February 2 Liturgy to Celebrate Catholic Schools Week
Members of the Catholic school community in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, along with distinguished honorees and their guests, will celebrate National Catholic Schools Week with a liturgy on Friday, February 2, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church, 1803 Union St., Schenectady. The Very Rev. Robert Longobucco, diocesan Vicar General and Vicar for Faith Formation & Education, will be the principal celebrant of the liturgy.
“Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community” is the theme of this year’s National Catholic Schools Week, which will be celebrated from January 28 through February 3. The annual observance focuses on the value Catholic education provides to young people as well as its contributions to the larger Church, local communities, and the nation.
The Mass, which is open to the public, will also be live streamed so all teachers, students, and families across the 14-county Diocese can participate virtually. At the conclusion of the liturgical celebration, the distinguished honorees and years-of-service award recipients will be recognized.
Among those being honored at the awards presentation are Rebecca Marzeski and Erin View of St. Francis de Sales Early Childhood Learning Center in Herkimer, who are receiving the Bishop of Albany Distinguished Administrator Award, which recognizes administrators who promote a school’s Catholic education, seeking to foster a Christian community of love in which God’s truth and life are integrated into the entire curriculum and life of the school.
Additional awards to be presented include the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Distinguished Teacher Awards. Kimberly Wilson of Blessed Sacrament School, Albany, and Paula Thibault of Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School, Schenectady, will receive those honors. Awards for outstanding school staff and commitment to Catholic education will also be presented, and teachers with milestone years of service to Catholic education in the Diocese will be recognized. (See PDF below for complete list of recipients.)
“Let us rejoice in the good works of all who are dedicated to Catholic education. These faculty and staff members make a difference in the daily lives of each student and in the collective future of our schools, our Church, and our communities,” said Dr. Giovanni Virgiglio Jr., Superintendent of Schools. “National Catholic Schools Week is a wonderful opportunity to honor our school communities and all those who support them in a proactive and intentional way.”
The Annual Diocesan Art Show, featuring artwork by Catholic school students of all ages, will be held at the Empire State Plaza South Concourse Lobby, beginning with a reception on Sunday, January 28, at 2 p.m. and running through Friday, February 2.
