Bishop Robert P. Reed smiles, thinking back to his days as a young priest, assigned to St. Catherine of Siena Parish in the early '90s.

"I always feel at home returning to Norwood, I really do. I have to say, I hope no one else will hear this from another parish where I've been, but it was my happiest assignment," he admits.

He now serves as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Patrick parishes in Watertown, and president/CEO of The CatholicTV Network and iCatholic Media. But he holds a special fondness for his parish assignments with adjoining schools. As a child, he attended St. John the Evangelist School in Swampscott, and it was during those years learning from the Sisters of St. Joseph that his love for God and his calling to the priesthood first began to grow.

"My parish when I was a kid, was very much like another home; a place where I felt very comfortable and very much nurtured. That was not just because of the parish, but because of the parochial school I attended. The priests, deacons, and sisters had a gradual but powerful impact on my life because they were good examples of people living their Catholic faith.

My vocation really came to be, by the grace of God, in that environment," Reed recalled.

In his early 30s, "Father Reed" came to St. Catherine from Immaculate Conception in Malden -- his first assignment, which also had a vibrant school community. The bishop explains working as a priest in a church and school setting changes the role dramatically. It allows the opportunity to form deeper friendships with families, supporting the spread of the Catholic faith.

"It gives you a chance to be part of their lives and their families and faith lives in a way that will not be possible otherwise," he said.

Bishop Reed was delighted to return to Norwood last spring, to celebrate Mass on the Solemnity of St. Catherine of Siena. It was an especially joyful day for the community, as six SCS students and nurse Maiona were initiated into the Catholic Church -- receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion.

Bishop Reed acknowledges it isn't easy to keep a school running today. But as St. Catherine of Siena School marks 100 years of Catholic education in Norwood, he joins us in celebrating this incredible milestone -- the ways SCS has evolved and grown, while remaining deeply rooted in faith and tradition.

"A parochial school is a very special place. It's a family of families; an opportunity for us as a Church to grow, and to help children understand the depths of our faith. It picks up my spirits to be in a community like that, because the Church is very much a family of families, a community. I'm so happy to see St. Catherine's School thriving. Its future is bright."