‘G o, 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. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” 

 

These are the final words of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (28: 18-19). 

 

They serve as the final instruction of the Lord to His followers, both then and for all time. Those words outline the mission of faith that drives all that we do as we seek to become more like Christ daily.

 

We believe that Jesus, by His birth, death and resurrection is the savior of all men and women of all time. That is why we bring our children to be baptized as Jesus taught and why we have the missionary spirit of proclaiming Jesus to the world.

 

At the same time, Jesus instructs His followers to teach all to live in the manner that He has commanded us. In short, it is not enough simply to be baptized as a one-time ritual. 

 

Rather, the reception of baptism begins the road to heaven that we live daily by obeying God’s creating will in our thoughts, words and actions. 

 

These foundational principles of our Catholic faith are the primary motivators for the extensive efforts made by the Church to provide Catholic education. This coming week, Jan. 27-Feb. 2, we celebrate those efforts with our Catholic Schools Week celebration.

 

Catholic education prepares our students to be followers of Jesus Christ in the modern world. Our young people are in fact taught all that Jesus has commanded. Then they are taught why those commandments are important and relevant today. 

 

With that confidence and understanding, they go forth strengthened by the practice of prayer, the reception of the sacraments, instruction in the moral life and the hope for eternal salvation.

 

At the same time, Catholic education is rooted in the world we live in. It prepares our young people to take their rightful place in the workplace, in the public square and in society at large. 

 

The test scores of students in Catholic schools are routinely among the highest. In addition to achievement, the preparation of our young people for higher education is widely known and recognized.

 

Notably, our diocesan high school system, comprised of six diocesan high schools and two run by religious orders, has been recognized as an Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll District by the College Board. 

 

Most recently, the number of Catholic high school students who took the AP exam increased by 7 percent and the number of students scoring 3 or higher on at least one test increased by 4 percent. 

 

The number of minority students who took the AP exam was higher by 4 percent and the number of minority students scoring 3 or higher on at least one test was raised by 1 percent.

 

Currently, in addition to Catholic high schools, the Diocese of Rockford has 35 elementary schools. We educate 7,640 students on the pre-kindergarten through eighth grade level, and 3,472 students attend our high schools.

 

I must also give a shout out to the teachers and staff who make this effort possible. Numbering approximately 1,100, they fulfill the Lord’s command by their own living of the faith and sharing it, along with their educational expertise, with the young people entrusted to our care. 

 

The superior test scores that characterize our schools attest to their commitment to excellence.

 

Our Church is strengthened, our society benefits and our world is transformed by faithful followers of Christ who are given formation and training in our schools. 

 

Thanks to all who support our schools with their prayers and with their donations. In challenging times like these, Catholic education continues to be a blessing and a source of hope for young people to achieve in this world and to be prepared for eternal life in the next.