“I’m so excited. This is amazing,” said sixth grader Virginia. “He’s the bishop! This is really cool to have the chance to get to know him.”

The words of Virginia echoed the sentiments of the Holy Savior School students who had the unique opportunity of not only hitting the slopes at Black Mountain Ski Resort last Friday morning as part of their Catholic Schools Week celebration, but also found themselves swishing down the hill with Bishop Robert P. Deeley himself.

“It gives me a nice chance to talk to the kids about nature as God’s gift to us and about themselves as being cared for and loved by God,” the bishop told a group of media members prior to heading to the chairlift. “Enjoying the day together, what could be more beautiful than being out here? It’s wonderful.”

With the temperature hovering in the teens and a light snow falling, students split time between the ski area and the tubing area. In addition to parents and teachers, Bishop Deeley was joined on the trails by Don Fournier, president of Saint Dominic Academy, and Fr. Nathan March, pastor of Holy Savior Parish in Rumford.

“Part of this is for the kids to continue to understand that the bishop and priests are just human beings,” said Fr. March. “This is just a reminder that Jesus met people where they are at, and I want the students to have this experience of the bishop and priests enjoying the same things they are enjoying.”

“Our hope is to continue to create community among students and clergy,” said Barbara Pelletier, principal of Holy Savior. “This day at Black Mountain is a great opportunity for students to see that clergy have the same interests and hobbies that they do.”

With experiences like Friday, Holy Savior School is hoping to cultivate a love of the outdoors in its students.

“We have a strong and growing relationship with Black Mountain, which is really trying to build a family focused community,” said Fr. March. “I think it’s just a nice fit for our school. With our blended learning, projects-based education, we are looking for opportunities for the kids to come to Black Mountain and do things. We have a project coming up where the kids will learn about the physics of sledding, doing experiments with different materials and trying to invent a better sled. It’s a great relationship.”

And the memories of spending time with the bishop on Friday while doing something they love will last a lifetime.

“Skiing with the bishop, it’s the best part of Catholic Schools Week!” said Lauren, a third grader.

Catholic Schools Week celebrates the mission of Catholic Schools: to evangelize students by nourishing faith and encouraging academic excellence while accentuating the importance of community and service in a nurturing environment. During the week, schools around Maine completed service projects for many groups and organizations, including Ronald McDonald Houses in Portland and Bangor; the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough; the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program in Brunswick; the Trinity Jubilee Center, St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion, St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, and St. Martin de Porres Residence, all in Lewiston; the Portland Police Department; the Locker Project; McKennel’s Animal Shelter in Rumford; Catholic Charities Maine’s Refugee and Immigration Services; the York County Shelter Program; the Sanford Food Pantry; the Humane Society of Waterville; and the Ngamo Primary School in Zimbabwe, among others.