The Mass also marks the Jubilee Year commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis de Sales. The Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales have been strongly connected to Father Judge High School since its founding.
Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will kick-off the national celebration of Catholic Schools Week (CSW) in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (AOP) at Father Judge High School (FJHS) in the Northeast section of the city.
Archbishop Pérez will celebrate Mass for the FJHS community as they begin a special Jubilee Year in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Death of Saint Francis de Sales. Over twenty priests will concelebrate Mass with the Archbishop including thirteen priests from the order of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales.
Ms. Nancy Kurtz, Interim Superintendent of Secondary Schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Ms. Irene Horstmann Hannan, Chief Executive Officer of Faith in the Future Foundation, will be present along with numerous FJHS board members and benefactors.
The Mass will be streamed live from the FJHS Facebook Page @ FatherJudgeHighSchool.OfficialSchoolPage.
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Monday, January 31, 2022
Father Judge High School Gymnasium
3301 Solly Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19136
After Mass, the Archbishop will tour the school’s welding facility. The class of 2022 will be the first cohort to complete the program. The welding program, launched in the 2019-2020 school year, it is the first-of-its-kind among Archdiocesan high schools, and will play a vital role in launching a Career & Technical Education (CTE) initiative. FJHS intends to implement additional course offerings in CTE over the next five years as part of its strategic plan, including: Biotech, Business, Construction Trades, Culinary, Engineering and Entrepreneurship.
Following that portion of the Archbishop’s visit, he will participate in a Town Hall gathering with student representatives from FJHS, Archbishop Ryan High School, Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, and Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls. William McGlynn, a member of the FJHS class of 2022, will serve as the emcee. Students will have the opportunity to engage with the Archbishop on a variety of topics.
The Town Hall will be streamed live from Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook Page @AchbishopPerez.
10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
The Father Brisson Center for Academic Excellence
Each January 24th, FJHS celebrates the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales. This year, it also concludes the school’s Salesian Week. It is an annual opportunity to recognize the Salesian heritage and charism of the school, which has been associated with the Oblate of Saint Francis de Sales since the all-boys school was founded in 1954.
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Editor’s Notes:
For additional information about Father Judge High School, please visit fatherjudge.com/. For more information about schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit aopcatholicschools.org/. For information about Faith in the Future Foundation, please visit faithinthefuture.com/.
Background Information on the National Celebration of Catholic Schools Week:
This year, CSW is celebrated from Sunday, January 30, 2022 through Saturday, February 5, 2022. The theme for the week is, “Faith. Excellence. Service.” Each day has a daily theme. Sunday: Celebrating Your Parish; Monday: Celebrating Your Community; Tuesday: Celebrating Your Students; Wednesday: Celebrating the Nation; Thursday: Celebrating Vocations; Friday: Celebrating, Faculty, Staff, and Volunteers; and Saturday: Celebrating Families. For additional information about the national celebration of CSW, please visit www.ncea.org/csw/.
Background Information on the Father Brisson Center for Academic Excellence:
The Father Brisson Center for Academic Excellence was created with the intention of providing equitable opportunities for Catholic education to FJHS students of all ability levels. Students can be scheduled to attend the Father Brisson Center, which recently underwent a $1 million renovation, on a daily basis. This program is intended to provide a supportive environment for completion of academic work throughout the day. Full participation with the students, as well as the parents, is necessary to ensure that each student is provided with an opportunity to be as successful as possible.
Meredith Wilson
Media and Events Specialist
215-587-3747