With the start of the new year, Cardinal O'Hara High School in the Town of Tonawanda is planning to start an updated program for aspiring chefs.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Vatican II education document "Gravissimum Educationis," the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education convened a World Congress in Rome.

ALBANY - Students and parents who benefitted from needs-based scholarships appeared today before the Legislature's fiscal committees to urge passage of a bill that would provide opportunities to more New Yorkers like them.

The Department of Catholic Schools wants you to vote, and will do what it takes to help you register.

Mount St. Mary Academy teamed up with area schools in the spirit of jazz. Three Catholic high schools and three public high schools played on the same bill at a jazz festival at Banchetti by Rizzo's, Saturday, Jan. 30, beginning at 6 p.m.

The results of Catholic education were on display. From the handmade robots to the generous donations to the touching video of a grad who tragically passed away, Gala 22:6 showed the power of what a Catholic education can do.

Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora will host a unique opportunity to see many sites of historical significance in Europe from June 12-23, 2016. The pilgrimage is courtesy of Nawas International, a company that has arranged Christian pilgrimages to Europe and the Holy Land for the last 66 years.

Canisius College in Buffalo is one of a select group of private four-year colleges and universities across the nation to receive a grant from the Lilly Endowment. Canisius will receive $583,000 to establish the Be the Light Youth Theology Institute at the college.

D'Youville College in Buffalo has received approval from the State Education Department to offer a graduate program in anatomy that will include current techniques being used in anatomical research.

The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week 2016 is "Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service." The annual observance, which is a project of the National Catholic Educational Association, starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, which in 2016 is Jan. 31-Feb. 6.

Canisius High School juniors Joe Arno and Warren Arno, and Canisius High School senior Joe McEachon will each be awarded the highest rank of the Boy Scouts of America on Sunday, January 24, in an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony.

The 16th annual Catholic Education dinner - GALA 22:6 - will be held on Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. More than 1,200 guests are expected to attend the event, which is The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo's largest annual fundraiser for Catholic education.

ST. BONAVENTURE - After almost 20 years of service to the university, the last 12 as its president, St. Bonaventure University President Sister Margaret Carney, OSF, announced her decision to step down from the position on July 31.

TONAWANDA — Students at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Tonawanda take to heart, "What It Means to Be a Franciscan," a phrase generated by the school's Franciscan philosophy.

Computers have become so commonplace they have lost their mystique. The kids who eagerly programmed their Texas Instruments back in the '80s have grown up and been replaced with kids who can download any app to fit their fancy. Believe it or not, the world needs more programmers.

Being a part of a team at school often brings to mind sports teams, but Canisius High School Fine Arts Department Chair Kevin Durkin points out that the school's music programs could be considered teams as well.

A unique adaptation of the classic holiday tale, "A Christmas Carol," will be presented live on stage at St. Mary School in Swormvillle on Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

The Diocese of Buffalo held its second annual Xtreme Games and Expo, and cats everywhere are grateful.

ST. BONAVENTURE - The Western New York Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Glen Cortese, will perform the program "Baroque for the Holidays" at St. Bonaventure's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9. It is the fourth concert in the 2015-2016 Friends of Good Music concert series.

TONAWANDA - When Jeremiah Martinez was 3 years old, his mother enrolled him in a tap dance class to help his motor skills. Twelve years later, his love of and devotion to dance led him to win fourth place in a recent national solo dance competition in Hollywood, Fla., sponsored by American Dance Awards.

The National Honor Society of St. Mary's High School will host an All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast on Veterans' Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the school, 142 Laverack Ave. in the Village of Lancaster.

The St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute Alumni Association is pleased to announce that the 37th Annual St. Joe's Bob Ivory '47 5K Run will take place on Sunday, Nov. 1. The race will begin promptly at 9 a.m. at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, located at 845 Kenmore Avenue. A USA Track & Field Sanctioned Event, the course is USAT&F certified.

St. Bonaventure University has announced a new initiative that welcomes people to experience the St. Bonaventure campus in a new way.

A veteran educator with a wealth of school administration experience has been named principal of St. Benedict School in Eggertsville.

HAMBURG - An assortment of educational, engaging, and entertaining events that enlighten diverse cultures and traditions from around the world, including a presentation by Jerry McGill, author of Dear Marcus, are planned during Hilbert College's Cultural Awareness Week celebration being held from October 19-23.

St. Gregory the Great School in Williamsville is welcoming a pair of recent college graduates to its elementary school faculty. Madeline Otero and Tiffany LoGiudice begin their careers in Catholic education working with children in the diocese.

St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute is pleased to announce that its annual St. Joe's Sports' Night will take place Friday, Oct. 16, at St. Joe's. Sponsored by the SJCI Parents' Guild, Sports Night is the school's only athletic-specific fundraiser. From maintaining the All-Weather Athletic Field Complex to helping with transportation costs for athletic events and supplying new equipment for student-athletes, the St. Joe's Sports' Night provides vital funds for the school's storied athletics program.

EAST AURORA — ­Christ the King Seminary will host its annual Curé of Ars Awards dinner on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Adam's Mark Hotel and Event Center. This year's event will honor Msgr. Thomas F. Maloney and the permanent diaconate community of the Diocese of Buffalo.

Father James Maher said seeing Pope Francis in Washington, D.C., in September is something he will remember for the rest of his life.

ST. BONAVENTURE - As the chair of 270Catholic, a prominent organization for young Catholics just outside the D.C. Beltway, Jasmine Jaysingh was thrilled just to be asked to be among the throng to greet Pope Francis at Andrews Air Force Base when he arrived in the United States yesterday.

ST. BONAVENTURE - Nine St. Bonaventure University students, in association with Franciscan Action Network, will be traveling to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to watch Pope Francis' address to Congress on a big screen at the National Mall.

The Mary Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School Sports Boosters will host their third annual meat raffle on Friday, Sept. 25, at St. Andrew's Church, 34 Francis Ave., Sloan. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with the raffle beginning at 7 p.m.

A glance through the Catholic school directory recently brought a startling revelation: Catholic schools have been in the Diocese of Buffalo since before there was a Diocese of Buffalo. Two schools, St. Aloysius Regional School in Springville, and SS. Peter & Paul School in Williamsville, have been in operation since 1836, and that's 11 years before the Diocese of Buffalo was established.

TONAWANDA — Cardinal O'Hara High School is bragging about its 2015 graduation class, which garnered nearly $7 million in scholarships and acceptance to colleges and universities across the country and its growth in the new year.

The Annunciation Strong Start Early Learning Academy's new "Mommy and Me" program will host an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7580 Clinton St., Elma. The program takes place in Annunciation's former school building.

Bishop Malone talks about returning to school, faith formation and Catechetical Sunday in a new episode of "Consider This."

Thousands of students were welcomed back into school buildings - both public and private - this week. As students, faces filled with joy, smiles and nerves, walked off the bus onto the grounds of the Catholic Academy of West Buffalo Tuesday morning, they were greeted by three of the top diocesan officials - Bishop Richard J. Malone, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Education Carol Kostyniak, and Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Schools Sister Carol Cimino, SSJ.

If you've ever spent one day at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, you have begun to experience the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle - the patron saint of all teachers and a true educational innovator who transformed Western education more than 300 years ago.

Nardin Academy in Buffalo, an independent Catholic school, has a long history of developing boys and girls within an academic, spiritually-based focus. The academy encompasses a Montessori school, an elementary school and a high school.

Our Catholic schools are strong and advancing purposefully into the future. Catholic schools are essential to the diocesan commitment to evangelization. Throughout the history of the diocese, our Catholic schools have been shining beacons of catechesis, social justice and daily living of the Gospel.