Print Issue: January 16, 2003

Catholic Schools Week Highlights 'Making A Difference'

Kelsey Jackson of St. Mary's School, Rome, takes part in an arts and crafts program for children making their first Communion, in this Georgia Bulletin file photo. (Photo by Michael Alexander)

By Erika Anderson, Staff Writer

ATLANTA- Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta have made a difference in the lives of thousands of families.

To celebrate, the archdiocese will join the nation in marking Catholic Schools Week Jan. 26-Feb. 1.

From Tyrone to Rome to Athens and everywhere in between, over 7,000 students attend one of 15 archdiocesan or three independent Catholic elementary schools, while nearly 3,000 attend one of three archdiocesan high schools, or the independent Marist School in Atlanta. The Donnellan School in Atlanta also serves students up to ninth grade.

"Catholic Schools Week: Making a World of Difference" is the theme for this year's Catholic Schools Week, and Catholic schools in the archdiocese and across the nation will hold special programs commemorating the event.

In the archdiocese, one of the highlights will be the annual eighth-grade Mass, celebrated by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. This year, the Mass will be held at St. Brigid Church in Alpharetta, 3400 Old Alabama Road.

For more information about Catholic Schools Week, visit the National Catholic Educational Association Web site at www.ncea.org.