CTN — the educational media service department of DeSales Media Group, which is The Tablet’s parent company — started “Dial-a-priest” during the year of vocations called by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio two years ago. The idea is to give students in the Diocese of Brooklyn a chance to meet more priests beyond those in their parish and hear a variety of vocation stories.
School officials project that Bay Ridge Catholic Academy will open with 400 students, which would make it one of the biggest elementary schools in the diocese.
St. Francis Preparatory H.S., Fresh Meadows, celebrated its Founder’s Day Mass, Oct. 16, where more than 600 freshmen gathered for a day of prayer and formation.
The conference provided an opportunity for Catholic schools in the Brooklyn Diocese to promote three of their attributes: They are affordable for many low-income families because of scholarships; they outperform public schools academically; and they teach faith-based values.
That astonishing number elicits a great sense of pride from all who have been involved in Futures in Education over the last 30 years – donors, board members, staff, pastors, principals and students. It’s so significant to us all because we believe so strongly in the mission of Catholic education and in the mantra of Futures: Changing Lives through the Gift of Education.
Mairen Upton, an eighth-grader at Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in Whitestone, is an example of a trend: Local Catholic schools are outpacing public schools in New York state standardized test scores.
Seventh-grader Ashley Cela was enrolled in public school until last year, when St. Bartholomew Catholic Academy provided her family with a scholarship.
Kolbe is a groundbreaking school. There are 35 high schools in the United States designed for students in recovery from substance abuse, according to the Association of Recovery Schools, but Kolbe is the first faith-based one.
The 2019-2020 academic school year in the diocese begins officially on Sept. 4. Almost 21,000 students have enrolled in 75 Catholic academies or parish schools in Brooklyn or Queens.
As August made its appearance on the calendar, the thoughts of parents and, even a few students, sparked images of a return to school.
