Dear Catholic Schools Families,

 

United as Catholics and with other Christians around the world, we begin our second "Catholic Schools Weekend of Prayer" in St. Peter's Square at 1p.m. ET tomorrow, Friday, March 27. We will all listen as our Holy Father, Pope Francis gives a special blessing, "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City & To the World). I encourage you with your children to receive this extraordinary blessing, normally only given on Easter & Christmas mornings, which gains for us all a plenary indulgence.

We then turn to our local shepherd, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, who reminds us that fear in unnecessary in the presence of faith. His Eminence has a special video message for our students from his "cathedra" in St. Patrick's Cathedral. Please click here to watch our Holy Father, Pope Francis at 1pm tomorrow and this special message from His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan together as a family.

Our 200-year legacy of Catholic education remains vibrant and strong as our 62,000 students engaged in a successful week of home-based learning, not only enriching their minds but their faith as well. I'm even told that some of our teachers' had the students out and about in their backyards having a science "scavenger hunt!"

None of this happens without the sacrifice, support and encouragement of parents and many other family members. We are grateful to you for entrusting your child to us and choosing a Catholic Education. We will continue to build on that legacy in the days ahead and long into the future. A Catholic school student today will become the Catholic school graduate of tomorrow, contributing their gifts and talents. They may be the next Dr. Anthony Fauci, a New York Catholic school graduate, advising the next president, or on the front lines as a doctor or nurse or protecting us as EMS, police and fire personnel. They may be like the principal or teachers who are the face of Christ daily as they are ministering in our schools.

We enjoy celebrating these gifts and talents that they have on our twitter feed, @ArchNY_Schools along with our Facebook and Instagram accounts. They are full of photos and videos of the teaching and learning that has been happening throughout the archdiocese. So many of our schools have their own accounts and we encourage you to follow them as well! Please share the joy to be found in the inspiring images that come to life in these moments as they are captured.

To make it easy to access the prayer resources we provided last week, we have linked them here again, the Catholic Faith Network. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese of New York. It is indeed perfect timing as we come together united in this second "Catholic Schools Weekend of Prayer."