March 3, 2025
Feast of St. Katharine Drexel
Dear DIA Collaborators:
I hope this finds you well as we approach the threshold of the great season of Lent! Our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters actually refer to this season as “Great Lent,” recognizing as they do the inestimable gift the Church gives us through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to draw our lives into the deep mystery of union with Christ our Lord. May you see the fruits of this time of penitence in a more profound knowledge of his mercy and love.
It is an honor for me to sit in for this edition of The Cenacle’s “Welcome – Executive Director” Recently, I was invited to move into the role of Chairman of the DIA Schools Collaborative Board of Directors. As I humbly accept these new responsibilities, I want to recognize DIA’s inaugural chair, my long-time friend, colleague (and boss!), Mr. Rich Meyer. Those of you who have had the opportunity to meet Rich know what an outstanding leader and, more significantly, exceptional Christian man he is. I want to thank him on behalf of all of us for his service as DIA’s chair.
Two weeks ago, Rich and I and the entire board met at St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kansas, a founding DIA school and host of the upcoming 2025 DIA Schools Summit in October. The Board of Directors meets twice a year and sets the vision for the ongoing efforts of DIA. We oversee and support the executive director in creating avenues for Catholic educators and leaders to form intentional and faith-focused relationships that will support, encourage, and advance our common mission as Catholic schools of excellence for the New Evangelization. The “secret sauce” of DIA is the deep and meaningful relationships it has allowed each of us involved to form with one another. It is not only professionally edifying but personally enriching to establish friendships grounded in the love of Christ and to unite with like-minded colleagues around our shared conviction about leading young men and women to Jesus Christ and his Church through Catholic education.
Experiencing the rich and vibrant Catholicity of the St. James Academy campus during our time there inspires and emboldens us to do even more to help enrich the experiences available in all of DIA’s collaborating schools.
As we look back on the past ten years with gratitude, there is collective excitement among us about what we can achieve moving forward. DIA’s momentum, especially over the past five years, indicates that the Lord has much more in store for us. Interest continues to grow from more Catholic schools (especially K-8), dioceses, strategic partners, and from the Catholic education community at large. This reflects well our mission to infuse the faith at every level of Catholic education nationally, We believe that the growth and strength of faithful and passionately Catholic schools is a critical lever — the lever – for the building up of our Catholic Church. To quote DIA’s first Executive Director, Kyle Pietrantonio, we can work together to “re-Church our Church”.
To all of our members and collaborators, thank you for making DIA what it is. For those who are not yet part of the DIA family, I hope you will consider how your school or diocese could benefit from being part of the DIA Schools Collaborative!
May the Lord bless you and your work in Catholic education. St. Katharine Drexel, pray for us!
Patrick Reidy
Chair, Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative
P.s. If you are interested in more information about DIA or in being part of our growing community, please see this link.