Welcome to Erie Catholic
Welcome to the Erie Catholic School System, a community where faith, learning, and growth come together to shape the hearts and minds of young people. At our school campuses, we believe education is about more than just academics—it’s about nurturing the whole child. Each day, our students experience a blend of rigorous academics, meaningful spiritual formation, and personal development, all within a warm, supportive environment. Our preschool-through-eighth-grade campuses include:
- Our Lady of Peace
- Saint George School
- Saint James School
- Saint Jude School
- Saint Luke School
Our dedicated teachers and staff are committed to fostering curiosity, encouraging character, and instilling values that last a lifetime. We focus not only on academic excellence but also on building a foundation of faith, kindness, and service. Here, children are seen, known, and loved, with individual needs met through personalized attention and small class sizes.
If you’re exploring the possibilities of Catholic education, we invite you to learn more about our schools, meet our passionate educators, and experience the community spirit that makes Erie Catholic special. Whether you’re interested in enrolling your child or simply learning more about who we are, we look forward to welcoming you into our community.
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Each year, the Easter season reminds us that our faith is never meant to stand still. Spring arrives, the days grow longer, and the Church invites us to reflect on the promise of new life that comes through the Resurrection of Christ. Easter is an invitation to begin again, to renew our hearts, and to grow deeper in our relationship with God. For families in our Catholic school community, this season offers a beautiful opportunity to reflect on how faith is lived each day — at home, at school, and in the life of the parish. Catholic education has always been more than what happens in the classroom. It is part of the larger mission of the Church, where parents, pastors, teachers, and students walk together in faith. We know that family life is busy, routines change, and it is not always easy to stay connected in the ways we hope to. Some families attend Mass every week. Others come when they are able. Some may feel that it has been a long time since they have been part of parish life at all. Wherever you find yourself today, know that the Church always welcomes you. Simple Ways to Begin This Easter Easter is a season that reminds us that we can begin again at any moment. If you have been thinking about reconnecting or diving deeper with the life of the Church, this season is a beautiful time to start. Even small steps can help families grow in faith and feel more at home in their parish community. You might consider: Attending Mass together, even if it has been a while. Simply being present is a meaningful place to begin. Visiting your parish for a Sunday, a weekday Mass, or a time of quiet prayer. Reintroducing prayer at home in a simple way, such as a short prayer before meals or bedtime. Participating in a parish event, service opportunity, or family activity when the chance arises. Talking with your child about what they are learning in religion class and sharing those conversations as a family. Reaching out to your parish if you have questions or are curious about ways to become more involved. No step is too small. Each moment we turn our hearts back toward God is a moment of grace. We are strongest when the partnership between family, school, and parish is alive and growing. When children see their parents living the faith, when they experience the joy of community, and when they know they belong to something greater than themselves, the lessons of Catholic education take root in lasting ways. This Easter season,take a moment to ask: Where is God inviting you to begin again? How can our family grow closer to Christ? How can we become more connected to the life of the Church? We pray for all of our students, families, pastors, and campus communities during this joyful season of Easter. May the hope of the Resurrection fill your homes with peace, strengthen your faith, and draw us ever closer to Christ and to one another.
Pictured: Students from Our Lady of Peace School who earned top placements at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science, alongside Mrs. Ehrman, OLP’s PJAS faculty coordinator, at the recent regional competition.
Inside a gym buzzing with excitement, two Erie Catholic teams—Saint Jude’s Raider Robotics and Saint George’s LEGO Lancers—joined 25 other groups from across the region to compete in FIRST LEGO League’s regional tournament. The energy was contagious as students huddled over their robot tables, coaches leaned in with encouragement, teams cheered loudly for one another, and kindness flowed as freely as the creativity on display. For many of our students, this was their first time ever competing in an event like this. Yet from the opening round, it was clear they were not only prepared, but they were also ready to soar. Saint Jude’s Raider Robotics quickly realized they were holding their own against teams with years of experience. Their determination paid off as the Raiders earned second place with 335 points in the Robot Competition, a remarkable accomplishment for a first-year team navigating their first official meet. As their coach shared, they didn’t know what to expect walking in, but they left knowing they belonged. “We knew the competition was experienced and we didn’t have any idea of what to expect at the tournament,” said Brian Rehrig, parent and coach for the Raider Robotics team. “It was a pleasant surprise and testament to the team’s hard work to compete with the other teams so effectively.” Just a few tables over, Saint George’s LEGO Lancers were having a standout day of their own. Made up mostly of fifth- and sixth-graders, the Lancers earned second place for their Innovation Project, taking home a LEGO trophy that will soon find its place in the campus's display case. Their robot performance was equally impressive, tying for 8th place overall and scoring 230 points. “One of the judges came up to me afterward to say how impressed he was with the team and how strong our trajectory looks going forward,” said Kevin Miceli, parent and coach of the LEGO Lancers. “We’ve got our sights set on states next year!” This season’s FIRST LEGO League challenge was built around the theme “UNEARTHED℠,” inviting students into an archaeological-inspired adventure that connects the past with the future. Teams explored how artifacts, innovations, and discoveries from long ago can inform and inspire the solutions of tomorrow. While each campus celebrated its own achievements, the weekend was also a testament to what is possible when our system and parents come together to invest in hands-on learning. Parents volunteered hours after school and PTOs helped get things off the ground. Families rearranged schedules to get children to practices and competitions. And through it all, the system’s commitment to STEAM learning created space for students to explore robotics, coding, engineering, and teamwork in ways that strengthen both confidence and academic growth. According to the MIT Media Lab, research consistently shows that hands-on, experiential learning can increase retention by up to 90% and robotics in particular strengthens problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and mathematical thinking. Meanwhile, programs like FIRST LEGO League are linked to increased confidence, teamwork skills, and long-term interest in STEM. These opportunities align beautifully with how children at this age learn best: through doing, experimenting, collaborating, failing safely, and trying again while surrounded by adults who believe in their potential. “Opportunities like FIRST LEGO League make challenging students in new ways accessible even to our youngest learners,” said Lisa Panighetti, Vice President of Academic Affairs for Erie Catholic. “It gives students a chance to explore, imagine, build, and work together in ways that reflect the very best of what we want for them academically and personally.” FIRST Lego League has programming for preschool through eighth grade. Erie Catholic will continue exploring how to widen these opportunities within Erie Catholic, ensuring more of our students can participate in this kind of joyful, meaningful learning. Congratulations, Raider Robotics and LEGO Lancers teams! Thank you for representing your campuses with joy and humility. We can’t wait to see what they dream up next season!
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