Nearly 2,000 Catholic school students, parents and educators gathered Wednesday in Cape Girardeau to celebrate their religious heritage.

Ten elementary schools joined high school students at a Mass held at Notre Dame Regional High School as part of nationwide Catholic Schools Week, an annual celebration of the accomplishments and mission of Catholic schools. Students from as far away as Portageville, Mo., and New Madrid, Mo., participated.

"You don't usually get to do stuff like this with all the schools," said St. Augustine School's Steven Eeftink, 14. Eeftink and other elementary school students said they enjoyed the energetic event, which featured singing and instrumental music by Notre Dame students. Many said they hoped to continue a tradition of attending Notre Dame that in some cases stretched over three generations.

The Rev. David Coon of St. Joseph School in Scott City, Mo., celebrated the Mass. Coon, a 1984 graduate of Notre Dame, said he recently asked students what set Catholic schools apart from public schools. The open display of Bibles and religious symbols like crucifixes were among the answers, as was teachers' freedom to deal with faith and moral issues openly in their curriculum.

Students also recognized their ability to pray at any point in the school day.

"But it's not what we have or what we do that really make us different. It's what we have that makes us different," said Coon. "Jesus is the way that guides our day."

Despite the differences in Catholic and public education, Coon said there are many opportunities for schools in the same community to share programs. For example, cooperation between St. Joseph and Scott City schools has provided the parochial school access to computers and other programs and equipment.

Although cooperation is good, Coon said he was hesitant to promote voucher systems or other programs that might bring government intervention into Catholic schools.

"Mass and prayer and anything that promotes our religious lessons, faith and morality and justice are an integral part of what we are," he said. "We want to be careful that in all of it we maintain those things.".