Philly To Kickoff Catholic Schools Week

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will join in the national observance of Catholic Schools Week January 30, 2022 – February 5, 2022. Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration of the Christ-centered, faith-based education that students receive in the 119 elementary, 15 secondary, and 3 special education schools in the five-county metropolitan area comprising the Archdiocese. The national theme for Catholic Schools Week 2022 is Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service. Knowledge and Service.” 

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK KICK-OFF EVENT

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will kick-off the national celebration of Catholic Schools Week(CSW) in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (AOP) at Father Judge High School (FJHS) in the Northeast section of the city. 

Archbishop Pérez will celebrate Mass for the FJHS community as they begin a special Jubilee Year in commemoration of the 400^th anniversary of the Death of Saint Francis de Sales.  Over twenty priests will concelebrate Mass with the Archbishop including thirteen priests from the order of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales. 

Mrs. Nancy Kurtz, Interim Superintendent of Secondary Schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Ms. Irene Horstmann Hannan, Chief Executive Officer of Faith in the Future Foundation, will be present along with numerous FJHS board members and benefactors.  

The Mass will be streamed live from the FJHS Facebook Page @ FatherJudgeHighSchool.OfficialSchoolPage.

9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. 
 Monday, January 31, 2022
 Father Judge High School Gymnasium 
 3301 Solly Avenue
 Philadelphia, PA 19136

After Mass, the Archbishop will tour the school’s welding facility. The class of 2022 will be the first cohort to complete this program. The welding program, launched in the 2019-2020 school year,  is the first-of-its-kind among Archdiocesan high schools, and plays a vital role in launching a Career & Technical Education (CTE) initiative. FJHS intends to implement additional course offerings in CTE over the next five years as part of its strategic plan, including: Biotech, Business, Construction Trades, Culinary, Engineering and Entrepreneurship.

Following that portion of the Archbishop’s visit, he will participate in a Town Hall gathering with student representatives from FJHS, Archbishop Ryan High School, Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, and Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls. William McGlynn, a member of the FJHS class of 2022, will serve as the emcee. Students will have the opportunity to engage with the Archbishop on a variety of topics. 

The Town Hall will be streamed live from Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook Page @AchbishopPerez.

10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. 

The Father Brisson Center for Academic Excellence 

Each January 24^th, FJHS celebrates the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales. This year, it also concludes the school’s Salesian Week. It is an annual opportunity to recognize the Salesian heritage and charism of the school, which has been associated with the Oblate of Saint Francis de Sales since the all-boys school was founded in 1954. 

Additional Catholic Schools Week Events

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Beginning with Catholic Schools Week, The Dennis Kelly AOH, Division 1 in Havertown (Delaware County) is running the “Hibernian Hunger Project Delco Catholic High School Challenge”.  This service project is designed to combat hunger in the region and is organized by The Dennis Kelly AOH, Division 1, and will have participation from all three Archdiocesan high schools in Delaware County:  Archbishop John Carroll High School, Cardinal O'Hara High School, and Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School.  The school collecting the most of food in pound weight by Easter will be presented with a championship belt that will be passed around each year to the winning school.  Additionally, $100 will be presented by The Dennis Kelly AOH, Division 1, to the homeroom/classroom that collects the most money at each of the three schools.   Updates for the contest will be posted to the "Friends of Dennis Kelly AOH Delco #1" Facebook page.

The Dennis Kelly AOH is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization with a mission is to promote Irish and Irish American Heritage through Friendship, Unity and, Christian Charity.  For more information about the Dennis Kelly AOH, please visit us at:  www.aohdenniskelly.com

Monday, January 31, 2022

Holy Rosary Regional Elementary School:  3040 Walton Rd, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

(Montgomery County) 

1:00 p.m. Students, faculty, and staff will hold a “Beep Out” Pep Rally in the school parking lot for Community First Responders who will be invited to parade through the parking lot in police patrol cars, fire trucks, and ambulances.  This is an annual tradition for Holy Rosary School during Catholic Schools Week.

Archbishop John Carroll High School:  211 Matson Ford Road, Radnor, PA 19087

(Delaware County) 

3:30 p.m. the Archbishop John Carroll High School and Saint Katherine School of Special Education (Upper School at Archbishop Carroll) team will play the Archbishop Wood Catholic High School and Our Lady of Confidence School of Special Education (Upper School at Archbishop Wood), a School of Special Education in an Interscholastic Unified Sports Bocce Match.  These two teams are currently the only Catholic Unified Bocce Ball Teams in the state of Pennsylvania.

Special Olympics Interscholastic Unified Sports® (IUS) is a fully-inclusive co-ed after school high school sports program which successfully brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities.  By providing opportunities for students both with all types of disabilities and without disabilities to participate in sports meaningfully and by engaging other students in the school community, Interscholastic Unified Sports (IUS) helps promote inclusion, acceptance, and respect.   The Special Olympics Interscholastic Unified Sports program is supported by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), the Bureau of Special Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Tuesday, February 1, 2022 

Archbishop Wood Catholic High School:  655 York Road, Warminster, PA 18974  

(Bucks County)

8:00 a.m. The Bucks County High School will hold a Faculty Recognition Liturgy in their school auditorium in recognition of the faculty’s dedication to Catholic Education throughout the school year.  Mrs. Nancy Kurtz, Interim Superintendent of Secondary Schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will join the students, faculty and staff for the Liturgy.

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School: 815 Cathedral Road, Philadelphia, PA 19128

(Philadelphia)

Red, White, and Blue Dress Down day will also include a service component at Immaculate Heart of Mary School.  Students, faculty, and staff have been encouraged, in addition to dressing patriotically, to donate an item to the school’s “Support the Troops” service project, which will consist of assembling care packages, to be sent to troops once completed, in Father Sullivan Hall.

Roman Catholic High School for Boys: 301 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

(Philadelphia)

9:00 AM Roman Catholic High School will hold an Installation Ceremony to formally install Mr. John Curry, Jr., its new principal.  Mrs. Nancy Kurtz, Interim Superintendent of Secondary Schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will preside over the installation.

Friday, February 4, 2022

Saints Simon and Jude Parish Elementary School: 6 Cavanaugh Court, West Chester, PA 19382

(Chester County)

10:45 a.m. The parish elementary school in Chester County will hold its Catholic Schools Week Closing Mass and honor students, who have modeled mercy, kindness, and charity with their peers, with Peacemaker Awards.  Reverend Michael J. Gerlach, Pastor of Saints Simon and Judge Parish, will be the celebrant of the Mass.

Note:  For information about Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit Archdiocese of Philadelphia Catholic Schools website.  For more information on the National Celebration of Catholic Schools Week, visit the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)