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Central Catholic High School Celebrated Founder’s Day Mass and Student Center Ground Blessing

A group of men in hard hats and suits, including a bishop in ceremonial robes, break ground with shovels in the foreground, while a construction site with buildings and a crane forms the background.

(PITTSBURGH) – Central Catholic High School commemorated a historic milestone on Friday, May 15, 2026, as students, faculty, alumni, supporters, and distinguished guests gathered for the school’s Founder’s Day Mass and Ground Blessing Ceremony.

The Most Reverend Mark A. Eckman, Bishop of Pittsburgh celebrated Mass in honor of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the enduring legacy of the De La Salle Brothers of the Christian Schools (The Brothers). The liturgy provided the opportunity to recognize the Brothers’ longstanding commitment to faith, education, and the Lasallian charism that has shaped generations of Central Catholic students.

Central Catholic also welcomed Br. Robert Schaefer, FSC, who serves as the Brother Visitor of the District of Eastern North America for De La Salle Brothers of the Christian Schools. During the Mass, the Brothers renewed their vows, reaffirming their dedication to the Lasallian tradition and their mission of service through education. 

Following the Mass, Bishop Eckman presided over a Ground Blessing Ceremony for the school’s new Student Center, which is currently under construction and slated to open in the fall of 2027. This new facility is the centerpiece of a comprehensive campus-wide enhancement plan which marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Central Catholic as the institution approaches its 100th anniversary in 2027.

The celebration served as a historic milestone for Central Catholic High School and reflected the strength of its faith-centered community and continued commitment to excellence.

Bishop Mark Eckman, Br. Robert Schaefer, Central Catholic President Matthew J. Stoessel, members of the Board of Directors, students, alumni, and invited guests gathered for a photo on the future site of the new Student Center, a project the school anticipates will be completed during its centennial year.

Media Contact:
Brian Cook, '98
Director of Communications & Marketing
BCook@CentralCatholicHS.com

Campaign Inquiries:
Brandon Haburjak, '06
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
BHaburjak@CentralCatholicHS.com
 

A group of men in clerical attire stand in a church aisle, with a bishop in the foreground holding a staff.
A bishop in a white mitre and vestments stands holding a crozier and microphone in front of a dark stage with a golden cross on a table to his left.
A group of young men in uniform stand in the foreground reading from papers, while in the background, several figures in religious attire stand on a raised platform.
A man in a suit speaks at a podium in front of a large, ornate religious mural.
A young man in a suit speaks at a podium in front of a dark red curtain, with another person in white visible in the background.
A bishop in white vestments with red trim stands at an altar with a chalice and open Bible, while a religious mural is visible in the background.
A group of young men in light blue shirts and ties stand with their hands open in the foreground, while a blurred crowd of similarly dressed individuals fills the background.
White hard hats with the %22Central Catholic%22 logo are lined up in the foreground, with a blurred brick building and a person in a black robe in the background.
A bishop in ceremonial robes stands at a wooden podium, holding a crozier, with a blurred background of fencing and buildings.
A man in clerical attire speaks at a podium in the foreground, while a group of people in religious vestments stand behind him against a backdrop of a building and construction fencing.
A group of people in suits stand in the foreground facing away from the camera, while a large brick building with many windows forms the background.
A group of young men in school uniforms stand in a parking lot with a brick building in the background.
A crowd of people in formal attire sits in chairs in front of a brick building, with white helmets on poles in the foreground.
A bishop in ceremonial robes blesses a construction site in the foreground, while a procession of clergy and onlookers stand before a large brick building in the background.
A group of people in hard hats and formal attire participate in a groundbreaking ceremony in the foreground, while a construction site with buildings and cranes is visible in the background.
Several men in hard hats and suits ceremonially break ground with shovels in the foreground, while a modern building complex under construction with cranes is visible in the background.
A crowd of people in formal attire sits in chairs on a paved area in the foreground, while a construction site with cranes and buildings is visible in the background under a blue sky.
A young man in a suit speaks at a podium with a school logo, while a chain-link fence and buildings form the background.
A row of shovels with hard hats on them sits in the foreground of a construction site, with buildings and a crane visible in the background.

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