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New principal at St. Lawrence School

Frank Arvizzigno appointed new principal at St. LawrenceSchool, Greece
Frank Arvizzigno, an experienced educator, has been appointed Principal at St. Lawrence School in Greece.
Arvizzigno most recently served as an Administrative Intern at The Steinway School in New York City. Previously, he taught mathematics at the middle-school level at The Steinway School for nearly a decade.
He holds a Master of Science degree in Educational Administration from The College of Saint Rose, a Master of Science in Mathematics Education from St. John University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater with a Computer Science minor from DeSales University. He holds New York State certification as District Leader, Building Leader and Teaching.
“I am extremely honored and excited to be the principal of St. Lawrence School,” Arvizzigno said. ” I am looking forward to working closely with parents, teachers, and students to continue St. Lawrence’s tradition of strong spiritual and academic values in order to create a successful school year for every family in the St. Lawrence School Community.”
St. Lawrence School, located on the campus of St. Lawrence Church, 1000 N. Greece Road, Greece, is a co-educational preK-6th grade Diocese of Rochester School whose primary mission is to nurture a garden of faith, hope and love in each child’s soul, heart and mind. Through spiritual growth and academic excellence, parents and teachers become co-creators in revealing the face of Christ in every child. For more information, visit St. Lawrence School on the web at www.stlawrenceschool.org

Principal appointed at Siena

Martin W. Kilbridge to lead junior high schoool in Brighton
July 1, 2014 — Martin W. Kilbridge, an experienced educator, has been appointed Principal of Siena Catholic Academy in Brighton. The appointment was effective July 1, said Anthony Cook, Superintendent of Catholic Schools.
Mr. Kilbridge is a doctoral candidate in Educational Administration from the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education. He holds New York State certification as a School Administrator, as well as a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from The Divinity School at Harvard University and a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Religious Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. Kilbridge has completed additional course work at Rutgers University and Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.
“Mr. Kilbridge has extraordinary credentials and skills as an educator and is a leader who inspires students and colleagues alike,” Cook said. “We are excited that he has accepted the position to lead Siena Catholic Academy.”
Since 1996, Mr. Kilbridge has taught at McQuaid Jesuit in Brighton and has been chair of the Religious Studies Department at McQuaid since 2003. Last summer, he served as an intern in the Brighton Central School District Office and has been involved in numerous leadership and educational initiatives aimed at teacher enrichment, educational quality, and academic achievement. He also has been active in coaching both soccer and lacrosse at McQuaid Jesuit.
“I am honored to be given the opportunity to lead a school with such a great history of producing students of exceptional character and academic accomplishment,” Mr. Kilbridge said. “In my years at McQuaid Jesuit I had the pleasure to teach many Siena alumni. They have been consistently well prepared to meet the rigors of McQuaid’s academic standards.”
Siena Catholic Academy is a co-educational, 7th and 8th grade Catholic junior high school on the campus of St. Thomas More Church in Brighton. Siena, accredited by the Middle States Association, was established in 1993 as a centralized school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester and serves students from more than 20 public school districts and nearly 50 Catholic parishes.
Siena is dedicated to educating a diverse student body spiritually, academically and socially in a setting that encourages growth in faith and moral responsibility rooted in the traditions and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Siena Catholic Academy’s graduates have gone on to serve their communities in a variety of professions and vocations in the community and across our nation. For more information about the school, visit http://www.sienacatholic.org

Take part in our Catholic Schools focus groups

If Your Oldest Child Is Between The Ages Of 2 and 7 … take part in our Focus Group

The Diocese of Rochester is looking for parents, whose oldest child is between 2 and 7 years old, to participate in Focus Groups regarding the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Rochester.

The Focus Groups will be held the evening of July 15th at a professional marketing firm in Penfield and will last approximately 90 minutes.  You will receive $75 as a thank you for your participation.

If interested, call 1-800-452-1820 weekdays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. for more information and to register for this research study.   We want to hear from you!  Thank you.

Statement on Education Investment Tax Credit

NYS Catholic Conference Statement regarding state’s failure to pass the Education Investment Tax Credit
June 20, 2014
Following is a statement from Richard E. Barnes, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference:
“Along with Catholic school families across the state, we are deeply disappointed and angry at the failure to pass an Education Investment Tax Credit, which would have generated needed scholarships to help families afford parochial schools, yeshivas and other non-public schools, as well as benefitted public schools and all teachers.”
“We have consistently heard from Gov. Cuomo and a majority of legislators in both houses that they supported the bill, that it was a ‘no brainer,’ and that it was of critical importance to the families of our state. Dozens of labor unions and other organizations signed on in support, many of them appearing with Cardinal Dolan and the New York State Bishops at news conferences in New York City and Albany
.
“But, in the end, the will to fight for passage, to stand up to the public school teachers’ unions, was not there. The Bishops of New York State will continue to discuss this failure of leadership throughout the coming months, informing Catholic school families about this missed opportunity and the failure of our leaders to stand up for them, who save the state billions of dollars a year by sacrificing to provide their children with a quality Catholic education.”
The Catholic Conference represents New York State’s Bishops in matters of public policy.

New Life Issues Coordinator

June 2, 2014 — Suzanne M. Stack has been named Life Issues Coordinator for Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, effective June 24, 2014. She succeeds Jann Armantrout, who retired in May, and will report to Jack Balinsky, diocesan director of Catholic Charities.

“We are delighted to have Suzanne in this important role,” Balinsky said. “She is passionately committed to providing leadership, vision, advocacy, counsel a nd assistance to the Diocese in promoting respect for all human life from conception to natural death.”

Stack, a native of Rochester, has worked in parish ministry in the Diocese for more than a decade.

She holds a master’s degree in Theology from Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Buffalo State College.

She presently is working toward a Master of Divinity degree at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry.

Stack currently is Director of Faith Formation for The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Brockport, and earlier in her career served the Church in a variety of roles, as a pastoral associate, retreat facilitator and campus minister. She also has been a frequent public speaker and presenter on church-related topics, and volunteers at Focus Pregnancy Help Center in Rochester.

Stack also is active in Feminists for Non-Violent Choices of New York, and annually participates in the 40 Days for Life campaign, as well as New York State Catholic Conference meetings with state legislators  to educate about and advocate for Catholic teachings on life issues.

Maribeth Mancini receives F. Sadlier Dinger Award

Diocesan director receives F. Sadlier Dinger Award

Maribeth Mancini receives prestigious F. Sadlier Dinger Award

Maribeth Mancini,  director of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester’s Department of Evangelization and Catechesis, has been honored with the prestigious F. Sadlier Dinger Award. The award was presented May 20, 2014, during the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership in St. Louis, Mo.

The award, given annually since 1980 by William H. Sadlier Inc., a longtime publisher of educational and religious education materials, honors outstanding contributions to the ministry of religious education in America. Previous recipients have included Cardinals Joseph Bernardin, Pio Laghi and Terence Cooke,  author Rev. Andrew Greeley,  and many other distinguished men and women.

Mancini came to the Diocese in 1982, serving in a variety of roles in religious education and faith formation. In 1989 she became the first lay director of the Department of Religious Education and later was named Diocesan Director of the Department of Evangelization and Catechesis and coordinator of diocesan Faith Development Services. She holds a master’s degree in theology from St. Bernard’s Institute and a bachelor’s degree in English from Nazareth College. In 2001, she served as president of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and has served on the organization’s board of directors.

Mancini has lead a number of major initiatives for the Diocese, including a three-year diocesan spiritual renewal, Spirit Alive!, from 2007 to 2010, coordinating education around the annual Diocesan Day of Penance, safe-environment training of catechists and volunteers, lifelong faith formation initiatives, expansion of programs for people with special needs, and several spiritual renewal campaigns.

In 2013, Mancini and her staff received the Diocesan Award from the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, based in Washington, D.C., for a multi-faceted initiative using technology, including the development of an online Learning Center, online marriage preparation, resources for catechists, and new websites for spiritual enrichment and understanding, including  The Spiritual Pilgrim, (http://spiritualpilgrim.dor.org); Homelinks, a family faith formation website; and Forgiven, a website to promote celebration of the Sacrament of Penance (http://forgiven.dor.org)

Catholic Conference statement regarding Court decision on prayer

NYS Catholic Conference Statement regarding U.S. Supreme Court decision on prayer at Town Board meetings

Today the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of the Town Board in Greece, N.Y., to open its meetings with prayer.

Richard E. Barnes, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, issued the following statement following the decision in Town of Greece, New York v. Galloway:

“In its decision in the Town of Greece case, the Supreme Court has correctly interpreted the Constitution and reaffirmed the rightful place of ceremonial prayer in the proceedings of American government. Some in our country may wish it otherwise, but a simple reading of the Declaration of Independence (‘The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America’) confirms that this nation was built on the foundational understanding that our rights are derived from our Creator, whereas government is the instrument made by the people ‘to secure these rights.’ We do not owe our thanks to government for our rights; the Constitution was and is merely a written and interpreted expression of the rights already granted us by God. Our uniquely American public ceremonial prayer is a recognition of these ‘self-evident’ truths, and those who seek to undermine this practice do so, unwittingly perhaps, but systematically and steadily, at the peril of the Republic.”

The Catholic Conference represents New York State’s Bishops in matters of public policy.

Deacon information session offered

DEACON INFORMATION SESSION

  • 1 PM Sunday April 27, Dougherty Hall, St. Mary Church,  95 North Main Street, Canandaigua.

We will provide an overview of the 5 year application and formation process and the time commitment involved and answer questions about ongoing ministry.

An eligible applicant for permanent deacon formation is a man of strong and active faith who can demonstrate a record of service in the communities in which he lives, works and worships.

He must be at least 35 years of age and no more than 62 years of age at the time of ordination, in good health, emotionally mature and stable in his professional and personal relationships.

Men may be single or married. Interested men and their wives are encouraged to attend.

For more information:

Please contact Deacon John Brasley, Director of Deacon Personnel & Director of Deacon Formation, Diocese of Rochester, 585.328.3228 or 

Catholic Women’s Conference Day

Nearly 1,000 women gathered Saturday, March 1, at Aquinas Institute for the first annual Rochester Catholic Women’s Conference. Here is a sampling of the day in photos, courtesy of JMJ Photography. For more about the conference, visit www.RochesterCWC.org

Catholic Courier story click here

Here’s a sampling of comments participants made about the Conference:

Just Perfect!

God bless everyone for this wonderful day!

This was probably as close to a perfect conference as I have ever been to!

Can we do this every month?!

I love our new Bishop!  He’s WONDERFUL!

Beautiful, inspiring day!

Encore, Encore!  Do it again next year!

The attention to detail and the comfort of attendees was top notch!

Improvements?  None.  It was wonderful.

I knew the conference would be good, however the experience exceeded my expectations! 

Awesome speakers, blessed to have our new bishop with us all day.  Well done!

Conference was very inspiring!  I felt the speakers were talking to and helping me directly!

Speakers were awesome!

So glad Bishop Matano said Mass and stayed.

Thanks for bringing this conference to Rochester Catholic women.  It was an exciting rebirth to the Rosary and my faith!

Overall conference was spectacular!

Already looking forward to the next RCWC.