Bishop Blesses New Catholic Central School
The Diocese of Albany celebrated a unique milestone in its history today when Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger officially opened and blessed Catholic Central School (CCS), the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany’s first Pre-K to 12 school, in Latham.
The new consolidated school, a partnership between St. Ambrose School in Latham and Catholic Central High School in Lansingburgh, provides a continuum of Catholic education from pre-K to 12th grade in one convenient, central, safe location. School officials said 385 students are enrolled for the fall semester.
“I’m excited to help officially open its doors and celebrate this special moment with faculty, staff, students and their families,” said Bishop Scharfenberger. “Catholic Central School shows what we can do together when we look beyond the borders of traditional educational models and follow through on a vision that best serves our Catholic school students, their families, and the larger community.
“I’m especially excited to watch students from this school develop in mind, body, and soul in lifelong Christian discipleship,” he added. “Having this new regional school linked physically and spiritually to St. Ambrose Parish helps solidify the critical role of faith in this endeavor. The proximity to the parish will create new opportunities for youth ministry, service, and afternoon activities.”
“The need to provide Catholic education is greater than ever,” said Giovanni Virgiglio, diocesan superintendent of schools, noting that several schools in the Diocese have experienced double-digit percentage enrollment increases. “This central, regional concept intended to strengthen Catholic education is a model we have studied and hoped to pursue when the time was right. Today that vision becomes reality!
