Catholic School Students Find Unique Way To Honor Pope

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A local Catholic school finds a unique way to honor Pope Francis.

Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have several events planned to mark the papal visit.

Linh Bui reports for WJZ.

There are many events honoring Pope Francis this week. The archdiocese is holding a shoe drive called "Feet for Francis," which many local Catholic schools will participate in. And one school is doing a unique tribute.

As Pope Francis arrives in the United States, excitement at Notre Dame Prep School is palpable.

"I'm kinda geeking out about it," said Morgan Peck, a senior at the school. "I'm so excited."

"He's tweeting," said another senior named Emma Blanch. "There's papal tweets and he's connecting with the 21st century kids who are on their phones all the time."

To celebrate, the school is having a whole papal week.

Thursday morning, the entire campus will gather to watch the pope's address to Congress, an event that will be broadcast around the world.

And Tuesday, students and staff tied hundreds of ribbons to tall pine trees, each one carrying an important meaning.

"The knots represent anything that keeps us from completely loving God," said Ann Cory, a religion teacher at the school. "It could be a struggle, it could be addiction, it could be anything."

Pope Francis has a special devotion to "Mary - Undoer of Knots."

Throughout the week, students will untie these ribbons as a symbolic act.

"To signify that while we all have our own individual struggles," said Peck. "We are here to help each other and help undo each other's knots."

It's a display of their faith, and their ties to the pope.

Also at Notre Dame this week, life size cut out of Pope Francis for students to take pictures with and post on social media.

The archdiocese of Baltimore is also encouraging people to "serve like Francis" by volunteering or donating to local catholic charities.