Recent Feature Stories

Celebrating the Mission
With the blessing of Bishop Robert J. Cunningham, we celebrated the shared Mission Statement of the 22 schools in the Diocese of Syracuse at the Opening of Schools Liturgy. Representatives from each of the schools who serve on the Middle States Accreditation System Planning Team recently penned the statement for the school system. The writing process […]

Montessori
BY DYANN NASHTON Entering the new Montessori kindergarten at Notre Dame Elementary School in Utica, you may as well be walking into a Japanese Zen garden. It is that peaceful and orderly — even with the children in it. This is not surprising given that the Montessori philosophy holds that through order and self-discipline, a […]

Every Penny Counted to Make Playground Happen
BY CHRISTY PERRY St. Mary’s Academy 6th grader Max Lewis has a pretty big jar he uses to collect loose change. Judging from the way Max describes it, it’s about the size of a small barrel. Max felt that getting a new playground for his Baldwinsville school was worth donating half of the coins in his giant […]

Super Saints Promotes Athletics, Christian Service
BY DYANN NASHTON How do you build a children’s program that encourages creative thinking, generosity and physical activity? At Seton All Saints Elementary in Endicott, NY, you launch Super Saints. The new program was the brainchild of a relatively new teacher and grew as an offshoot of a fundraising event. William Pipher completed his first […]

Banding Together at Notre Dame
If you ask anyone at Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School in Utica, NY, what’s new, chances are the answer will have something to do with the sounds of music in school. That’s because Notre Dame has launched a new instrumental band program this year. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students,” said Sister Anna Mae Collins, principal […]

A Message From the Bishop
Dear Friends, This year, the Church of the Diocese of Syracuse has committed itself to the New Evangelization. Simply put, the New Evangelization calls us to announce the Gospel with enthusiasm and ardor in the circumstances of our day using the most effective methods to us. We are called to take up anew the mission […]

From Christopher Mominey, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Friends of Catholic Education: Welcome to our latest edition of Pillars magazine where we tell the story of Catholic education in the Diocese of Syracuse. As we continue to celebrate the Year of Faith across our Universal Church, I am constantly reminded of the great gift that Catholic schools contribute to our faith community here in […]

My Pilgrimage to Rome, Italy
By Luke Redmore My name is Luke Redmore. I’m 10 years old and in 5th grade at St. James School in Johnson City. My family and I belong to St. James Parish. On October 17, 2012. I was able to join my parents and baby sister, Ann, on a pilgrimage to Rome and Vatican City. […]

Connecting with Rome from Home
Skype brings canonization to students in diocese By Katherine Long Standing in the middle of an ancient city full of history, Catholic Schools Superintendent Christopher Mominey used some of the most modern technologies to send the experience of a canonization in Rome, Italy, home to students in the diocese. “Hello St. Margaret’s!” he greeted the […]

Holy Cross Students Rally Around Principal’s Cancer Fight
By Jennika Baines It was at the 2011 Race for the Cure fundraiser for cancer research where Mary Conroy first heard that a school in the Syracuse diocese was looking for a new principal. One year later, Conroy would cross the Race for the Cure finish line again, but this time alongside her students from […]
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