DANBURY—St. Gregory the Great School in Danbury left a lasting impression among their school community as three second-grade students were baptized during the weekly school Mass on Friday, January 24. Marcos Zambrano, Jonathan Davis and Tiago Mendes, as well as Marcos’ younger sister Mia, were all baptized in front of their family, friends and the entire St. Gregory the Great School community.
Second-grade teacher, Paula Sousa felt this day was, “so exciting because it brought the school community and parish community together and the children were able to be a witness to this beautiful sacrament.” What made it even more meaningful was the thoughtful preparation by their 7th-grade buddies. They designed colorful cards for Tiago, Jonathan and Marcos, and decorated the classroom for the celebration following the church service, where the two buddy classes were joined by members of the families of each of the newly baptized students. 
St. Gregory the Great parish and school work closely throughout the year to help foster a united relationship and this was truly the fruit of this ongoing collaboration. Parochial Vicar Father Christopher Ford, who celebrated the Mass and performed the baptisms, commented, “It is a great day, not only for the school but also for our entire parish community which has gained four new members for our family.”
Tiago Mendes’s mother, Louise Medes, expressed her happiness about the event saying, “It was a long time coming,” and it was the “right moment.” She is overjoyed that Tiago will be able to receive his First Communion with his classmates, which is always an event the students look forward to with great anticipation.
As principal Suzanne Curra noted, “at the heart of the mission of each Catholic school is offering each student a relationship with Jesus Christ. What a beautiful gift it was to do that in such a powerful way.”
