Sister Brittany Harrison, FMA, is the Theology Department Chair at Mary Help of Christians Academy in New Jersey.
In an interview about the walkouts with Relevant Radio, Harrison said that she was inspired by the students throughout the country who were "deciding to rise up, make their voices heard, and make social change."
"As a Salesian, that's what I believe in, the power of young people. So to see them doing that is just an incredible thing for me," she said.
Harrison said that while the official walkout, sponsored by the organizers of the national Women's March, was focused on gun control legislation, her students wanted to make their event less political and more focused on school safety in general.
Rather than the walkout, the school held a prayer service and also gave students time to write government officials about the changes they'd like to see.
"As Catholics we can really model what it is to affect social change, and our young people really want to do that," she said.
The Diocese of Peoria, Illinois encouraged its students to take part in some kind of alternative, prayerful show of solidarity rather than the walkout, citing concerns about some of the sponsors of the national walk-out as well as safety concerns.
"Unfortunately, some of the sponsors of the National School Walkout advocate for positions that are contrary to the Church's teachings on the sanctity of human life in all of its stages," the Office of Catholic Schools stated in a letter to diocesan Catholic school officials.
"Due to this fact, as well as concerns for student safety on this day of national attention, our schools are directed to not permit students to stage a walkout."
Instead, the letter suggested that diocesan schools hold Masses or prayer services for the victims.
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Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit held memorial services for the victims of the Parkland shooting, including posters with pictures and brief biographies of the victims.
Queen of Angels elementary school in the Archdiocese of Atlanta said on Twitter that they were hosting a "walk in" rather than a walkout, and used the day as a time to encourage their students to focus on ways they could be kinder and more inclusive.