BUSHWICK — Alyssa Rivera, the kindergarten teacher at St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy, had a surprise for her students when they returned from winter break: a shiny, modernized classroom.
Completed in just one week, the reimagined space offers more than just aesthetic changes, Rivera said; it brings a “positive attitude” that encourages her students to become more engaged in class.
“Literally, the first day we came back, they were in complete awe. It makes the room a lot brighter. It even looks bigger, and the kids want to learn a lot more,” she said.
To kickoff this year’s Catholic Schools Week, Bishop Robert Brennan held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to bless this newly renovated classroom on Jan. 28. There is no better way of “transmitting the faith” from one generation to the next than Catholic education, he said, which is why uplifting the diocesan school system is so crucial.
“We can never lose sight of what’s been built up for us that we’ve inherited, but we also have a responsibility ourselves,” Bishop Brennan noted. “We have a responsibility to maintain them, to upgrade them as time goes on, to care for them along the way. To see the renovation of these classrooms helps to build up the education.”
This classroom upgrade is part of an ongoing renovation at St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy. So far, the pre-K 3, first grade, third grade, and part of the fourth grade classrooms have been renovated; by the end of the summer, all will be completed, said principal Israel Rodriguez.
With five of his seven children currently enrolled at the school, he has a personal stake in seeing the improvements done.
But more than that, said the first-year principal, he hopes the remodeling will make St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Academy “a home away from home” for all its students.
“They see love through cleanliness,” he said. “Love through having a beautiful classroom. It makes a whole world of difference.”
Funding for the renovations initially came through parental contributions, matched by St. Brigid Church, through its pastor, Father Carlos Velásquez.
This year, they received $75,000 from the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Trust, which boosted their coffers and will allow them to complete work on all the classrooms. The Trust supports initiatives that provide local Catholic schools with the tools they need to enhance their identity.
Benjamin Rodriguez is a kindergarten student at St. Brigid, and one of the principal’s children. He immediately noticed that the dark carpet that had covered the floor in his classroom was replaced with light brown wood paneling. He immediately proclaimed that it was better.
“I like it a lot, the new floor and the rug. Everything’s very new,” the 5-year-old said.
Before the blessing ceremony, Bishop Brennan celebrated Mass at the church, inviting students and parents alike to gather to mark the facelifts at the academy and the beginning of another Catholic Schools Week.
Running from Jan. 28 through Feb. 3, the weeklong celebration is observed in dioceses across the United States, with each Catholic school holding events to recognize the holistic work they do for their students.
“It is putting our best foot forward so that other people can see. It’s a time to introduce our schools to young parents who are just bringing their children to education age and hoping to invite them in,” the bishop remarked.
“We’re trying to spread the good news. It’s a week of fun. It’s a week that has spirit and pride, but then also a week of sharing the good news.”
Bishop Brennan’s father, Bob, a St. Brigid’s alum, joined him in the celebrations and attended Mass at St. Brigid that morning.
The elder Brennan graduated from the academy in 1952 and recalled the strong influence the school had on his life. At the time, he lived in Ridgewood and called St. Brigid his home parish.
“I love the school,” he said. “I love it now more than ever because I see how it’s flourishing.”