Celebrating Catholic Schools

Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States, which is now in its 50th anniversary year. This year’s theme of “Catholic Schools United in Faith and Community” will be highlighted next week, January 28 – February 3, when Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River will join thousands of Catholic schools across the country by inviting their local communities to experience the richness of Catholic education through open houses, school Masses, tours, and many other activities.

Spreading the Word

I think Our Lady of Lourdes School in Taunton has devised a unique way to raise awareness about Catholic schools in anticipation of Catholic Schools Week with the launch of what they call Car Magnet BINGO on January 11, 2024. Each student received a car magnet to affix onto their car along with a Car Magnet Bingo card with different locations “around town,” i.e., home, church, the supermarket, the movies, etc. Once a family takes a picture of their parked car with the OLOL magnet at a specific location (with an identifying sign or landmark of the location in the photo), it is uploaded right from the phone to the OLOL website, and that spot on the Bingo card is checked off. The photos are also shared on the school’s Facebook page. The class with the highest percentage of participation will receive an ice cream social.

CSW Daily Themes

A wonderful way to spotlight our Catholic Schools’ best attributes is by sharing photos and videos on social media and the school’s website. The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) recommends schools participate in the themes selected for each day of CSW. You can find the list of daily themes on the NCEA website. I enjoy seeing how the teachers, staff, and students interpret these every year. I think you’ll agree the creativity further displays the quality of our Diocesan schools. 

Catholic School Open Houses

One long-standing tradition of Catholic Schools Week is the hosting of school open houses. Each of our Diocesan schools is hosting a time to visit and learn more about the school’s community, offerings, and learning environment. This is also an excellent opportunity for prospective families to meet our Catholic school administrators, teachers, and students to help in their decision on what is best to meet the educational and formational needs of their children.

Daniel S. Roy, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Fall River, recently said this about Catholic Schools Week:

“Catholic Schools Week is the perfect time for families to learn more about Catholic education and its unsurpassable value to our country for more than 200 years Our Catholic school leaders, educators, and staff members embrace a mission that endures with a new relevance in our time. Parents are the primary educators of their children. Our schools take seriously the responsibility of partnering with families in the overall formation of their child. I welcome every family to consider contacting one or more of our Catholic schools to truly experience the difference of Catholic education.”

For more information about each school’s open house, please visit www.catholicschoolsalliance.org/open-houses.

Financial Aid Available

I know that the affordability of a Catholic school is usually a concern for parents. We are blessed in the Diocese to have an organization that helps families desiring a Catholic education for their children. The Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE) helps reduce the cost of tuition by providing scholarships. For this school year, more than 1,000 students have received a needs-based award, which, in many cases, has reduced tuition by more than 30%, and for many schools, this can result in a monthly tuition payment of $300 or less. FACE scholarships help reduce tuition costs. Awards are determined by a family’s financial circumstances at the time of application; interested families must apply by the deadline of March 29, 2024.

There are also other financial aid opportunities for schools in the Diocese of Fall River; I invite you to read about them in more detail in my 2023 Catholic Schools Week blog.

We are truly blessed by the dedication of families to seek to not only educate their children in but also support Catholic Schools in our Diocese. I now look forward to the many images that will be shared across social media, which are sure to inspire other families to pursue a quality Catholic education for their children as well.

Yours in Christ,
Bishop da Cunha

Diocese of Fall River

Office of Communications