2006 Catholic Schools Week Supplement
Facts about Catholic schools in
the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Archdiocesan administration
The Secretariat for Catholic Education and Faith Formation of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis includes the Office of Catholic Education (OCE), the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) and St. Mary’s Child Center.
The Office of Catholic Education oversees and assists the Catholic schools, parish faith formation, evangelization and youth ministry programs for 150 parishes and missions in 11 deaneries throughout a 39-county area of central and southern Indiana, comprising some 13,757 square miles and serving more than 232,000 Catholics.
Special programs operating under the auspices of OCE are A Promise to Keep, a peer-mentoring sexual abstinence program sponsored by St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, and SPRED, the Special Religious Education program serving parishioners with developmental disabilities.
The Office of Catholic Education was founded in 1974 when the former school office and office of religious education were formed into one of the first offices of “Total Catholic Education” in the nation.
Under Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein and in consultation with the Archdiocesan Education Commission, OCE utilizes a team management approach in support of the teaching mission of the Church—“learning, teaching and sharing our faith.”
In 2002, youth and young adult ministry was added to the OCE mission, and evangelization programs were added in 2003.
Support for site-based programs is provided through direct service, resources, consultation, training, community-building and collaboration with constituents in the parishes and schools in conjunction with other archdiocesan agencies.
OCE received a historic $10 million challenge grant from the Lilly Endow-ment Inc. for school improvement from 2002-06. The challenge was met with $5 million in matching gifts from generous corporate and individual donors and grants.
Project Exceed focuses on a new set of the three “R’s” in our Catholic schools:
- Recruit, retain, reward and develop the best school teachers and administrators.
- Raise the level of students’ performance and report their progress.
- Reach out to special populations with advanced capabilities or special needs.
Major constituencies of the Office of Catholic Education include pastors, principals, parish administrators of religious education, youth ministers, and members of school and faith formation commissions and high school boards.
Constituents are involved collaboratively in projects to design and develop curriculum, provide inservice training, produce manuals and guidelines, and foster professional development.
Office of Catholic Education
1400 N. Meridian St., P.O. Box 1410
Indianapolis, IN 46206
317-236-1430 or 800-382-9836, ext. 1430 Fax: 317-261-3364
E-mail: indyocs@archindy.org
Web site: www.archindy.org/oce