Catholic Schools Week ‘celebrates service’

Catholic Schools Week 2009 will be held from January 25 to January 31 nationwide, during which time Catholic schools will raise awareness about the education they provide while also celebrating the work they do.
There are several different kinds of activities that Catholic schools all throughout the United States will hold in honor of Catholic Schools Week, which is held by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Among them are masses and open houses and various activities that students, administrators, faculty, staff, community members and families are able to participate in.
“Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration of the important role that Catholic elementary and secondary schools across the country play in providing a values-added education for America’s young people,” NCEA’s web site states. “Catholic schools are proud of their educational network that emphasizes intellectual, spiritual, moral, physical, and social values in their students.”
This year, the selected theme for the week-long event is “Celebrate Service.”
“Civic engagement is a hallmark of Catholic Education,” said NCEA president Karen Ristau. “The majority of elementary and secondary schools participate in service projects ranging from collecting canned goods for the homeless to rebuilding schools in the hurricane-torn gulf, so it was natural that we chose services as a major theme.”
The theme is also linked to a 2008 initiative by the NCEA that was called “Birthday Blessings for Pope Benedict.” When the Pope visited the United States in April of last year, students from Catholic schools “were asked to pledge hours of community service to honor the Pope’s 81st birthday.”
This pledge resulted in the students collectively volunteering to perform more than two million hours worth of service.
Another way that some Catholics recognize the week is by starting new service projects.
Wednesday of Catholic Schools Week is typically celebrated as National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools. That same day, there is a student delegation that travels to Capitol Hill “to deliver packets of information about the good news of Catholic education to U.S. congressional leaders.”
In addition, many schools also give similar information to their own local elected officials.
The first Catholic Schools Week was held in 1974 and the theme was “Different Where It Counts - Message, Community, Service.” The event is now held annually.
For more information on Catholic Schools Week, visit the National Catholic Educational Association’s website at www.ncea.org.