The week of Jan. 25-31 is an important one. Once again, we celebrate the annual observance of Catholic Schools Week. The theme this year is, “Catholic schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”

This celebration is important because it is difficult to overstate the contributions that Catholic schools have made to Catholic education in this country. Since the 1800s right up to the present day, Catholic schools have educated and spiritually formed generations of Catholics. Those Catholics have then gone on to take those values as the bedrock for their faith, for building their families and for their contributions to the country and to the world.

The theme citing faith, knowledge and service gets to the heart of our Catholic school formation. Everything begins with faith, Catholic faith. This is what distinguishes our schools not only from government schools but from many private schools.

Jesus Christ and His Mystical Body the Church are at the center of our Catholic educational program. This is not just general subjects with religion classes added on as an extra. Whether it be the study of history or music, or the extracurriculars of sports or the dance squad, the presence of Christ and His teaching is acknowledged and honored.

Even more, to visit one of our Catholic schools is to encounter the atmosphere of prayer. In the Gospels, the disciples are recorded as having said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Whether it be prayers throughout the day, or before meals, our students live the response of Jesus to their entreaty. And the centrality of Mass and confessions in our Catholic Schools gives our young people a sacramental foundation for the rest of their spiritual lives.

Our Catholic schools don’t short change knowledge and the academic preparation necessary for our young people to go out and engage the world. In 2014 the composite ACT scores for students attending Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Rockford was 12 percent higher than the national average. That means that in addition to our classrooms and technologies, Catholic schools are staffed by excellent administrators and teachers who are committed to the best for our young people.

And of course there is service. Pope Francis has called on the Church to reach out to the peripheries, and he has called on young people to make a noise of faith before the world.

This past Christmas, I encountered young people from our Catholic schools working with and helping young children from needy families as they prepared to celebrate Christ’s birth.  This week, hundreds of young people from our Catholic schools made the arduous trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the March for Life on Jan. 22, expressing support for the human rights of those most defenseless among us. Those are just two of a long list of on-going activities in our schools that make faith come alive.

Of course, something as complex as a Catholic or parish school does not “just happen.”  Parents and faithful for generations have sacrificed greatly both in financial and personal ways so that their children can take advantage of this opportunity.

In a special way, I want to thank also the priests of the Diocese of Rockford for their sacrifices and unfailing support for our Catholic schools. For many parishes, maintaining a parish school can be a challenge and even a struggle. As we all know, that difficulty is magnified in the current economic climate. But Catholic schools have a value to our families and our parishes that goes beyond the budgetary outlay. Still, in all of our diocesan collections, there is now an extra box that you can use to contribute to help our schools and our young people. Please pray and then contribute generously.

Catholic Schools Week is a most welcome opportunity to honor all the efforts of our Church, our families, our faculty members and volunteers and all who contribute to this great endeavor. It reminds us of why Catholic schools in the United States are the envy of the Church throughout the world. And it reminds us of why it is important for all of us to support our Catholic schools.