Our Catholic schools are part of the precious legacy which we have inherited from those who far-sighted men and women who laid the foundations of Catholic life in our country and in our diocese.  

Two of the first canonized American saints, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. John Neumann, were the pioneers of parochial schools early in the nineteenth century.  By 1884 the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, recognizing the potential for harm to the faith of Catholic children attending public schools, required pastors to make every effort to establish Catholic schools in each parish and required parents to send their children to these Catholic schools whenever possible.  

This was the very time when the Diocese of Concordia (now Salina) was being established in Kansas.  Catholic schools were recognized and organized as an indispensible tool for preserving and handing on the faith in an atmosphere and environment which was often blatantly hostile to Catholics.  This spirit accounted for the number of Catholic schools which sprang up throughout our diocese.  Bishops and pastors, working hand in hand with religious sisters and supported by the sacrifices of the faithful, established a valuable network of Catholic schools which still provides excellent education opportunities today.  

It is important that we have some appreciation of where our Catholic schools came from so that we never take them for granted.   Perhaps no country in the world has a network of Catholic schools, particularly parochial schools, which can rival the Catholic school system in the United States.  

During Catholic Schools Week (January 31-February 6) we celebrate the heritage of Catholic School education as well as its uniqueness and its promise.  Catholic schools were established in our country as an expression of the right to religious liberty as inscribed by God upon the human heart and enshrined in the United States Constitution.  Parents are free to choose the type of education they wish for their children, including a religious education.  As Americans we are fortunate that this God-given right is respected and protected by the Constitution of our great country.  

Today we support Catholic schools not only to protect children from spiritual harm, that is, from hostile cultural elements that might undermine faith and conflict with our religious principles.  We recognize that Catholic schools provide the best support for Catholic parents (and others) in educating their children through the pursuit of knowledge, formation in faith, as well as the cultivation of virtues and values.  Catholic schools provide a holistic approach that strives to educate the whole person: body, mind and spirit.  Our aim is clear.  Our mission is to form disciples of Christ who will be well grounded, well rounded and ready for success.  The success that we strive for, above all, is that which is deemed success in the eyes of God.  

Not everyone has the opportunity for a Catholic school education.   Often there is no Catholic school and many children do flourish in other environments.  I had the privilege of attending a Catholic school for only the first five years of my education.  It is in the best interests of all of us, however, to invest in Catholic schools.  They provide a valuable alternative and one which pays dividends for the individual, the family, Church and community.

Published
The Register
Jan. 28, 2010