A week before Pope Francis’ visit to New York, students at St. Margaret School in Middle Village received their own special visitor: Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

An assembly with the bishop was an exciting way to finish the first full week of school for students, faculty and staff, who treated the bishop to an assembly in the parish hall Sept. 18. Students guided the program, which showcased the school’s diversity, faith and history.

Seventh grader Andreas Kirmaier was sitting in the front row as the bishop entered the hall. “It’s cool how out of all of the Catholic schools, he chose ours,” he said.

“He doesn’t just go to every school,” added David Osoy, eighth grader. “I feel a sense of pride that he came here.”

Earlier that morning, the bishop had also visited nearby Our Lady of Hope School, where students presented a program with the theme, “Creating a Community of Hope.”

Both were belated Catholic Schools Week visits, delayed due to a late January snowstorm.

Joining the bishop in Middle Village were Diane Phelan, associate superintendent for diocesan Catholic schools, and Deacon Jaime Varela, the bishop’s assistant.

At St. Margaret School, Msgr. Steven Aguggia, pastor, led the opening prayer, and Dr. Philip Franco, principal, welcomed the bishop before handing the reigns to student leaders who addressed him in English, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish – the languages that best represent the past and present student body.

“Bishop, as you say all the time, the Diocese of Brooklyn is a beautiful church of immigrants,” said eighth grader Timmy Walls.

“At St. Margaret … all the many different races and ethnicities are united as a beautiful mosaic, all learning about Jesus each day as one family.”

Happy to be part of that mosaic are seventh graders Olivia Jaskolska, Thomas Zurbriggen and Kirmaier, who spoke to the bishop in Polish, Italian and German, respectively.

Diverse Population

Student leaders explained how German families founded the school nearly 150 years ago. Today, the school largely serves children of Irish and Italian descent, with a growing population of Spanish, Polish and Asian students, reflective of the borough’s diversity.

Seventh grader Dulce Hernandez, who joined the school this year, was grateful for the chance to address her bishop, schoolmates and teachers in Spanish.

“It was so nice to have him in our school,” she said. “Now I know how he is in real life.”

The bishop was equally impressed with the students he met.

“I was surprised today we have all these bilingual people. It’s wonderful,” the bishop said.

“We need to communicate with one another, and the best language of communication is love. Everybody understands that. Friendship and love – those are the best languages in which we communicate,” he told the school community.

With friendship and love, students presented their bishop with gifts, including a Pope Francis doll, a book about the Blessed Mother and a basket of Italian delicacies.

In keeping with his Catholic Schools Week tradition, the bishop invited students to play “Stump the Bishop,” during which he answers any questions they ask. And he maintained his usual caveat: no questions about the new math.

That wasn’t a problem since students were more interested in knowing when he became a bishop, if it is hard to serve as bishop and what other vocations he considered.

He answered every question, even one about whether he roots for the Mets or Yankees – a loaded inquiry in a sports-oriented school led by a principal who bleeds blue and orange.

“Neither, sorry,” he responded with a smile.

When one young man asked what inspired him to become a priest, he explained that it was God who called him.

“You have to ask God to help you,” discern your vocation, he told the young man. “And the best way to know is to pray.”

Peter Kaczmarski, eighth grader, appreciated the bishop’s humor and honesty. “I thought he’d be very serious, but he was outgoing and fun to listen to,” he said.

Assistant principal Victoria Richardson closed the program highlighting the school enrollment – currently 418 students, up by more than 100 students in four years, and recent additions, including a nursery program, an ultramodern technology center and auditorium. A program for toddlers and their parents will be launched this fall.

Before waving good-bye, Bishop DiMarzio thanked the principal and teachers for their efforts, and asked students to thank their parents for making the sacrifice to give them a Catholic education. As a parting gift, he granted the school community a dress down day.