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��any 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 reflect
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 reflect on
Catholic education, one of the
first 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 formation
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.
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When one enters into an
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 first teachers,
are partners in Catholic
education. By choosing Catholic
education, parents want
not only a quality Catholic
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.
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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 par
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