Why Catholic Schools Week Matters More Than Ever Before

 

Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated from January 28-February 3, 2024 and this year's theme is "Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community". This annual event brings awareness to the uniqueness of our schools.

I've said it many times before but to reiterate- Catholic schools are not merely an alternative to our public, state-funded schools. Rather, they provide our youth with an entirely different worldview.

This worldview is made up of the following:
1. An appreciation for God and the encouragement to grow closer with God.
2. An appreciation for the dignity of each person, made male and female in God's image and design.
3. A reminder to strive for excellence as an expression of human flourishing.

Consider that 57% of young people say they have experienced trauma or that 34% of young people say that when it comes to their mental health, they are not flourishing. (Source: Springtide Research Institute)

Our public schools do what they can to help young people but they cannot provide what children and young adults need at the very core of their being- the active knowledge of a God who made them, loves them and has great plans for them. 

On a personal note, I attended public schools through high school. My teachers were caring professionals who did all they could for me. Yet, when it came to finding my purpose in life, it was the Church that gave me an opportunity to know Christ and follow Him. Only the Catholic Church can complete the educational process, going beyond scholarship and into sainthood.

This is the gift of our Catholic schools to each student. This gift of our schools also extends to the families of the more than 8,600 students in our 34 schools. I've never met a family in our schools who hasn't been positively impacted by our unique, life-affirming approach to education.

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week again this year, let us savor the rich gift of our schools.