CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES GUIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
WORKING TOGETHER
Supporting the mission of Catholic Education
Many recall the visit of
Pope Francis to Our
Lady Queen of Angels
School in East Harlem in September
of 2015. While Pope
Francis was intrigued by the
use of the Smartboard, he also
used this time to refl ect on the
importance of Catholic education.
On importance during this
visit, Pope Francis stated:
“School then ends up being
one big family, a family, where
together with our mothers
and father, our grandparents,
our teachers and friends, we
learn to help one another, to
share our good qualities, to
give the best of ourselves, to
work together and to pursue
our dreams.”
The Mission of Catholic Education
within the Diocese of
Brooklyn share in this important
Vision. Through the leadership
of Bishop DiMarzio,
Catholic education is made a
priority and everyone associated
with the Catholic academies
and parish schools plays
a vital role in advancing this
Mission.
Quality Catholic education
is built upon a strong foundation
of those who have gone
before us and we continue to
build for the future. Essential
to our continued growth are
the following: sustaining the
Mission of Catholic education
for generations to come, providing
all students with the
necessary skills to be successful
in the future, the quest for
academic excellence, supportive
parish priests, dedicated
principals, teachers and staff
and the commitment of our
parents.
As one would refl ect on
Catholic education, one of the
fi rst essential element is the
role that our Catholic faith
plays in advancing the Mission.
Our academies and parish
schools are places for the
new evangelization, which includes
complete information
and service to others.
Striving to follow the Gospel
and creating learning environments
based on values and
virtues is an essential part of
the Catholic Identity of each
academy and parish school.
Living the Gospel
COURIER L 56 IFE, AUG. 23-29, 2019
When one enters into a
Catholic academy or parish
school, one is reminded that
the reason why we exist is to
infuse the Gospel message
into our academic program,
our learning environment
and into the culture of the
academy and parish school.
One can experience the Catholic
Identity of an academy and
parish school as soon as one
enters the doors.
I enjoy visiting the Catholic
academies and parish schools
throughout the year. What
strikes me often are the conversations
that I have with the
pastors, parish priests, principals,
teachers and students.
They all share in enhancing
the Mission of Catholic education
within the academy and
parish school community. The
students often share their experiences
whether it be in providing
service to others, working
with their classmates,
participating in regular Mass
and prayer experiences. All of
this is fostered on a regular basis
by our parish priests. The
academy and parish schools
are an essential element in the
life of the parish.
Parents, as the fi rst teachers,
are partners in Catholic
education. By choosing Catholic
education, parents want
not only a quality education
but want for their children
a full understanding of the
Catholic faith.
Our Catholic faith is the
cornerstone of our academies
and parish schools, and our
students are the future of the
Catholic Church. Through our
Catholic Identity, we must continue
to encourage them to be
bearers of the Good News.
Academic Excellence
Our Catholic academies
and parish schools are charged
with infusing the curriculum
with strong Catholic values
and virtues, while striving to
provide academic excellence.
It is not Catholic Identity or
Academic excellence – it “both
and” – an each is equally important
to the success of each
individual student.
Academic excellence is
achieved through the instructional
leadership of our principals.
Through their efforts
to guide their teachers, they
ensure that the necessary resources
are available to them.
In addition, through the efforts
of various benefactors
and partnerships with the colleges
and universities, principals
and teachers are provided
with extensive professional
development in all academic
areas.
We strive to fully embrace
the requirements set forth by
the New York State Equivalency
Guidelines and we are
proud to work to attain these
goals and objectives.
Our academies and parish
schools have been the recipients
of the generosity of
the St. Elizabeth Seton Trust.
Through their fi nancial support,
the following programs
have been established in the
Continued on page 60