January 28, 2026 at 10:23 a.m.

OUR SCHOOLS, FOUNDED IN FAITH

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2026: This year’s theme is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community”

A student wears a cross on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2026, at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist (Courtesy photo of Cindy Schultz)

By Dr. Christopher Bott | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Catholic Schools Week is always a special time for us, not only because it allows us to come together and celebrate everything we love about Catholic education but because it gives us the chance to pause and reflect on the important and wonderful things that make each one of our Catholic schools unique. Every school in our Diocese has its own personality and charism; every school is like a family, where faculty and staff, students and parents know they belong to a loving community that always puts the success and happiness of its children first. Of course, our schools have top-notch academics and an array of extracurricular activities, clubs and sports, but what really sets our schools apart is not a “what” but a “who.” Jesus Christ is the key to our mission, our ministry, our lives.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
National Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States and this year it takes place from Jan. 25-31. Schools are observing the week with Masses, assemblies and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members to celebrate what makes Catholic schools great. Make CSW your own and share your ideas with other schools using #CSW2026 on social media.

The Catholic Schools Week theme is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.” Catholic schools have an irreplaceable role in the Church’s evangelizing mission. Building on the central goal of Catholic schools to form saints, Catholic schools teach and embrace the whole person, body, mind and spirit. The fact that all members of a Catholic school community share the Christian vision of faith that Christ is the foundation of Catholic education is what unites the school as a faith-filled community.

While faith is the binding element in Catholic schools, the Church reiterates that parents are the first teachers of their children. Holding this tenet, Catholic school communities expand beyond the walls of school buildings to envelop the family as an integral part of the school community. Together teachers, administrators, staff, students and parents fuel the light of faith by integrating culture with faith and faith with living.
The CSW logo symbolizes the united community of Catholic schools — not a building or an institution, but people of faith serving God and others. No Catholic school can fulfill its educational role alone. As a community, Catholic schools are nourished and stimulated by the centrality of the word of Christ expressed through knowledge, service, Scripture and sacramental tradition.

“Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community” is a theme on which to build a spirit of the Gospel to benefit the human family. — NCEA.org

That reality is echoed in this year’s Catholic Schools Week theme: “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.” And that theme ties in so well with our own theme for the school year: “Rooted in Faith, Growing in Hope.” All that we do in our Catholic schools is built on a foundation of faith. In every subject taught, at every game played, during every field trip or service project undertaken, faith in Jesus Christ serves as the starting point, providing sturdy footing in an often-challenging world. The Gospel is our roadmap.

Of course, none of this happens in isolation. This foundation is first built in the domestic church of the family, around dinner tables each evening and at Mass together each weekend. It is built by the parish community and the larger diocesan network of support as well. We are especially blessed this year to have Bishop Mark O’Connell traveling around the Diocese to visit our schools and bring his brand of joyful faith to our students in a new and inspiring way. We know these visits along with Bishop Mark’s larger vision for our Diocese will strengthen our foundation of faith, not only for our students but for each and every one of us. Together with our faculty and staff, alumni and friends, this community of support and love is an equation that adds up to success for our students — in the classroom and in the world.

The Catholic Schools Week logo, with figures leaning into and on each other, is a beautiful reminder of the collaboration and community that is a hallmark of Catholic education. It is a symbol of unity, something this world desperately needs. Guided by the heart of the Gospel, our students focus on common bonds and serving the least among us, forming them into young citizens who will one day lead our world with compassion and love. We can look to them with hope. I know I do.

Please take some time to read the stories and view the photos we’ll be sharing during Catholic Schools Week. They are sure to bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart. The work we do day in and day out is a gift and a blessing to all of us who work in the Catholic school community, but we know none of it would be possible without all of you. So, you, too, are a gift and a blessing, and we are grateful to you for your support of and commitment to Catholic education, whether or not you have a student in one of our schools.

May we all have a happy Catholic Schools Week!

Dr. Christopher Bott is the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Albany. Follow the Catholic School Office on social media on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RCDASchools) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/rcdaschools).