Schools and parishes, pastors and faculty, parents and staff, bishops, priests, deacons, and religious, every member of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America is invited annually to a week-long celebration of Catholic Schools.

Initiated by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and observed from the last Sunday of January throughout the following week, Catholic Schools Week celebrates our schools, and everyone involved with them.

The NCEA itself provides a wealth of materials for schools, diocesan offices, and parishes to observe this week. A good place to start is at www.ncea.org/csw/Home_Page/CSW/Catholic_Schools_Week.aspx. It is never too early to get a jump on your planning for this week.

The NCEA says this about its nearly half century project. National Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. Now entering its 50th anniversary year, CSW has traditionally been held the last week in January. From Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, 2024, we will host the traditional Celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Schools typically observe 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 #CSW2024. This year's new theme is Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community, and will be used through CSW 2026.

As you read through this Special Open House section of The Pilot, you will be reading much interesting and good news about the Catholic schools in our archdiocese.

Readers know that we have a similar section each January. It's The Pilot's celebration of Catholic Schools Week.

That special section will be issued on Jan. 26, 2024. Copies will be sent to all our schools.

We invite ALL schools to participate in our celebration of you. Every school has a story, really many stories, that need to be known beyond your classrooms and offices, your campuses and athletic facilities.

If your school wants to participate in that issue, please contact Father Robert M. O'Grady for all the details; rmogrady@PilotCatholicNews.com is the best means of contact.

School leaders will be receiving this information, as they do every year, in late October. However, it never hurts to encourage participation in multiple ways.

Our advertising manager, Dan Maguire, will also contact schools who may want to support the celebration by advertising their school in that issue. You can contact Dan at dmaguire@PilotCatholicNews.com.

As you might guess, there are deadlines, so it's really never too early to let us know about your interest in Catholic Schools Week Special Section, Jan. 26, 2024.