6,500 Catholic Schools to Celebrate Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service

/EINPresswire.com/ -- ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - January 28, 2016) - The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) along with 6,500 Catholic schools nationwide will next week celebrate National Catholic Schools Week from January 31 -- February 6, 2016. The annual celebration of Catholic school education in the United States starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week.

"The theme, Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service, is the core of Catholic education in the United States. Catholic Schools Week shines a spotlight on educators and our faith communities to celebrate Catholic school education as a great gift to our Church, our parish communities, our neighborhood communities and the nation," said Dr. Thomas W. Burnford, NCEA's interim president.

More than 6,500 Catholic schools typically observe this annual celebration week with Masses, open houses, community service and other observances that emphasize the value Catholic school education provides to 2 million young people nationwide.

The following daily themes and celebrations will take place at Catholic schools across the country during Catholic Schools Week 2016: Sunday -- In Our Parish; Monday -- In Our Community; Tuesday -- In Our Students; Wednesday -- In Our Nation; Thursday -- In Our Vocations; Friday -- In Our Faculty, Staff and Volunteers; Saturday -- In Our Families.

This year NCEA has partnered with Catholic Charities USA, www.catholiccharitiesusa.org, and Catholic Relief Services, www.crs.org, to launch a "National Day of Service" on Monday, February 1, in efforts to encourage schools to embrace opportunities to serve in their communities by working with Catholic social services and non-profit organizations.

The Catholic University of America (CUA) and Dominican House of Studies, in association with NCEA, will kick off National Catholic Schools Week at the annual University Mass in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas, on January 28, at the Great Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at 12:10 pm, and will be broadcast live on EWTN. The Most Reverend George V. Murry, SJ, Bishop of Youngstown, OH, and Chairman of the NCEA Board and Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Catholic Education will be the principal celebrant of the University Mass.

Catholic school students benefit from both a faith-filled education and academic excellence. With national test scores up to 20 percent higher than other private, religious and public schools, Catholic schools graduate 99 percent of its students from secondary schools and 86 percent of those graduates go on to college. And based on the average public school per pupil cost of $12,054, Catholic schools provide $24 billion in savings each year for the nation.

NCEA and Catholic schools will chronicle the week-long activities by engaging online at @NCEATalk on Twitter and NCEAorg on Facebook. Supporters can use #CSW16 to share ideas and connect online. To learn more about Catholic Schools Week 2016, visit www.ncea.org/catholicschoolsweek.

NCEA, founded in 1904, is a professional membership organization that provides leadership, direction and service to fulfill the evangelizing, catechizing and teaching mission of the church. For more information, visit: www.ncea.org.

CONTACT 
Margaret Kaplow, Public Relations Manager
National Catholic Educational Association
mkaplow@ncea.org
571.206.1533