Catholic Schools Week 2026: United in Faith and Community


National Catholic Schools Week serves as the primary annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. For the Diocese of Duluth and Stella Maris Academy, this week-long event represents a vital window into the mission of forming "saints and scholars."

Running from January 25 through January 31, 2026, this year's theme, "Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community," emphasizes that education is a communal act of evangelization rather than just an academic exercise.

Understanding Catholic Schools Week

Catholic Schools Week encompasses the entire diocesan ecosystem: students, faculty, alumni, and parishioners. For Stella Maris Academy, it's a time to highlight the unique partnership between parents—the primary educators—and the school community.

The celebration is rooted in the Diocese's commitment to holistic development. Unlike secular institutions, Catholic schools in Duluth focus on both the ultimate salvation and flourishing of each individual. Catholic Schools Week showcases how SMA integrates faith into every aspect of life, from the classroom to the playground, ensuring students are prepared for both a career and a lifetime of faith-filled leadership.

A Week of Celebration and Service

At Stella Maris Academy, the week is structured around daily themes that celebrate gratitude, service, and community:

  • Monday - Celebrating Individuality: Students expressed themselves with mixed-match or silly socks while kicking off the clothing drive for those in need.

  • Tuesday - A Focus on Goodness with an All Academy Mass: The entire school community gathered for Mass, demonstrating that each student is part of something much larger than their individual classroom.

  • Wednesday - Celebrating Our Nation: Campuses dressed in themed colors, with St. John's featuring red, white, and blue. All high school houses headed out for service projects in the community.

  • Thursday - Vocations Day and Western Theme: Students explored their future callings through presentations from professionals sharing their work and vocations. The day included special activities across all campuses.

  • Friday: Students enjoyed coming to school in pajamas, celebrating the week's activities in comfort and community.

Throughout the week, students served as lectors or greeters at weekend Masses, wrote thank-you notes to local businesses, and participated in various service projects that connected faith with action.

High School Principal Jesse Murray emphasized the week's broader purpose: "It's a way for us to share out what we do—whether it's just sharing our faith, our joy, our excitement for what we are and what we're able to do with the students and the service projects that our students are involved in."

Murray highlighted the group work behind the week: "It's a collaborative effort between our leadership team, our teachers, and our kids. It's a great event."

This year featured enhanced outreach, with students venturing beyond campus more frequently. "We're out of the school a little bit more this year, whether it's at the other elementary campuses or our outreach service," Murray explained. The highlight included a major vocations day on Thursday with presentations from professionals sharing their callings with students.

Assistant Principal Jim Giuffre noted the week's impact on student perspective: "The school benefits in the way that students get to realize that they are a much larger part of a larger community than they may initially realize. It puts their local community into a context where we all are working together and part of something bigger than they are as a student."

Giuffre emphasized the ongoing betterment approach: "We are continuously looking to improve not only Catholic Schools Week, but everything that we do here as a school and an academy. We look at what worked last year and what needed maybe a little tweaking, and we also try to inject a few new items, activities, or thoughts for the children."

When asked about the most exciting day, Giuffre acknowledged each day's unique merit but admitted, "If you would ask the children, it's going to be pajama day. They really love coming to school in their pajamas."

The Message We Share

As Principal Murray put it, the message for the community is clear: "Catholic schools are a special place, and they do change lives. They change the lives of the kids and the families that are here, and they change the lives of the people that our kids and families interact with. So truly, bringing our mission to our world."

For Stella Maris Academy, Catholic Schools Week is a celebration of its role as a "city on a hill" in Northern Minnesota—a place where academic excellence meets deep-seated Christian culture, preparing students not just for college and careers, but for lives of faith-filled service and leadership.

Alexios BelavilasComment