HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Parish announces the following students graduated this year from homeschooling programs in the Diocese of Charlotte (from top left):
- William “Quinn” Lawrence Esser V of Queen of Heaven Academy
- Xavier Francis Torres of Mother of Divine Grace School
- Patrick Brian Heidtman of Mary Immaculatae Homeschool
- Thomas Keith Conner of St. Christopher Catholic School
- John Andrew Yellico of Mother of Divine Grace School
- Gemma Marie Simms of St. Michael the Archangel Academy
- Ava Therese DiGiovanni of Our Lady of Victory Academy
- Natalie Elizabeth Suarez of Sacred Heart Academy
- Gabrielle Vered Shingledecker of Way of the Shepherd Home School
- Leah Yajiao Smith of Kolbe Academy
- Kathleen Elizabeth Clark of Clark Academy of the Holy Spirit
- Alexandra Hernandez of Maria Goretti School
— Photo provided by St. Mark’s Homeschool Ministry
CHARLOTTE — The white smoke from the Sistine Chapel made Catholic school classrooms across the diocese freeze and quickly turn on the TV. Teachers and students put a pause to learning for this once-in-a-lifetime event as they watched the first North American pope ever elected appear in the window and deliver his first address. Cheers, applause and screams erupted as students jumped out of their seats in excitement. For once, instead of the teachers trying to calm down the chaos, they joined in, enjoying a truly historic moment where religion and patriotism intertwine:
