School-Wide Summer Reading Program Launched At Marian Catholic

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL – A school-wide summer reading program is underway in its first year at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights. This summer, students, faculty and staff at Marian Catholic will all read the same book: "Tattoos on the Heart" by Father Gregory Boyle. The summer reading assignment for students means they will have to purchase, read and annotate the book in addition to their regular summer reading assignments.

It's the start of the "One Book, One Marian" campaign that was started by the school's English department as a way to "engage and enlighten Marian Catholic students and staff and cultivate a sense of community through reading."

"We are thrilled to launch the 'One Book, One Marian' initiative, which was developed by our English department," Marian Catholic Steve Tortorello said. "The initiative will give all students and staff at Marian Catholic a common literary experience on which to base academic and informal discussions. A program like this unites the community around a set of themes and ideas for the school year and sets the tone for the fall."

"Tattoos on the Heart" is described by the Los Angeles Times as literature “destined to become a classic of both urban reportage and contemporary spirituality." A series of parables inspired by faith, Boyle distills his experience working in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles running his gang-intervention program, Homeboy Industries.

Photo courtesy of Marian Catholic High School