Catholic Schools Throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Catholic Schools Week
The National Catholic Schools Week 2024 Theme is “United in Faith and Community”
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will join in the 50th Anniversary of the national observance of Catholic Schools Week (CSW) January 28, 2024 – February 3, 2024.
Established in 1974, CSW is an annual celebration of the Christ-centered, faith-based education that students receive in the 102 elementary, 15 secondary, and 3 special education schools in the five-county metropolitan area comprising the Archdiocese. The national theme for Catholic Schools Week 2024 is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.”
On Thursday, February 1, 2024, Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will host a service initiative at Archbishop Ryan High School. This is the keystone event for the celebration of CSW in the Archdiocese and will feature participation from over 300 students representing Archdiocesan high schools, parish and regional elementary schools, and schools of special education.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
10:00 a.m.
Archbishop Ryan High School
11201 Academy Road
Philadelphia, PA 19154
These young people will combine efforts to package 2,500 relief bags with non-perishable items for individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity who are served by Nutritional Development Services’ (NDS) Community Food Program. Handwritten notes with prayerful encouragement will also be included in the bags.
Additional Catholic Schools Week Events
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Saint Andrew Catholic School and Pre-School: 51 Wrights Road; Newtown, PA 18940
(Bucks County)
12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Saint Andrew Catholic School and Pre-School will host an Open House highlighting academic and extracurricular offerings following an Opening Catholic Schools Week Mass. Faculty and staff will be available to answer questions and provide demonstrations while students will also conduct tours of the campus.
Saint Bernadette School: 1001 Turner Avenue; Drexel Hill, PA 19154
(Delaware County)
12:00 p.m. Saint Bernadette Catholic School, which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, is hosting its annual Open House immediately following the opening Mass for Catholic Schools Week. Current and prospective families are invited to tour the school. Throughout the week special activities will include a book fair, Religion and Spelling Bees, as well as a Vocation talk from parish priests along with faculty who are consecrated religious.
Monday, January 29, 2024
Saints Philip and James School: 721 East Lincoln Highway; Exton, PA 19341
(Chester County)
8:30 a.m. Saints Philip and James School, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2023 and 1990, will celebrate the nation with a Prayer Service to honor those who have served our country in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans and those currently serving in all branches of the military will be in attendance. Students will perform patriotic musical selections aligned with their current social studies curriculum.
Good Shepherd Regional Catholic School: 835 North Hills Avenue; Ardsley, PA 19038
(Montgomery County)
9:00 a.m. (Mass) A thank you Mass and breakfast for community heroes and volunteers will be hosted by Good Shepherd Regional Catholic School. Local first responders as well as community volunteers will be honored during a school Mass at Queen of Peace Parish Church. A community breakfast will immediately follow at the school.
Saint Mary Interparochial School: 5th & Locust Streets; Philadelphia PA 19106
9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Monday, January 29th, marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week at Saint Mary Interparochial School, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2023 and 2016. The celebration begins with the Annual Catholic Schools Week Mass at Old St. Joseph’s Church. Immediately following Mass, at approximately 10:20 a.m., Meghan Rakus, First Grade teacher, will receive special recognition from FACTS. Ms. Rakus will be honored as a national FACTS Teacher Innovation Awardee. This distinction recognizes exceptional educators who create lasting educational impact through grassroots innovation in their schools. Also at that time, several sixth-grade students will be recognized for their academic achievements with induction into the National Junior Honors Society.
Saint Katherine of Siena School: 9738 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. To mark the CSW daily theme of “Celebrating Community”, Saint Katherine of Siena School students in 5th-8th grades will spend an hour helping to beautify their surrounding neighborhood. Students in Kindergarten through 4th grade will help to clean indoors around classrooms and shared hallways to demonstrate care for their peers in the school community.
Archbishop John Carroll High School: 211 Matson Ford Road; Radnor, PA 19087
(Delaware County)
3:15 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Archbishop John Carroll High School and Saint Katherine School of Special Education students will welcome Archbishop Wood High School and Our Lady of Confidence School of Special Education students to an Interscholastic Unified Sports Bocce Match. These two teams are currently the only Catholic Unified Bocce Ball Teams in the state of Pennsylvania.
Special Olympics Interscholastic Unified Sports® (IUS) is a fully-inclusive co-ed after school high school sports program which successfully brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities. By providing opportunities for students both with all types of disabilities and without disabilities to participate in sports meaningfully and by engaging other students in the school community, Interscholastic Unified Sports (IUS) helps promote inclusion, acceptance, and respect. The Special Olympics Interscholastic Unified Sports program is supported by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), the Bureau of Special Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls: 1000 West Lycoming Street; Philadelphia, PA 19140
8:30 a.m. Little Flower Catholic High School will host an Alumnae Appreciation Day with a Mass and special for all of its graduates. Additionally, roses will be handed out to alumnae who are now serving the school community as faculty and administrators at Little Flower.
Saint Luke Catholic School: 11321 Academy Road; Philadelphia, PA 19154
(Philadelphia)
1:30 p.m. In December, Students at Saint Luke Catholic School were surveyed to choose a school-wide fundraiser for the school to purchase classroom whiteboards. Students in Pre-K through 8th grade voted to hold a carnival game style fundraiser. Raffle tickets will be sold to throw pies at 7 chosen faculty members.
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School: 405 Allendale Road; King of Prussia, PA 19406
(Montgomery County)
9:15 a.m. (Mass)
Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School will hold its annual Red, White, and Blue Mass honoring those who serve the community and the nation. Immediately following Mass, the community will host a breakfast for local first responders and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Approximately 50 local first responders, active duty service men and women, and veterans are expected to attend.
Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional School: 3233 East Thompson Street; Philadelphia, PA 19134
10:30 a.m.
In keeping with Wednesday’s daily CSW theme of “Celebrating our Nation,” Our Lady of Port Richmond will hold a school wide assembly featuring veterans of the United States Armed Forces who will speak with students about their service to the nation. Students in PreK 4 will sing “God Bless America.”
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul: 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway; Philadelphia, PA 19103
11:00 a.m. Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will be the celebrant of the Installation Mass, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, for Roman Catholic High School’s 15th Head of School and 6th President, John A. Prendergast, a member of the Roman Catholic High School Class of 2008. Father Joseph W. Bongard, Roman Catholic High School Class of 1977 and past President, will be the homilist and concelebrant.
Conwell-Egan Catholic High School: 611 Wistar Road; Fairless Hills, PA 19030
(Bucks County)
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Holy Family Regional Catholic School is partnering with Conwell-Egan Catholic High School (CEC) to share STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, English, Art, and Mathematics) initiatives and activities and will hold an “Evening of STREAM” during Catholic Schools Week.
STEM Club students from Holy Family Regional Catholic School will be demonstrating STREAM technologies including: Beebots, Dash and Dot, Snap circuits, Circuit Illuminated art, OSMO, Ozobots, and green screen technology. A tour of the CEC Engineering Lab will also be available with students demonstrating many of the robotics and other features of the lab that they utilize during the academic year.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Archbishop Ryan High School: 11201 Academy Road; Philadelphia, PA 19154
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will host a service initiative at Archbishop Ryan High School . This is the keystone event for the celebration of Catholic Schools Week in the Archdiocese and will feature participation from over 300 students representing Archdiocesan high schools, parish and regional elementary schools, and schools of special education.
These young people will combine efforts to package 2,500 relief bags with non-perishable items for individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity who are served by Nutritional Development Services’ (NDS) Community Food Program. Handwritten notes with prayerful encouragement will also be included in the bags.
Editor’s Note: A separate media advisory containing more details on the Archbishop’s participation in the service initiative at Archbishop Ryan High School will be distributed by the Archdiocesan Office for Communications.
Friday, February 2, 2024
Saint Agnes Church: 233 West Gay Street; West Chester, PA 19380
(Chester County)
9:15 a.m. (Procession)
10:00 a.m. (Mass) Led by parish priests, the students, faculty, staff, and administrators of Saint Agnes School will participate in a Solemn Eucharistic Procession and Mass to mark the Universal Church’s celebration of the Eucharist as well the conclusion of Catholic Schools Week.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Resurrection Regional Catholic School: 2020 Shelmire Avenue; Philadelphia, PA 19152
1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Resurrection Regional Catholic School will host its Inaugural Asian Lunar New Year Festival. This event is open to the general public.
It will include cultural displays and activities including calligraphy and origami as well as food stations with Asiatic delicacies. All will be staffed by Resurrection Regional School students, faculty, and staff, the Home & School Association, and Resurrection alumni who are in high school. During the event a presentation by the University of Pennsylvania Lion Dance Performers will also take place.
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Editor’s Note: For information about Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit Archdiocese of Philadelphia Catholic Schools website. For more information on the National Celebration of Catholic Schools Week, visit the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA).
Contact:
Bonnie Olinger
Communications Specialist
215-587-3747 (office)