CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK: Celebrating the Gifts and Blessings of Catholic Education

Washington Catholic Schools are a special place that serves students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. At our schools, children are cared for, and teachers and staff are like family. Academics, excellence, service, and the Catholic faith all work together to form our students.

Middle and High School Principal Karie Craney can’t wait to take time to truly celebrate the school during Catholic Schools Week, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5. Mrs. Craney values Catholic education and all it offers to our youth. Having graduated from here, taught here, and having served as principal for around 10 years, Catholic education is all Mrs. Craney has ever known. It’s an honor for her to have been a part of this family for all these years.

“I was blessed with this education, and I want to do everything I can to continue to make Catholic education possible in Washington,” Mrs. Craney says. “This school made me who I am today.”

Mrs. Craney’s husband, Chad, is also an alum of the school. They have three children who have all attended Washington Catholic School. Their youngest, Logan, is currently a senior. Their oldest, Kaitlyn, is a thirdgrade teacher at Flaget Catholic School in Vincennes. Their middle child, Brock, is a junior at the University of Southern Indiana.

“I am so proud to say my whole family has graduated with a solid education from here,” Mrs. Craney says.

Catholic Schools Week allows students, faculty, and staff to not only celebrate the school but step out of the norm and have fun.

“We are always focused on education and spiritual development, but it’s fun to see everyone have fun and enjoy themselves,” Mrs. Craney says. “It’s just different from a normal week.”

All week, there are special dress-up days. One of the most important parts of the week is the service projects, which are an excellent way for parishioners to get involved in Catholic Schools Week. The most popular is the Penny Wars — students earn points for pennies and paper bills. Any silver coins added to the stash of another class count as negative points. The money raised this year will benefit the Heidi Deckard family and the Lymphoma Society.

“Our families are so very generous,” Mrs. Craney says. “It’s important to us, at the school, to serve those around us.”

The week kicks off with Sunday Mass, where students performed many of the Mass ministry roles. When the pandemic threat is over, school staff hope to return to the Catholic Schools Week breakfast.

On Monday, there is an all-school prayer service as an opportunity to celebrate the kids and remember the reason they are all here — the Lord. And on Thursday, the whole school will come together for Mass.

Another fun activity for the students is putting together the Catholic identity bulletin boards. Each “house” designs a bulletin board — a “house” is made up of several students from each grade in the middle and high school.

One particular Catholic Schools Week highlight for the fifth-graders and seniors is the Mass at St. Benedict’s Cathedral for representatives from every Catholic school in the Diocese of Evansville.

“My favorite part of the week is the Mass in Evansville,” Mrs. Craney says. “It’s great to see all the schools come together, and it’s a bonding experience for the fifth-graders and seniors.”

All in all, Mrs. Craney enjoys seeing the 314 students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade have fun celebrating their Catholic identity. She feels so blessed to have spent a large part of her life immersed in Catholic education.

“It’s so amazing to share the sacraments with the children,” she says. “We can go to Mass together and begin the day with prayers. What could be more beautiful than that?”

For more information about Washington Catholic Schools, please visit www.ccwash.org/school.