experiences of Holy Week unfolds. Our 4th graders lead the school community in a beautiful prayer service and presentation of the Passion of Christ. Through a thoughtful reenactment, students walk us through Christ’s final hours—from the Last Supper and the washing of the Apostles’ feet to His prayer in the garden, His arrest, suffering, and ultimate sacrifice.
It’s reverent. It’s powerful. And for many students, it’s the moment when the true meaning of Easter becomes real.
These experiences are not about performance—they are about understanding. Teachers guide students to reflect:
What does it mean to serve others with humility?
How do we respond to suffering with compassion?
Where do we find hope, even in the hardest moments?
This is what Holy Week in a Catholic school looks like at its most impactful. rooted in tradition, brought to life through experience, and carried forward in how students choose to live each day.
Helping Students Understand Why Holy Week Matters
One of the most important parts of faith formation is helping students move beyond routine into a deeper understanding. In order for students to take ownership of their faith, the must feel comfortable questioning it, which is why, at St. Victor School, we encourage reflection and curiosity in religion class just as we would in any other class. You’ll hear students asking questions like:
“Why do we give something up during Lent?”
“Why is Holy Week so important?”
“How can I help someone this week?”
“What does forgiveness really look like?”
These moments matter.
Because over time, they shape students into:
Thoughtful decision-makers
Compassionate classmates
Young people who see their lives through a lens of purpose
Faith becomes something they carry with them—not just something they practice at school.
A Catholic School That Welcomes Every Family
While our traditions are rooted in Catholic identity, our community is intentionally welcoming.
Families searching for a Catholic school welcoming families of all faiths often wonder: Will my child feel included here during something as meaningful as Holy Week?
The answer is: YES! Inclusion is part of how we live our faith. We:
Welcome students and families from a variety of faith backgrounds
Focus on shared values like kindness, respect, and service
Create space for questions, curiosity, and understanding
Ensure every child feels known, supported, and respected
For students who are not Catholic, Holy Week becomes an opportunity to learn, reflect, and grow alongside their peers, without pressure to convert, but with purpose.
And for all students, it reinforces a powerful message: Faith calls us to open our hearts, not close them.
Faith in Action: Reflection, Service, and Hope
Throughout Lent and into Holy Week, our students are invited to live their faith in tangible ways.
That might look like:
Participating in service projects that support the local community
Contributing to almsgiving through the rice bowl tradition
Practicing small acts of kindness throughout the school day
Reflecting on their choices and setting personal goals
Supporting one another through encouragement and empathy
These experiences build knowledge and character. They help students understand that faith is an active verb because your actions demonstrate your faith.
What It Means to Be a Charger
To be a Charger means growing not only academically, but spiritually and emotionally.
It means becoming:
A Child of Faith, who understands the meaning behind traditions like Holy Week
A Lifelong Learner, who asks questions and seeks purpose
A Caring and Responsible Citizen, who serves others with compassion
During Holy Week, these values come into focus in a powerful way—reminding us that education is about forming the whole child.
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