Holy Family Catholic School in Austin opened its Oratory of the Holy Angels on Oct. 31 with a Mass. Students later gathered for Adoration at St. Vincent de Paul Parish before Jesus was processed through the campus and into the oratory.

It was the perfect start to the oratory’s mission, said Erin Vu, the principal of Holy Family.

“If we believe the first goal of Catholic education is to help bring others to Jesus, then we need to prioritize bringing everything to the Lord,” she said. “Having Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament provides an opportunity for students to spend time with Jesus and bring everything to him in a convenient and blessed place.”

At St. Mary’s Catholic School in Temple, is the newly opened St. Jose Sanchez del Rio Chapel, which was dedicated on Sept. 26. Staff had been trying to find a prayer space for a few years after Father Will Rooney suggested to Principal Sean Warfield that a chapel be placed in the school.

“It’s because of Father Will’s vision that we witness Jesus as the ever-present teacher in each classroom, and we now have a chapel to reflect Jesus in our school even more,” Warfield said. “The blessing of our new chapel was truly a joyous milestone.”

St. Mary’s supporters answered the call to create something truly special, and the chapel was constructed and furnished through the heartfelt efforts of volunteers and donors. Whether it was physical labor or providing finishing touches, every contribution helped transform a simple room into a lasting legacy of faith, Warfield said.

“Our goal as Catholic educators is to help our students grow in wisdom and holiness as we strive to know Jesus and to make him known,” he said. “For years to come, our community, whether young or old, will gather to worship in this beautiful and hallowed space.”

Equally inspiring were the efforts put forth by the Holy Family community. Staff began praying for a space on campus for the Blessed Sacrament four years ago. During the Eucharistic Revival, the school’s liturgical committee and others prayerfully discerned ways to help students grow in faith and spent a year dedicating themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Monthly Adoration as a school community began during the 2023-24 school year and the response was overwhelming.

In the summer of 2024, Archbishop Joe Vásquez agreed to allow the opening of an oratory. Father Tom Reitmeyer oversaw the project with Father Paul-Michael Piega and the liturgical team designing the space. All of it was generously supported through a school fundraiser and from benefactors who helped with everything from design to furnishings. Those who attended Mass in the school gym back when the school originally opened may recognize a special piece, as the original altar used for those Masses is now the oratory’s altar.

“We feel this helps connect all our students, past, present and future, in this important space,” Vu said. “The oratory is in our Wisdom Building, which is the one building on campus that students across every grade level use, which makes it the heart of our campus.”

Both prayer spaces are open to faculty, staff, students and any authorized visitors to Holy Family, Mass is celebrated monthly, and confession is available on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Vu and Warfield agree that these types of spaces are essential tools for spiritually inspiring the next generation, and they are honored to house them at their respective schools.

“The Catholic school is a privileged place that, in the eyes of the church, exists to support parents in their role as primary educators of their children,” Warfield said. “In a world searching for meaning, by bringing Jesus to our corner of Temple, Texas, we can help heal our world one student’s prayer at a time.”