As Catholic Schools Week 2026 unfolds across the nation, classrooms throughout the Diocese of Allentown are alive with celebration, prayer, and a renewed sense of mission. For 33 Catholic schools serving more than 9,000 students across Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties, the annual observance is more than a tradition — it is a public witness to the enduring power of faith-based education.
“Catholic schools have stood the test of time,” said Dr. Michael St. Pierre, Ed.D., Superintendent of Catholic Schools. “They form the whole child, mind, body and spirit, in order to prepare them for a life of discipleship with Christ.”
Dr. St. Pierre noted that Catholic Schools Week offers a moment to reflect on both the accomplishments of Catholic education and the responsibility to ensure Catholic schools remain strong for generations to come.
Academic Excellence with Measurable Results
The results speak clearly. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the nation’s educational “gold standard,” Catholic school students in grades 4 and 8 outperform public school peers by 8 percent in both reading and math proficiency. These gains come at a time when public school scores — particularly in reading — have yet to recover from pandemic-era declines.
Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, NAEP provides a comprehensive snapshot of student achievement nationwide. But the Diocese of Allentown’s success story goes even further.
Locally, eighth-grade students in diocesan schools exceed Pennsylvania public school students by 14 percent in both reading and math proficiency, based on comparisons of diocesan STAR assessments and statewide PSSA results.
“These outcomes are not accidental,” St. Pierre said. “They reflect dedicated teachers, engaged families, and a shared commitment to high expectations grounded in faith, discipline, and community.”
Formation Beyond the Classroom
Catholic education offers more than academic achievement. According to the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), Catholic schools cultivate a strong sense of belonging and purpose, helping students grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.
Smaller class sizes, close-knit communities, and an integration of faith across the curriculum foster leadership, empathy, and resilience — qualities that shape students for lifelong success and service.
Catholic Schools Week: Celebrating Mission and Calling the Community Forward
Catholic Schools Week, celebrated each year across the United States, highlights the unique role Catholic education plays in the life of the Church and society. Schools host open houses, student showcases, community service projects, and Masses that underscore their identity as centers of learning and evangelization.
“Catholic education is the Church’s largest and most sustained evangelization effort,” said Pete Waldron, President of the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania. “Our schools form disciples, leaders, and saints. That is why the Foundation is focused on futureproofing Catholic education — so these schools not only survive but thrive forever so they may continue forming young people for a faith-filled.”
Endowment Funds: Protecting the Mission Forever to Secure the Future of Catholic Education
Waldron emphasized that endowment funds are essential to sustaining academic excellence, supporting faculty, providing scholarships, and stabilizing school operations in an uncertain financial environment.
“Endowments are the Church’s way of thinking in centuries, not fiscal years,” he said. “They create permanent funding streams that ensure Catholic schools can continue delivering exceptional education and faith formation — no matter what economic challenges arise.”
By building and growing endowment funds, donors help ensure that Catholic schools remain accessible to families, competitive academically, and rooted in their Gospel mission.
Through the Catholic Foundation, endowment funds are being positioned as long-term engines of stability—creating perpetual financial support for Catholic schools, tuition assistance, faculty excellence, innovation, and access for families of all economic backgrounds. Currently the Catholic Foundations manages 79 funds supporting scholarships, teachers, and school operations. This represents almost 50 percent of the 167 funds managed by the Catholic Foundation.
These funds do more than support budgets — they protect mission continuity.
They ensure:
- Stable funding for Catholic school operations
- Scholarship access for future families
- Faculty excellence and retention
- Innovation in curriculum and formation
- Permanent protection of Catholic education’s mission
“In a time when many educational institutions struggle for sustainability, endowments provide certainty, continuity, and confidence,” Waldron said.
A Proven Path—Now and Forever
In the Diocese of Allentown, Catholic education remains both a treasured tradition and a proven pathway to success. Students are mastering core subjects at higher levels, developing critical thinking skills, and growing in faith-filled environments that challenge them to reach their full potential.
As Catholic Schools Week 2026 invites communities to celebrate, reflect, and recommit, the message is clear: Catholic schools are delivering extraordinary results today—and with visionary leadership, community support, and strategic endowment funding, they are being prepared to deliver them forever.
