Catholic Schools

My dear people of God,

Each year, the last week of January is designated throughout the United States as Catholic School week. It is a time to give thanks to God for the blessings of our Catholic Schools and to reflect on their value for the education of our youth. We are very blest with our Catholic School Educational System here in our Diocese. But as almost everywhere throughout our nation, Catholic Schools are struggling financially to continue to serve Catholic Parents who choose and are able to afford, even at great sacrifice, to have their children attend Catholic School.

Every sociological and educational study regarding Catholic Schools emphasizes the success of Catholic Education in three major areas, so important to parents and to the Church also. First, the educational program is excellent. Second, there is no better way of integrating values into the lives of students that will carry them through their adult lives. And third, Catholic Schools create a sense of community which leads to a concern for the needs of others around them, and with the thought of caring for the less fortunate and with a concern for creating a better society. I would simply add there is no greater way to lead children to come to know and love the Lord Jesus in their lives.

I want to thank all our Religious and all our lay teachers and administrators who on their part sacrifice so much to teach in our Catholic Schools. They could easily move in the public school system earning a great deal of more money than our parishes are able to pay. They are truly unsung heroes of our Diocese. But most of all, praise God, they are led by a love of the Lord and a love for the children.

Through “Our Faith, Our Family, Our Future” campaign we pledged 2.5 million dollars for an endowment fund for our elementary schools. We now have that amount in that endowment fund, but sad to say this year, because of the economic times, there is very little interest to help our schools. Hopefully this fund will grow over the years with donations, as well as gifts from wills and trusts.

We have over 4,600 students in our 20 elementary schools, and over 1,200 students in our two high schools. And all our schools reach out to the poor with a good number of scholarships and partial scholarships. With this message, on the occasion of Catholic Schools Week, I simply want to thank our teachers, our administrators, our parents who sacrifice so much to participate in the activities of the schools, our pastors who help support their parish schools, and the many benefactors who help in each of our schools. Without you, these children would never be blest with the best education possible. God bless you all.