Bishop Robert J. Brennan visited Bay Ridge Catholic Academy Wednesday morning to celebrate National Catholic Schools Week.

The bishop, who serves the Diocese of Brooklyn, visited the school to speak with students and get some hands-on learning experience. The bishop went on a tour of the school where he popped into classrooms and answered the students' questions about the church.

He had a chance to visit the school's STEM lab as well. He sat with seventh graders and learned about how robotics is fostering teamwork and determination in the classroom.

"It's very uplifting to see the children learning and all their different classes, and all the opportunities before them," Brennan said.

National Catholic Schools Week focuses on strengthening the relationship between students and the church. Teachers say they hope the bishop also learned a thing or two.

"I hope that he was blown away by the learning environment and by our students. Hopefully we can see this program expand all throughout Brooklyn and Queens," said Christine Deem, the STEM coordinator at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy.

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of National Catholic Schools Week.