Cardinal Donald Wuerl visited San Miguel School in Northwest Washington April 15, urging students to take advantage of the quality Catholic education they receive at the school.

Calling San Miguel’s high faith-based academic standard “a gift this school gives you,” Cardinal Wuerl told the students that their Catholic education “helps you with a good, solid faith formation. It gives you a future.”

As part of his his visit, the cardinal toured the all-boys school and celebrated Mass, which he called “the hear of who we are.” During the Mass, he reminded the students that at Catholic schools such as theirs, “people come to be aware of and to encounter Christ.”

“Never, never give up on your studies even when it is difficult, because this is the first step to future success,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “And never, never give up on Jesus who says to you, ‘you can be an extraordinary disciple.”

The cardinal reminded the students that their Catholiceducation “helps you learn the Gospel values that come from Christ … (and) academically prepares you to make your way through life.”

During the Mass, the Knights of Columbus donated a chalice and paten to the school for use in future student liturgies. Cardinal Wuerl – in blessing “the vessels which we will use to celebrate Christ’s faultless sacrifice” – said the gift of the Knights “is a sign to you of how important the celebration of Mass is and is also a sign of their connection to you.”

The cardinal also acknowledged the students’ recent fundraising efforts to help “your brothers and sisters in Eritrea.” With a goal of $500, the collection netted nearly $1,000.

As a token of appreciation for Cardinal Wuerl’s visit to San Miguel School and celebrating Mass there, the students presented him with a drawing of the cardinal with St. John Baptist de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers; and San Miguel, the patron saint of the school. The drawing was signed by every student and each member of the faculty and staff.

“This gift is a beautiful memory of my visit,” Cardinal Wuerl said in offering thanks for the gift. “But, an even more beautiful memory will be the time we spent together celebrating Mass.”

While at the school, the cardinal assisted eighth-graders Jeff Leon and Roberto Febles in checking the pH level of the water in theirscience class’s hydroponic garden in which basil is growing.

Leon said that the project was inspired by his class’s study of Pope Francis’s recent encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home). He added that the class project has also inspired in him an interest in learning biology.

Febles said that studying hydroponics “helped me understand better what the pope was saying” in Laudato Si'.

Cardinal Wuerl also received a tutorial from students who demonstrated how they complete science and other classwork on iPads provided to them by the school.

“We are thrilled for our students to have an opportunity to meet Cardinal Wuerl and join with him in prayer this week,” said David Palank, principal of San Miguel School. “Cardinal Wuerl … understands our mission of serving students and families most in need.”

Founded in 2002 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, San Miguel is a sixth- through eighth-grade boys school located on Georgia Avenue in Northwest Washington. It is part of the 50-school Miguel-Nativity schools, which educates students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.