At the Diocese of Grand Rapids, National Catholic Schools Week takes on an added level of importance because the diocese uses it as a kickoff to enrolling new students.

“If you visited any one of the 31 Catholic schools within the West Michigan area, the first thing you would see are smiles; kids smiling, teachers smiling,” Dave Faber, superintendent of the Grand Rapids Catholic Schools, said in a recent FOX 17 news report. He attributed the happy atmosphere to the diocese’s year-long focus on “The joy of the Lord is our strength.”

That led in to last week’s National Catholic Schools Week celebration. The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) website noted that "Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” was the theme for this year’s nationwide observance.

The week-long celebration of Catholic education has been observed in the United States since 1974, the NCEA said. It begins on the final Sunday of January each year, and the week includes special Masses, open houses and other events for students, families, parishioners and the community. During those events, schools highlight the impact that Catholic education has on young people, communities and the nation as a whole.

In the Grand Rapids area, the diocese uses the week to meet with parents of current and prospective students to find out what their needs are for their children.

“Catholic Schools Week is really the kickoff every year of our enrollment season, especially in our elementary schools, and we’re finding more and more families are choosing Catholic education,” Faber told FOX 17.

The Grand Rapids Catholic Schools system is a network of 31 learning communities (26 elementary and five high schools) that serves more than 6,400 students from preschool through 12th grade across western Michigan.