Starting on January 31 and continuing through February 6, 2016, Catholic schools across western Kentucky will participate in National Catholic Schools Week, an annual celebration of Catholic education in dioceses and archdioceses of the United States.
Catholic school students have a “strong foundation on which to be successful,” said Jim Mattingly, superintendent of the Office of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Owensboro.
“That foundation is built on ‘Faith Formation, Academic Excellence, and Servant Leadership,’” Mattingly explained.
Mattingly said the goal of Catholic education is to graduate students who are well-prepared for their current lives “and eventually ready for the next life.”
The 2016 NCSW theme is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”
Mattingly called it a “compliment” that the National Catholic Educational Association chose a theme “very similar to our successful foundation,” he said.
“NCEA’s ‘Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service’ blend right in with ‘Faith Formation, Academic Excellence, and Servant Leadership,’” said Mattingly. “Students who have that experience are set up for success.”
Every day of National Catholic Schools Week also has a unique theme, and schools and parishes may celebrate these themes as well. The 2016 daily themes are:
Sunday: “In Our Parish”
Monday: “In Our Community”
Tuesday: “In Our Students”
Wednesday: “In Our Nation” (Also National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools)
Thursday: “In Our Vocations”
Friday: “In Our Faculty, Staff and Volunteers” (Teacher and Principal Appreciation Day)
Saturday: “In Our Families.”
Each of the seventeen Catholic schools in the diocese are participating in various celebrations. Brescia University, the only Catholic university in the Diocese of Owensboro, plans to visit several schools with their mascot, Barney the Bearcat, deliver spirit items, and thank all the teachers and administrators for their service in providing a Catholic education.
Look for pictures from various Catholic schools around the diocese on our Facebook and Twitter accounts next week.
More information may be found on the website of the National Catholic Educational Association, www.ncea.org/our-services/catholic-schools-week.