Overview

Mission

The Catholic Schools Office (CSO) provides leadership, counsel, and administrative support to the Diocese of Worcester Catholic schools. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Worcester form an educational system, which proclaims the existence of God to the greater community.  By providing space and time for the holy and the sacred, our Catholic schools encourage their students to develop a relationship with God. 

United with the Bishop of Worcester and strengthened by a commitment to the Gospel message, systematic religious instruction, and a tradition of academic excellence, our Catholic schools provide an education that forms and prepares men and women of character and intellect, confident of their mission and ability to transform the world.


Catholic Identity


As educators, students, alumni, and parents of the Catholic school community of the Diocese of Worcester, we are informed by our past, forming the present, and transforming the future by focusing on the total personal spiritual growth of each young person, by encouraging responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community, and by empowering young people to live as disciples of Jesus in our world today. We live this commitment through the ministries of word, worship, community life, guidance and healing, and justice and service.
 
The ministry of word includes:
  • Listening with prayerful contemplation on the Word of God in the Bible and through the Church
  • Living as a memory people formed in and by Jesus through prayer in the Sacraments to become the people of God
  • Reflecting critically on our culture through the lens of the Word of God
  • Sharing the Good News of Jesus with all we meet
 
The ministry of worship includes:
  • Developing the whole person spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally
  • Joining together as the people of God to support our mission to build the Body of Christ here on Earth
  • Celebrating the Sacraments together as a community to deepen our relationship with Jesus
 
The ministry of community life includes:
  • Appreciating both the uniqueness of individuals and the support of a community united through faith
  • Welcoming all people to our community of different background to share our journey as we grow together and share in diversity that God has created.
  • Providing opportunities for multicultural community building that promote respect for racial and ethnic cultures both on a local and global level
 
The ministry of guidance and healing includes:
  • Practicing an attitude of mindful presence and availability in reaching out to one another
  • Creating networks of care and support for the school community
  • Providing guidance as we face life decisions and make moral choices
 
The ministry of justice and service includes:
  • Encouraging our school community to recognize the dignity of each individual and to treat all people with respect
  • Empowering the community to respond to the suffering of others with charity but also address systematic change to overpower evil in our world and bring about justice
  • Living in solidarity with our brothers and sisters on personal, communal and global levels
 
Inspired and informed by the USCCB’s “Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry” and through the input of the Catholic Identity committee of the Diocese of Worcester's Catholic Schools Office.