News - News & Events RSS Feed

The seven themes of Catholic social teaching are core components within the religion curriculum of Catholic schools throughout our country. But how do we integrate these components into an intentional series of lived experiences for our students so they will become more engaged, compassionate servant leaders after their time with us? Two years ago, the Office of Catholic Schools began designing social teaching experiences that build on one another throughout the years students are in Catholic schools. This alignment of experiences is an ongoing and ever-developing project that has allowed our diocese to create a Catholic social teaching vision for our students.

As the new academic year kicks off, we welcome back our students, dedicated faculty and supportive families to our Catholic schools. I always enjoy new school years, as it is a time of renewed enthusiasm, fresh beginnings, and a reaffirmation of our commitment to providing an exceptional Catholic education rooted in faith, service and community.

Being honored and awarded is something even the humblest of recipients appreciate. When that honor is peer-driven and nominated by coworkers, it’s even more special. That’s where St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School teacher Alanna Heyl recently found herself after being named one of two Teachers of the Year by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (www.txcatholic.org). She was nominated for the award by Principal Evan Pscencik and Assistant Principal Patrick Goetz and was somewhat shocked to hear of the honor.

When Bishop Joe Vásquez awarded $10,000 to the Brenham/La Grange Deanery through the Catholic Services Appeal Parish and School Grant Program, pastors of the deanery’s 12 parishes and missions decided to direct half of the grant to security measures at Sacred Heart Catholic School in La Grange.

It’s estimated 85% of young adult Catholics fall away from the faith in college. That’s an alarming and troubling rate that set Waco’s Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic School into action. Upon hearing this, the school administration and faculty implemented a new schedule that included opportunities for liturgical formation. Not only did the program affect the students, but it also inadvertently led to the awarding of a national grant.

This year the Catholic Services Appeal awarded $30,000 in tuition assistance to Catholic school students. Students from the 19 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Austin were invited to submit entries in support of this year’s CSA theme, “Be a Miracle.” The winners were recognized during the CSA Kickoff Reception last October. For more information on the 2023-2024 Catholic Services Appeal, visit austindiocese.org/csa.

Five students from Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Temple were recognized by the National Speech and Debate Association as Academic All-Americans. The students earned this award as they demonstrated success in speech and debate contests as well as in the classroom. The recognition is the most recent of several national and state honors given to the Holy Trinity Forensics Team.

St. Theresa Catholic School in Austin was recently named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School, a highly esteemed designation bestowed by the U.S. Department of Education and a prestigious honor for private and public schools alike. St. Theresa was one of only 40 non-public schools in the U.S. to receive this year’s award and is also the only school in Austin to do so. “We are proud to have achieved this accomplishment, which is an honor and shows the tremendous effort from our whole school community,” said Principal Brian Wheeler. “It also serves as a reminder for us to continually meet the raised bar we’ve set and stay focused on maintaining excellence.”

How do you bring the Eucharistic Revival to middle school students? While parish youth groups often attend retreats and diocesan gatherings during the summer, many Catholic school students depend on their Catholic schools for their faith formation. Therefore, I envisioned a diocesan gathering of youth from the Catholic schools. This vision became a reality last October when the Diocese of Austin brought its middle schools together for a Eucharistic Rally. Eleven Catholic schools participated in the day with over 600 young people gathered in prayer and fellowship.

Editora: Obispo Vásquez, recientemente celebramos la Semana de las Escuelas Católicas, del 28 de enero al 3 de febrero ¿Por qué son importantes las escuelas Católicas para la Diócesis de Austin? Obispo Vásquez: La educación Católica es un Tesoro para nuestra Iglesia ya que forma a nuestros jóvenes en la fe y provee de una excelente educación. A través de nuestras escuelas Católicas, formamos a toda la persona –cuerpo, corazón, mente y espíritu – y preparamos a nuestros jóvenes para servir a Dios y a los demás.

Editor: Bishop Vásquez, we recently celebrated Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3. Why are Catholic schools important to the Diocese of Austin? Bishop Vásquez: Catholic education is a treasure for our Church as it forms our young people in the faith and provides an excellent education. Through our Catholic schools, we form the whole person – body, heart, mind and spirit – and prepare our young people to serve God and others.

Ruth Hernandez Olvera Senior at San Juan Diego Catholic High School in Austin San Juan Diego Catholic High School and the Cathedral School of St. Mary in Austin are like family to Ruth Hernandez Olvera, a graduating senior at San Juan Diego Catholic High School in Austin. “I will forever be thankful to God that these schools were put in my life,” said the teenager, who is also involved at St. Mary Cathedral Parish in Austin.

Ten years ago, Father Mark Hamlet established “Our Kids at Heart,” a nonprofit aimed at accelerating the growth of Catholic schools through Catholic school tuition assistance for the underserved members of the Diocese of Austin.

Our Catholic schools recently welcomed more than 5,400 students for the new academic year. As superintendent, I am excited to be a part of another great school year, and I look forward to seeing how the Holy Spirit will move and work in and through our school communities. Our theme for the 2023-2024 school year, “Follow me as I follow Christ,” points to the core of our mission in Catholic education, to bring people to Christ and Christ to people. As we begin another year, we are also invited to reflect on how Catholic schools continue responding to the great commission of Jesus — to go and make disciples.

Catholic schools educate students of all faiths; in fact, in the Diocese of Austin, nearly 20% of the student population in our Catholic schools is non-Catholic. When a family chooses Catholic education for their children, even if they are not Catholic, they understand that the faith is not only taught but also lived in our schools.

Bryan’s St. Joseph Catholic High School Lady Eagle track and field team earned state championship honors in the Texas Associate of Private and Parochial School (TAPPS) 2A competition on May 6 in Hewitt. Although the school has produced many sports teams that have entered post-season play, this is the first team in the school’s history to win a state title.

Father Jakob Hurlimann, formerly associate pastor of St. Mary Cathedral in Austin and now associate pastor of St. Mary Catholic Center in College Station, hosted the ninth installment of 60 Seconds with the Eucharist, which recently aired on the diocesan Facebook channel. He said when we approach the minister to receive the Eucharist, and we hear the words, “The Body of Christ,” there are three things we recognize:

It was August of 1896 when St. Mary’s Catholic School opened in Taylor with 80 students under the tutelage of Dominican Sisters. It’s the oldest private school in Williamson County, and this year it is celebrating a big milestone: the first graduating class since 1966. The whole community is celebrating this milestone and the four young men who make up the class.

Every year, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Austin adopt a distinctive theme to be a pillar for the community for that specific year. For the 2022-2023 academic year, “Joyful Disciples” is the theme that has invited us to reflect, act and teach in such a way that is uniquely experienced in our schools.

Thanks to interest earned from an endowment trust established 30 years ago, St. Joseph Catholic School’s operating expenses are offset each year. “The driving force behind the original endowment was to have financial support for the school to ensure it would survive any financial crisis and still be able to provide a Catholic education in our community,” said Julia Mishler, principal of both the elementary and secondary campuses in Bryan.