CATHOLIC ACADEMIC JUNIOR HIGH DECATHLON
Several teams from the Diocese of Orange’s Catholic schools competed in the annual Catholic Academic Junior High Decathlon on March 5 at Santa Margarita High School.
The event featured students from grades 6 to 8 competing in logic quizzes, a broad multiple-choice quiz, and individual knowledge tests on Roman Catholic doctrine, English, literature, science, mathematics, current events, social students, art and music.
The following parish schools participated:
Blessed Sacrament School, Westminster
Mission Basilica School – A and B
Team, San Juan Capistrano
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic
School, Newport Beach
St. Anne Parish School, Santa Ana
St. Bonaventure Catholic School,
Huntington Beach
St. Cecilia School, Tustin
St. Edward the Confessor Parish
School – Junior Varsity and Varsity
Teams, Dana Point
St. Francis of Assisi School, Yorba
Linda
St. Hedwig School, Los Alamitos
St. Juliana Falconieri School, Fullerton
St. Norbert School, Orange
Of those, the following took home awards. Congratulations to all the winners!
Logic Quiz:
1st Place: St. Edward Parish School
(Varsity Team)
2nd Place: St. Francis of Assisi
School
3rd Place: Mission Basilica School (B
Team)
Super Quiz:
1st Place: St. Francis of Assisi School
2nd Place: St. Edward Parish School (Varsity team)
3rd Place: Blessed Sacrament School & St. Norbert School (Tie)
Overall:
1st Place: St. Francis of Assisi School
2nd Place: St. Edward Parish School (Varsity Team)
3rd Place: St. Norbert School
MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL’S MODEL UNITED NATIONS CLUB
Mater Dei High School’s Model United Nations (MUN) Club recently traveled to the United Kingdom for a MUN conference and to learn more about English culture. Their trip included visiting London, York and Bath.
“What I loved about our MUN experience in the U.K. was the fact that we had the opportunity to challenge our intellects in a new environment, an environment that allowed us to develop an understanding of British culture and society and the ability to see the world from the British perspective,” said Nathaniel Calilung, a senior and co-president of the MUN Club. “My most memorable moment of the trip was being able to see London from the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral. For so long, I have only ever been able to imagine what the skyline of London would look like. Now, I was able to witness the city’s beauty in person.”
Calilung added that in his four years on the MUN Club, he’s learned “though our world may struggle with challenges never before seen and obstacles never before conquered, it is up to us — the young people of today — to engage with these issues with the vigor, virtue, and vision of Honor, Glory and Love.”
In addition to the U.K. trip, the club competed at Laguna Hills High School. Juniors Pavlos Arvanitidis and Brandon Miller won the Best Delegate award in the Advanced United Nations Committee on Narcotic Drugs, and won the Research Award as well. Freshman Lily McClellan, supported by her teammate, junior Leilany Flores, representing Israel in the Advanced UNICEF committee, earned the Commended Delegate award.
MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL’S MODEL UNITED NATIONS (MUN) CLUB RECENTLY TRAVELED TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL
‘WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT IMMIGRATION?’
The special presentation will be held on Monday, March 21 at 7 p.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 51 Marketplace, Irvine.
The heartbreaking crisis due to the war in Ukraine is once again adding massively to the displacement, globally and internally, of persons as refugees. From Afghanistan, within and around United States borders and beyond, public debates and divides have often affected our responses to people in need.
In his presentation “What Does the Bible Say About Immigration?” Fr. vănThanh Nguyễn, SVD — who is professor of New Testament Studies and Francis X. Ford, M.M., chair of Catholic Missiology at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago — will take us on a journey of Christian response to migration that speaks to our history and current events.
Hosted at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, this event is co-sponsored by the Diocese of Orange, Catholic Charities of Orange County and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen will give the opening prayer and Ellen Roy, executive director of Catholic Charities of Orange County, will give some current updates on local work and impacts.
ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC CHURCH, IRVINE. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE