WHAT: Eighth-grade students from St. Thomas of Villanova School in Palatine will honor victims of the September 11 attacks with a unique memorial art project.

The eighth graders have been working on the art project since last September. Each student researched the life of one victim through newspaper and news magazine articles and the Internet. In addition to general information about the victims, the students researched personal details about the victims’ lives, hobbies, aspirations and details about their family.

Once the students completed their research, they created a collage of images that were representative of each victim, including a photograph and other images that reflected various personal aspects of their life. In addition, the students created oil paintings of the collage memorializing the victims.

Last December, the eighth graders wrote and sent letters to the victims’ families to inform them of the memorial project, and to offer their condolences and their prayers.
VISUALS: Students and parishioners will participate in a prayer service and the eighth graders will display their memorial artwork.

WHEN: Friday, May 24, 2002
11:15 a.m. – Prayer Service
WHERE: St. Thomas of Villanova School
1141 E. Anderson Dr., Palatine
847-358-2110

Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools
The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago play a critical role in the life of the community by developing the minds and spirits of nearly 123,000 students of many races, faiths and backgrounds in the 304 elementary and secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties. There are more than 6,000 teachers in the Catholic school system who instill values, teach discipline and achieve strong, consistent academic results in the Archdiocese of Chicago's 261 elementary and 43 secondary schools. Visit the Archdiocese of Chicago Website at http://schools.archchicago.org

Editors Note: Immediately following the prayer service, students will be able to talk about their thoughts and experiences regarding their research on this art project.