Catholic Schools Week

01-26-2020Pastor's LetterCharlene Krushinsky, M.Ed., Principal

Dear Parishioners,

Today marks the beginning of a national week-long celebration of Catholic schools. So, Fr. Wilson asked if I could share a few thoughts with you about the need and importance of Catholic schools.

Our world has embraced Christ’s love for His people for over 2,000 years and this gift of our Faith has been carried out in Catholic schools from one generation to the next. Simply put - Catholic schools exist to introduce students to Jesus Christ.

More importantly, Catholic schools teach children to grow in their relationship with Jesus through prayer, celebrating the Sacraments, Scripture, and catechesis.

Our forefathers were faced with a dominant culture that was hostile to their values. The Catholic community in America built schools that allowed their children to grow in knowledge and faith – as good Catholics and good Americans. And with sweat, resolve, and prayer, these immigrants built the largest system of private schools the world had ever seen. For over 300 years, the Catholic community in the United States has championed our schools. And today, we bear the good fruit they planted.

Catholic schools have shown unparalleled success in educating children, promoting a lifelong commitment to faith and virtue, and encouraging civic engagement. While government leaders look for programs and initiatives to improve education in America, Catholic schools maintain their track record of serving children and families well, closing the achievement gap for poor and minority students, and doing so at a fraction of the cost of public schools.

Catholic schools save lives, create a more just world, breathe life into parishes, and most importantly, draw children into deeper communion with Christ and the Church. It is precisely because of these benefits that the Catholic community in the United States must continue to invest in the future of our children and their school system.

Perhaps the best way to appreciate the power of Catholic schools is to imagine the Church in the United States without them. What would it look like? How would it produce generous leaders? How would it serve immigrants? How would it provide avenues of educational opportunity to the poor?

To those who wonder how we can afford to make the investment necessary to sustain, strengthen, and expand Catholic schools, we respond by turning the question on its head. How can we afford not to make this investment?

I encourage you to stop by our school’s Open House today and prayerfully consider contributing to our school’s annual Day of Giving FUN RUN (envelope is included in today’s bulletin). If you have ever been interested in sending your child or grandchild to St. Mary’s, we are accepting registration for the 2020/2021 school year. There are tuition assistance scholarships available. On behalf of the faculty and staff, thank you in advance for your continued support and investing in the future of our Church – the children of St. Mary’s School.

God bless, Charlene Krushinsky, M.Ed., Principal

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