Brick by Brick:
March 5 - April 17

Lent is the liturgical season that prepares us for Christ’s death and Resurrection. In this season of penitential preparation, we turn our hearts and minds to God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Join us this Lent in prayer and sacrifice for our little friends in St. Catherine’s School. Our Lenten Outreach Project for 2025 will be to continue building classrooms for St. Catherine of Siena School. $10 will buy 100 bricks. Let’s use these 40 days reflecting on sacrificing what we can for the poor.

 
 
 
 
 
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St. Catherine of Siena School

In 2014 we built a nursery school in Olwiyo, a remote village in the town of Anaka in Northern Uganda.

The small village of Olwiyo borders Murchison Falls National Park. The people that live here have been known for using the park for their survival through poaching. Although illegal, this sought after meat brought them the income they needed to live. The idea for a school began with the thought that to make a great change in a community, you need to start with it’s children. St. Catherine of Siena School was created to help erase the stigma that was attached to these people, by educating the children for a better future.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Construction of the school began on January 20th in 2013, and classes opened in February of the following year. The school began as a single classroom building, but has grown. We currently have four classrooms and two small offices for the staff. The restroom building stands adjacent to the school with the entire property fenced in for safety. In early 2015 an outdoor kitchen was constructed to provide the children with a midday meal. A water source was added to the school grounds in 2019, which is not only beneficial to the school but to the entire community.

Fr. James percieved the growth in the town of Anaka and thought it wise to expand St. Catherine of Siena School at a new additional site. During the Covid pandemic, we began building the classrooms at our new site. Four classrooms, offices, kitchen and teachers quarters were completed by 2024. The building of a fifth classroom has begun January 2025.

“Visiting with the children July 2025, brought tears to my eyes, happy tears.”
— Mary Gispert, Director of The Gulu Project, Inc.
 
 
 
One of our teacher, Silvia Kusima

One of our teacher, Silvia Kusima

 
Football (soccer) is one of the all time favorite pastimes for the children

Football (soccer) is one of the all time favorite pastimes for the children

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67 students received their education through our 2024 Sponsorship Program.

 
 
 
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First bricks made for school (2013)

St. Catherine of Siena Nursery School (2023)

Kitchen named for devoted supporter (2023)

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Happy to be at school (2017)

 
 

First, the kids learn that school is fun. They play, sing, dance, pray, and eat together. They then transition into their lessons, and before they know it, they’re learning. Contributions for the growth and support of this project are always welcome and no amount is too small to help make a big difference. If you’re interested in sponsoring a child at the school, please visit the Child Sponsorhip Project.