HAMMOND | Julian DeLeon compared the jubilant Catholic Mass to a rich tapestry of vivid brush strokes and sound, which brought his heart closer to God's love.MORE: View additional photos from the Catholic School's Week Mass.

"When the schools come together, you feel a spiritual link," said Highland's Our Lady of Grace seventh-grader.

"For me, all the different colors on the school banners represent the different hues of everybody's soul. It's an amalgamation of all their beautiful colors. It's like a big painting of happiness and joy."

More than 1,000 students from seven local schools joined the host students at Bishop Noll Institute on Wednesday to celebrate Mass in recognition of Catholic Schools Week, which began Sunday.

Masses were also held this week at Andrean in Merrillville and Marquette in Michigan City. This year's theme is "celebrating service." All the schools combined at BNI's Mass pledged to perform more than 4,500 hours of community service by May 9.

BNI Principal Colleen McCoy-Cejka played the flute throughout the Mass and also performed a solo. "This is the biggest week of the year for us -- bigger than spirit week," she said before the Mass.

"We get to celebrate the benefits and freedom we enjoy to be able to pray in school. Today is like welcoming people of the community into my house for a huge celebration. It's a big deal."

Bishop Dale Melczek recently underwent knee surgery so BNI's chaplain, the Rev. Kevin Huber, celebrated the Mass. Before his homily, he engaged the congregation in Noll's field house by asking them to do "the wave" and a "fist bump of love" to show they believed in Jesus.

"The whole point of Catholic education is understanding faith and love and discovering Jesus in our lives," he said.

"But we all have to do it together. We can't do ‘the wave' by ourselves. It's the same thing. Helping each other is going to give us the hope and promise and energy to do the things God calls us to do."

Senior Silvia Cuevas, 18, of Hammond, said she will remember the cherished friendships and her BNI family long after she graduates.

"Catholic schools everywhere teach values and the good morals of living a Christian life," she said. "Our school has taught me to be open-minded to the world and everything else I'm going to encounter in my life."