Teachers from schools all over the Diocese of Birmingham met Sept. 13 at John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham to celebrate Mass with Bishop Steven Raica and to participate in professional development.

After Mass, Father Kevin Bazzel, who serves as vicar general and moderator of the curia for the diocese, delivered a keynote address that tied what the Church teaches about the Eucharist to the duties of Catholic educators. 

“Catholic schools are bound up with the Eucharist and oriented towards it,” Father Bazzel said. “… Every good thing that we do, every truth that we teach, every moral lesson that we offer, every prayer that we say, every time we help any of our students become the men and the women that God has called them to be, we are uniting them with Christ and leading them to Heaven.”

After Father Bazzel’s address, Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Margaret Dubose spoke about the CHOOSE Act, which Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law in March. 

The CHOOSE Act establishes educational savings accounts of up to $7,000 for participating students. Students will begin qualifying for the program during the 2025-2026 school year according to adjusted gross family income and other factors. Eventually, all students will qualify for the CHOOSE Act with priority going to children previously awarded, students with special needs, and children of active-duty service members zoned for a failing school.

The diocese’s School Choice Implementation Team is currently working on developing guidelines for the implementation of the CHOOSE Act in diocesan schools.

Dubose also announced the recipients of its annual awards from its two endowments. Holy Spirit Catholic High School, John Carroll Catholic High School, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, Prince of Peace Catholic School, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, St. John the Baptist Catholic School, and St. Joseph Regional Catholic School all received awards from the Faith in Education Endowment. Tuscaloosa’s Holy Spirit Catholic School teachers Brittany Saibini and Matthew Ogonowski received awards from the Msgr. Michael F. Sexton Continuing Education Scholarship. 

After lunch, teachers were able to attend two professional development sessions led by various individuals from across the diocese with topics ranging from motor skills for infants and toddlers to high school theology. 

Expressing her thanks for the day, Dubose noted, “Thank you to our teachers for giving us your time and your gifts to enrich us and to allow us to better serve the students in our schools.”

To read Bishop Raica's homily from the day, please click here.