The Palm Beach Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (PBDCCW) is again pleased to offer the Fr. Clem Hammerschmitt One Thousand Dollar ($1,000.00) Catholic High School Scholarship Award for the academic year 2025-2026.

Natalia is a sixth-grader at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota and was one of two grand prize winners amongst 17 finalists, chosen from thousands of entries from elementary school age children across the country.

A student choir from St. Luke School in Palm Springs spread Christmas cheer at the Diocese of Palm Beach’s Pastoral Center in Palm Beach Gardens Dec. 5, 2024.

Cardinal Newman High School hosted a ribbon-cutting reception Nov. 7, 2024, for its new Rocco A. Marcello Family academic building

Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito presided over the blessing of the Rendina Family Chapel inside Cardinal Newman High School’s newly completed Rocco A. Marcello Family Academic Building Nov. 7. The chapel was named in honor of the Rendina family’s generous contribution to the Shaping the Future campaign.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is moved to Monday December 9, 2024.

St. Joseph School in Stuart recently announced the opening of the Bongino Family Innovation Lab, made possible by a donation from the Bongino family and the support of many other families.

Discover Catholic Schools Week (DCSW), November 17 – 23, 2024, is the companion to Celebrate Catholic Schools Week (CSW), January 26 – February 1, 2025. 

The Diocesan Council of Catholic Women honored 31 young women Oct. 26 at a Golden Rose Mass presided by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito and followed by a luncheon at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola.

National Vocation Awareness Week, Nov. 3rd to 9th, is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.

The solemnity of All Saints, Friday, Nov. 1, when Catholics celebrate and honor the heroes of the faith, is a holy day of obligation, meaning the faithful are required to attend Mass.

The 2024-25 Lumen Christi Schools Appeal, which strives to meet the needs of the three Catholic preschools, 12 elementary schools and three high schools in the Diocese of Palm Beach, has begun under the banner of “Live the Light of Christ.”

Pope Francis' new encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus is being hailed as "a simple and powerful cure" for a fractured world, said the president of the U.S. Catholic bishops' conference -- and that sentiment was echoed by other experts on devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito has produced a video to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Diocese of Palm Beach in which he emphasizes the diverse expressions of faith, hope and love that have flourished since Oct. 24, 1986, when the first diocesan bishop was installed. To commemorate this celebration many of our schools have shared a happy anniversary message!

The Diocese of Palm Beach’s Office of Catholic Schools began a professional development program for new teachers Oct. 3 in the Family Life Center of the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola.

In welcoming the faithful to the Diocese of Palm Beach’s annual Blue Mass on the feast of the Guardian Angels Oct. 2, Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito thanked police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and other emergency workers “for all that you do for us each and every day, literally putting your lives on the line in different ways. We’re very, very grateful to you. You truly are our angels.”

Donate to the hurricane relief efforts; Message from the CEO of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Palm Beach

Every October the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of October is observed as Respect Life Sunday.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, our hearts and prayers go out to all of those who are struggling to recover from the loss and destruction caused by this significant weather event. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach stands with our colleagues here in the State of Florida, and across our network of agencies to offer support and assistance to those who struggle to recover in the aftermath.

Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito celebrated a Mass of the Holy Spirit at John Carroll High School in Fort Pierce on Sept. 17 and Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach on Sept. 18 for 2024-25.

Priesthood Sunday is the perfect opportunity to guide students and parents to show their priest’s appreciation. This can take a variety of forms from a note or prayer to a more complicated reception for all. No matter the form, assuring the priests of the loving care and gratitude of the students will stay with him long after Priesthood Sunday is over.

John Carroll High School broke ground Aug. 16, 2024, for its new athletic field house that will be a hub for athletic excellence, providing students with a premier space for sports, events and activities.

St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) is one of the most revered 20th-century saints, and even though many would like to visit the area of Italy that he called home, taking a pilgrimage is out of reach for most. So, the saint known as the “man of hope and healing” is coming to the Diocese of Palm Beach as part of an exclusive Florida engagement. Join us on Sept. 16, 2024

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September is for the cry of the Earth.

Summer break is over, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Palm Beach are open for business and classrooms are bustling with activity. On some campuses, newly appointed administrators have taken their positions and are getting comfortable with their faculty, staff, students and families.

St. Clare Parish marked multiple milestones during a liturgy with Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito on Aug. 11. The North Palm Beach faith community celebrated the installation of Father Nick Zrallack as pastor at the 11:30 a.m. Mass on the feast of the parish’s patron, St. Clare of Assisi, which is also Father Zrallack’s birthday.

On Aug. 22, 1994, the life that then-Father Gerald M. Barbarito knew in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, changed forever. On that day 30 years ago, he was ordained a bishop.

St. Clare Parish in North Palm Beach held its first youth mission trip in early July to St. John the Baptist Parish in the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina. Their goal was to bring the youth of St. Clare into a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ through fellowship, prayer, sacrament and service.

When it comes to saintly grandparents, many think of Sts. Anne and Joachim, the faithful couple whose perseverance yielded the gift of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who would give birth to Jesus Christ. However, there are numerous other saints who were grandparents and are great models of virtue as well as powerful intercessors.

June 24-28 was youth mission week for St. Lucie Parish in Port St. Lucie. It was for encouraging parish youth to perform corporal works of mercy by walking in the footsteps of Jesus and by living the Gospels by helping the less fortunate.

A group of young Catholics from St. Clare Parish in the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida recently traveled to the Diocese of Raleigh. Their goal was to make a mission trip and serve those in need while also meeting new friends and exploring North Carolina.

On June 29th, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul to honor the two great apostles Peter and Paul. Saint Peter, one of the Twelve and the chief of the Apostles, the Rock upon which Christ built His Church, and Saint Paul “called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1) and Apostle to the Gentiles.

Shanley student phones must be left in the car, or put in a backpack or locker -- shut off and stored until students leave in the afternoon. If a phone can be seen, it will be surrendered to the school's front office for 24 hours. Parents who need to reach students can call the front office -- which, as Father Metzger wryly observed, "seemed to work for generations." With the ban in effect, changes were immediately noticeable.

In advance of the anniversary of the Court’s landmark decision, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged the faithful to engage elected officials on life issues, and reflected on the power of the Eucharist to transform hearts and culture.

The annual observance of Religious Freedom Week takes place June 22–29. It begins with the feast day of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher, includes the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and ends with the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul. The theme this year is “Called to the Fullness of Dignity.”

The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation, announced June 12 that it will be donating $150 million over the next 10 years to the Big Shoulders Fund, which will invest the funds in initiatives that aim to improve the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Gary, Indiana.

Father’s Day is a beautiful day on which we celebrate our fathers, grandfathers, and the father figures in our lives. Though not officially a Christian celebration, Father’s Day is annually celebrated on the third Sunday in June and offers a time for reflection, expression of gratitude, and prayer for our fathers.

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests – is celebrated on the Friday after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This suggests to us that the Eucharist (Corpus Christi) is none other than the Heart of Jesus himself, of the One who “takes care of us” with his “heart”.

Let's stay united at a diocesan family this summer by sharing our experiences and joys!

Show Us Your Summer: Spread Christ's Love this Summer!

Download the Instagram stickers, and add 1, 2, or 3 stickers to your story showing us how your summer looks as you spread the Love of Christ throughout the Diocese of Palm Beach! Tag @DoPBCatholicSchools and have a blast. We are looking for the best, the cutest, and the most heart-warming stories to share.

"The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." CCC. As we continue our years of Eucharistic Revival in the Catholic Church today holds an especially meaningful place in the Church in this time. Take time to dive deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist and give your heart over to Christ united in His body.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Lk. 1:39-42)