As we move into August, we already sense the clock running out on summer. 

 

Nevertheless, there are still good and warm days ahead and the last chances for days of vacation and the county fairs and parish festivals still beckon us to rejoice in this time of year.

 

Right around the corner, however, is the opening of a new school year. Whether we are parents seeking the education and formation of our children, or whether we are students or faculty in a diocesan Catholic school, we know the classroom beckons as well. 

 

Our diocesan Catholic schools are comprised of six high schools and 35 grade schools. (There are also two high schools operated by religious orders in our diocese.)

 

This fall, we are especially pleased and excited to celebrate the opening of the new Pope Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy in Aurora. 

 

The new school is being created by the combining of four Aurora schools — Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Joseph, St. Peter and St. Therese of Jesus schools. It is a result of the prayer and consultations that led to the creation of our diocesan Faith Forward Strategic Plan. 

 

Through that plan we continue to build and strengthen the future of Catholic education in the Diocese of Rockford.

 

All of our schools and our educational programs have one common goal. That is, to form in our young people, and through them in our families, a sense and appreciation of our true Catholic identity.

 

Pope Benedict XVI, speaking to educators at the Catholic University of America in 2008, talked about our Catholic identity. He stated, “A university or school’s Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction — do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear ... ? Are we ready to commit our entire self — intellect and will, mind and heart — to God?”

 

That sense of conviction lies at the heart of each person’s journey of faith. Such conviction leads us to understand ourselves and the world. 

 

By receiving and taking deeply to heart the message of the Old Testament and the New, by learning the truth about creation and the moral law by which we must live, and especially by developing a personal friendship with Jesus Christ, we learn of the basis for our conviction of the rightness of our Catholic faith.

 

This is the reason we sacrifice so greatly to maintain and strengthen our Catholic schools. We seek to share our faith and therefore our hope with the next generation. We strive to fulfill the Lord’s command to the Church, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19).

 

In our day, the challenge of spreading our faith is especially urgent. The knowledge and recognition of the truth about and from God needs to permeate every area of study, of work and of life. For this reason, our Catholic schools combine faith with excellence in study and in preparation to contribute to the good of our families and of society.

 

I wish to offer a special word of thanks and encouragement to those who will be new principals, teachers or staff this year in our Catholic schools. You have entered into the great task of what Pope Benedict referred to as leading the young to truth. Thank you for joining with us in this great undertaking.

 

As the summer ends, the school bell rings once more. Students and teachers gather again with friends and with new faces. They once more enter into the rhythm of prayer and study. But most especially we continue the friendship with Jesus who calls us.

 

To all who start school again this month, welcome back!