Duc In Altum Collaborative Restoring Truth and Life in Catholic Schools
Children and families in 43 states receiving exceptional Catholic education in non-profit group
This Catholic Schools Week, a young nationwide initiative is leading the charge in growing and strengthening passionately Catholic schools and the Catholic Church in America. The Duc In Altum (DIA) Schools Collaborative was born from the need to revitalize Catholic schools in the United States, and in two short years, DIA’s impact has exploded as dioceses, schools, and leaders have been provided the framework to achieve a truly faith-first vision for Catholic education.
Not long ago, DIA Schools Collaborative’s sole activity was an annual conference for Catholic school leaders, teachers, and campus ministers. In the fall of 2020, DIA shifted to a membership association that provides strong connections and communication among Catholic schools nationwide. The goal was to embolden the network of like-minded Catholic educational collaborators to foster ideas, discuss challenges, and find support. Today, hundreds of children and families throughout the United States are immersed in a rich, formative, and vibrant approach to Catholic education and the New Evangelization.
This mission is rooted in Duc In Altum’s core tenet: to “go out into the deep” and become beacons of light for the ministry of faithfully Catholic education in America. Borrowing the phrase from the Gospel of Luke, one oft-quoted by St. John Paul II, DIA has already proven itself a frontline leader in the charge to awaken the Catholic Church and her children. DIA recognizes that the future of Catholic education and evangelization nationwide depends on the next generation of Church leaders and on thriving schools and parishes.
“As church membership has now dipped below 50% for the first time in U.S. history, how can our Catholic schools serve as ‘fulcra of faith’ for all who come in contact with them?” asks DIA Executive Director Kyle Pietrantonio. “The genesis of DIA sprang from a belief that we need to rethink the paradigm of Catholic schools as vibrant communities of faith. DIA is an intentional, international collaborative that brings together entrepreneurial administrators to bolster the faith formation programming of our schools in new and exciting ways.
Already in its second year as a membership model, DIA school and diocese membership has increased by nearly fifty percent, with new members pending. Member schools and dioceses represent forty-three states and thousands of students. The DIA approach is holistic, meaning it is specifically designed to engage, educate, and evangelize the whole family with the aim of building up the individual, the family, schools and parishes, and the entire Catholic Church in the United States.
To date, DIA reaches thousands of heads of school, presidents, principals, teachers, and campus ministers, as well as all diocesan Superintendents of Education. The mission is to continue connecting, equipping, and enlivening Catholic schools, families, and children everywhere.
For more information on Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative and a complete press kit, visit here.
To request an interview with Kyle Pietrantonio, contact Carrie Kline.
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Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative seeks to share the collective wisdom and resources of its like-minded, faith-filled school members for the betterment of each institution, the growth and support of passionately Catholic education at-large, and the transformation of the culture of our society.
