SIDNEY — The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) has chosen the theme “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service” for its 2016 Catholic Schools Week. This year’s theme celebrates several concepts that are at the heart of a Catholic education. First, schools are communities—small families in their own right, but also members of the larger community of home, church, city and nation. Faith, knowledge and service are three measures by which any Catholic school can and should be judged.

Catholic schools in Ohio will join others around the nation the week of Jan. 31 through Feb. 6 for this annual celebration of Catholic education.

At Lehman Catholic High School, Catholic Education Week activities will begin on Sunday, Jan. 31, with the induction of new members into the Lehman Chapter of the National Honor Society. The ceremony for NHS members, new students who have been selected, and parents begins at 2 p.m. in the Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel on campus.

On Monday, Feb.y 1, Lehman seniors will have an opportunity to teleconference with Archbishop Dennis Schnurr and other senior students across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The Archbishop broadcasts from a different archdiocesan high school every year and was at Lehman in 2015.

Sixth-graders from Lehman’s partner Catholic elementary schools – Holy Angels School in Sidney, Piqua Catholic School, St. Mary School in Greenville, St. Patrick School in Troy, Holy Rosary School in St. Marys, and Immaculate Conception School in Celina – will visit Lehman on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The sixth-graders will participate in a prayer service, tours, ice-breakers, and lunch with Lehman student ambassadors.

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, Lehman Student Council officers and their adviser Melissa Safreed will travel with Lehman Chaplain the Rev. James Riehle to Immaculate Conception Church in Dayton to represent Lehman at the Dayton-area Catholic Schools Mass. Students remaining will have Mass at 9:40 a.m. with the Rev. Ben Luedtke. He lives in residence at St. Albert the Great Parish in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. He studied at the Angelicum in Rome and was ordained by Pope St. John Paul II in 1982. Ge leads days of recollection, preaches parish missions and is a spiritual director. He specializes in Life Confessions. He has conducted his missions on three continents and was also privileged to have worked closely with Blessed Mother Teresa for a time.

Thursday, Feb. 4, has been designated as Faculty Appreciation Day. The Lehman administration will provide lunch for teachers and staff members. On Friday, Feb. 5, the students will have the spotlight. Students will be permitted to wear jeans and will be treated to breakfast by homeroom teachers.

The annual Lehman Foundation Banquet will close the week on Saturday, Feb. 6. The featured speaker is Marty Brennaman, longtime radio commentator for the Cincinnati Reds.

“We want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for continued support of Lehman Catholic High School. The dedication of many people to the cause of helping to provide a Catholic education for students in our area is inspiring,” said Lehman Principal/CEO Denise Stauffer.

Catholic schools offer academic excellence and faith-filled education for students nationwide. National test scores, high school graduation rates, college attendance and other data show that Catholic schools frequently outperform schools in both the public and private sectors. While some Catholic schools are challenged by declining enrollments and school closures, the good news is that there is a strong demand and enthusiasm for Catholic schools. Thirty-two percent of Catholic schools have waiting lists for admission and new schools are opening across the country.

This year marks the 42nd celebration of Catholic Schools Week which was begun in 1974 as a joint project of the NCEA, the world’s largest private professional education association, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Area Catholic schools are under the umbrella of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which is the sixth largest network of Catholic schools in the United States. It covers 19 counties in southwest Ohio and enrolls over 44,000 students in 89 elementary schools and 24 secondary schools.