CHICAGO (September 5, 2002)

Schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago today will begin a series of events to commemorate the first anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, events in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.

Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich, superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools, today unveiled a student-created remembrance poster, "Pray for Peace," to begin the series of memorial events around the archdiocese that will culminate on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

The poster, designed by three 7th graders at St. John Berchmans School in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, includes a prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th century peacemaker and founder of the Franciscan religious order who asked God to "make me an instrument of your peace." The poster has been reproduced by the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office of Catholic Schools and is being placed in every school in the Archdiocese in advance of the September 11 anniversary.

"This poster captures the true spirit of the September 11 anniversary - a moment of prayer and remembrance," said Dr. Wolsonovich. "This day affords parents, teachers and adults to be true 'instruments of peace' in the lives of our young people."

The poster grew out of a class project in which students were asked to express their feelings about the events of last Sept. 11. "Our students were feeling the same frustration which so many people experienced," said Jeanne Devriendt, a religion teacher at St. John Berchmans. "I wanted to help them through this very difficult period and to bring some sense of closure to this day." Devriendt said she asked students to reflect on their feelings, to dialogue with classmates about what might be done to avoid similar tragedies in the future, and to express those thoughts and feelings on paper.

Amy Ryczek, one of the three student artists who created the poster, said she and her two classmates focused on prayer "because it's the one action which all people, no matter what their faith, or belief, can do." Amy said she and fellow artists Stephanie Libreros and Susan Gray, who has since moved out of state, included symbols of the sun "to light up the world," a star "to guide us to peace," and the American flag "to show support for our country, the victims, survivors and heroes of September 11."

"If there's one lesson which we need to hold in our hearts from September 11, it's the urgency to bring love, forgiveness and hope to our children, to our community and to the world," said Dr. Wolsonovich.

All day Sept. 11, other elementary and secondary schools throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago will hold scores of remembrances, including special liturgies and prayer services with participation from local police, fire and emergency personnel, moments of silence and silent prayers, tree and flower plantings, peace walks and processions, red, white and blue dress codes, flag raisings and recitations of the pledge of allegiance.

Following are highlights of events planned by Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools to mark the September 11 anniversary.

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS

Resurrection High School, 7500 W. Talcott Ave., Chicago

Alumna Who Perished at WTC Remembered With Special Scholarship

A special scholarship will be awarded Friday, Sept. 6, in memory of Christine Olender, a member of Resurrection High School's Class of 1980. Olender, who was assistant general manager at Windows on the World, a group of restaurants, banquet rooms and convention centers near the top of the World Trade Center's north tower, was killed during last year's attack on the twin towers.

Sophomore Elizabeth Kawula will be the first recipient of the scholarship, which the all-female school hopes to make available each year to a student or incoming freshman of Polish heritage who is in need of financial assistance and who has an interest in the fine arts.

Friends say Olender had an eye for fashion and a love for fine art and a warm, bubbly personality. The former member of Resurrection's pompom squad and one-time homecoming queen at nearby Archbishop Weber High School may have gained her appreciation for fashion growing up around her parents' clothing store on west Fullerton Avenue in Chicago.

Bracelets proclaiming "God Bless America" are on sale to the school community. Proceeds from sales will help fund the Christine Olender Scholarship fund.

On Sept. 11, classmates of Christine Olender will share with current students and faculty their reflections on Christine's life and legacy.

Classmate Roxanne Sronkoski, who served on the Resurrection pompom squad with Olender, recalls her former teammate as caring, personable and fun loving. "She was very popular - she could light up a room just by walking in," recalls Sronkoski, who kept in contact with Olender since graduation.

Sronkoski, a mother of four who resides in Geneva, Ill., said Olender's life reflected the faith foundation the two gained as students at Resurrection. "I believe Chris lived the true spirit of the meaning of our school's namesake, Resurrection. She treated every day as a new beginning," said Sronkoski, who last saw Olender at their 20-year class reunion in 2000. "Not a day goes by now that I don't think about her and how there's no telling how much time anyone really has on earth. But the way Chris lived her life will always give me inspiration and hope that tomorrow is a new beginning."

Queen of Peace High School, 7659 S. Linder, Burbank, Ill.

Students to Plant Multi-lingual Peace Pole

Students and faculty will plant and dedicate a "Peace Pole" in the Queen of Peace High School's "peace garden," located in the school's courtyard. The Peace Pole, an 8-foot high, six-sided wooden pole will be permanently installed during a 3 p.m. ceremony Sept. 11 at the Sinsinawa Dominican-sponsored all-female Catholic high school. The pole will feature messages of peace in six languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Hebrew, Spanish and Swahili. Similar poles will be planted Sept. 11 by other high schools sponsored by the Sinsinawa Dominican community in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Brother Rice High School, 10001 S. Pulaski, Chicago

Ground Zero Firefighter Offers Reflections to Students

Alumnus Richard A. Edgeworth, a Chicago Fire Department battalion chief who traveled to ground zero to help
firefighters and police from around the country deal with the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks,
will address students and faculty during a 9 a.m. ceremony Sept. 11. Students will also plant Australian Pine
tree on school grounds near the football field in remembrance of the victims.

Prior to the address, students from neighboring Mother McAuley High School, 3737 W. 99th Street, Chicago,
will join Brother Rice students in planting hundreds of small American flags in memory of the victims of the
September 11 attacks. The flags will be placed on West 99th Street along the perimeter of the adjoining Brother
Rice and Mother McAuley campuses.

Maria High School, 6727 S. California, Chicago

Muslim Students, Firefighters and Police Officers Observe Prayer, Symbols of Peace

Muslim students from Universal School, Aqsa School and other area organizations will join local firefighters, police officers and Maria High School students in a prayer service on the school's front lawn at 1:45 p.m. Sept. 11. The prayer service, which will include readings from the Holy Bible and the Koran, will culminate with the release of 11 white homing doves as a sign of peace and solidarity.

CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Holy Cross School, 720 Elder Lane, Deerfield, Ill.

Students to Erect Illuminated Eight-Foot Replica of Twin Towers

Students and faculty of Holy Cross elementary school will remember the victims of September 11 by
erecting eight-foot twin towers on Sept. 10 to represent the fallen World Trade Center. The
towers, which will be illuminated by the school's seventh-grade religion class during the evening hours of Sept.
11, will be located at the corner of Waukegan Road and Elder Lane in Deerfield. Students will gather to pray at
the base of the towers at various times throughout the school day between 8: 20 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. Sept. 11.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine School, 3741 W. 62nd Street, Chicago

Students to Plant Tulips of Hope

Ten pairs of elementary students from St. Nicholas of Tolentine will plant yellow tulips in front of St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, 3721 W. 62nd St., following a brief prayer service at 9 a.m. Sept. 11. The yellow tulips, which are expected to blossom next spring, signify remembrance and hope, according to Kathryn Tomlin, principal of St. Nicholas of Tolentine.

Since last Sept. 11, the school family of St. Nicholas of Tolentine has maintained a special relationship with the school family of St. Columba, a New York City Catholic school located near the site of the World Trade Center.
St. Nicholas Tolentine students at every grade level participated in a letter and card writing campaign to the approximately 300 St. Columba students. The response was overwhelming, with students from both schools continuing to correspond, said Tomlin.

None of St. Columba's students or their families were lost or harmed in the World Trade Center attack, but students, faculty and staff witnessed the tragedy through the school's windows.
St. Ailbe School, 9037 S. Harper, Chicago, and St. Felicitas School, 1501 E. 83rd Pl., Chicago

St. Ailbe and St. Felicitas Students to Create Prayer Chain

Students from St. Felicitas Elementary School and St. Ailbe Elementary School will create separate prayer
chains of paper hands that will be linked together at the corner of 87th Street and Stony Island Avenue.
Felicitas students will walk south from the school on Stony Island Avenue to 87th Street and form a chain with
students from St. Ailbe Elementary School, who will have walked north from their school to 87th Street. Once
the students come together in the street, at approximately 10 a.m., they will link their prayer chain in memory of
the victims of September 11.

St. Gerald School, 9320 S. 55th Court, Oak Lawn, Ill.

More than 400 students will join faculty, staff and members of the St. Gerald School family in a 10:30 a.m.
prayer service Sept. 11. The service will be followed by the dedication of a new memorial garden that
has been planted in front of the school in remembrance of the victims of last year's events in New York,
Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Members of the local police and fire departments as well as the Mayor of
Oak Lawn have been invited.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The Sept. 11 radio broadcast of "Catholic Schools Today," (1-1:30 p.m. on WSBC AM-1240 and WCFJ AM-1470), will feature a live interview with Rev. Gregory S. Sakowicz, pastor, St. Mary of the Woods, Chicago. Father Sakowicz will discuss with program host Mike a special prayer service to be held that day at St. Mary of the Woods featuring children from the parish school. Also during the broadcast, Father Sakowicz will offer prayers in remembrance of the victims of Sept. 11 and their families. In addition, will share with listeners some of the activities in which Archdiocese of Chicago schools and parishes are involved in observance of the anniversary.

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 290 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 248 elementary and 42 secondary schools. Visit the Archdiocese of Chicago Website at http://schools.archchicago.org.