Why Have Catholic Schools?

By MICHAEL GERARD

Why should we bear the burden of providing a private school education for Catholic children? Let us ask Jesus.

"Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you'" Matthew 28:18-20.

We must remember that when Jesus speaks in the Bible, he is not only speaking to those standing within earshot. Jesus is speaking to you and me. According to Him, we must make disciples. Our Catholic forebearers understood this need and built schools to complete this mission for our children. Mother Teresa famously said, If you want world peace, you must start in your own house. It is the same with making disciples. We must begin with those closest to us.

The Catholic Church teaches that the parents are the first educators of their children. It is the responsibility of Catholic parents to teach their children the faith. Teaching the faith is best done by living the faith. Fitness gurus who don't look like they could jog to the refrigerator will have few converts. The same is true when teaching the Catholic faith. We must live the good Catholic life if we are to teach it.

Our schools support our families in their mission to make disciples. Our society is straying further and further from the lives Jesus would want us to live. Our Catholic schools serve not only as teaching institutions of the catechism and academics, but Catholic schools also serve as an essential refuge from the hopelessness and helplessness that is common in our secular society. Jesus teaches us to be not afraid and to have hope in eternal life. This message is good for us; we should face life with hope instead of hopelessness. Our Catholic schools help our Catholic families raise hopeful, faithful disciples.

Our Catholic Schools win souls for Christ and produce disciples. A well-run, mission-driven, faithful Catholic school is a place where we can practice our faith. Being a Catholic is a lot like going to the gym. The more times you go and the longer you spend time there, the better your chance of success. People become healthier even if they do nothing but sit at the gym. Why? Their outlook is more optimistic; they may walk on a treadmill or pick up a stray dumbbell, and they are not eating junk food. Cynics often critique churchgoers by saying that attending Church makes you a Christian as much as standing in a garage makes you a car. Indeed, we do have our share of Pharisees who count sins and sneer at the unclean. However, they are the exception and get their reward in this life. Going to church is a good thing and is, in fact, required each Sunday. We may have bent halos, but we can become great saints. We say we practice our faith because even the greatest of saints admit they were far from perfect. It is the same with our Catholic schools. Our Catholic schools provide a fertile environment for everyone to grow. In our schools, souls are strengthened, and disciples are made.

We need your help. We need prayers. Our Church thrives on prayer. According to the greatest saints, prayer is the most important thing we can do. The Gospel urges us to keep asking God for what we need. He will not deny us if we ask him. We need to lift each other up in prayer. Please pray for our families, teachers, principals and benefactors. We will make sure to keep praying for you. We are grateful for your prayers.

We need teachers. At the beginning of my career, I worked in public schools. I worked in the last chance schools for kids on parole or who had flunked out of all their classes. Many kids had social, emotional, economic, or behavioral problems. Many had never heard the good news of the Gospel. They had no standard to aspire to. They regularly violated the Ten Commandments. Let me tell you. You will have a very hard life if you swear, lie, steal, covet, and disrespect your parents. It was a hard job. I wanted to share my faith with them. God calls all of us to be our best. I found myself tap-dancing around the best self-help book ever made. I felt as if I was working

with one hand tied behind my back. It was not until I was teaching in Catholic schools that I felt free as a teacher. If you know a teacher who is exasperated with modern education, suggest they try Catholic schools. We are blessed to be able to use the wisdom of the ages when we teach. Our history is full of great redemption stories. People of all ages should consider working in Catholic Schools.

We need your support. Tradition is the vote of the dead. Our system of Catholic schools was handed down by people who have gone on to meet our maker. It is up to us to honor their sacrifice. You can support us with your time, talent, and treasure. We need volunteers to read to our struggling students. We need people to volunteer to sit on our school boards, parish councils, finance councils, home and school, fundraising, and all the various committees. Good, strong supporters of our Catholic schools are helping support the mission Jesus gave us to make disciples.

Finally, we need students. Please prayerfully consider sending your children to our schools. Every child in our school is a victory for God. We are working hard to ensure that our schools are pleasing to God. What a great place to be. Our students go on to do great things. Our mission is to ensure that they go on to do things for the greater glory of God. Please join me in our mission to make disciples and to teach them to observe all that Jesus has taught us. Together, we can make the world a better place. Thank you for your support and God bless.

Michael Gerard is the assistant superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.

Photo: Cotter Schools, Winona - Catholic Schools Week Mass 2023 with Bishop Robert Barron | Credit: Emily Smithley, Diocese of Winona-Rochester