Cardinal Francis George popped in to say Mass for Ascension School's 100th anniversary celebration and block party, joined by Auxiliary Bishop John Manz and Ascension Pastor Larry McNally.

"A lot of schools can teach what [Catholic schools] teach," George said in his homily. "But we uniquely offer a faith community."

George plugged the archdiocese's newest $350 million To Teach Who Christ Is campaign to bolster Catholic schools with scholarships, enrollments drives and efforts to capture some public funding for Catholic schools.

"With all my heart I thank God for these 100 years at Ascension School," George said.

Ascension is among 15 schools in the pilot program working with the archdiocese "downtown" to tweak the new schools campaign, McNally said.

"I was very happy that the cardinal stayed afterward at the block party for about 45 minutes," McNally said. "He got to relax a little and a lot of the kids got to meet him."

The school's three-hour block party featured a live band, $5 sangrias and pulled pork sandwiches, catered by Food Obsession.

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