“Take these words of mine into your heart and soul. …Teach them to your children, speaking of them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up and write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gate.” (Dt 11: 18-19).
These are the words of Moses speaking to the Israelites as recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy. Through the ages, the obligation and privilege of the community of faith to transmit God’s Word and the knowledge of His goodness to each new generation of young people have endured.
This week, we celebrate an important part of that commitment on the part of the Catholic Church in the United States and, closer to home, the Diocese of Rockford. We are observing Catholic Schools Week from January 25 through February 1.
Along with our religious education programs in our parishes, the role of Catholic schools in the United States has historically been a key component of passing on the knowledge and practice of our Catholic faith. This year’s theme, “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community,” sums up the mission carried out by the families, students, teachers and administrators in our schools.
We are all aware of the challenges in our society that confront our Catholic faith both in belief and in family life. Conscious of those tensions, our Catholic schools are emphasizing a very deliberate and intentional recommitment to our mission of evangelization and to our Catholic faith. That means not only passing on the catechism and the wisdom of faith, but also forming the very hearts of our students and families to seek and find Jesus Christ in every element of life.
A key component of Catholic schools is that our students and faculty form a community of faith. While every believer has an individual commitment of faith to make, Jesus made it clear that He gathers His followers together. That community element is strong on many levels.
Of course, the students make up one part of that community. Through all the grades the students, at their different ages, are being formed in that common goal of being disciples. Our teachers are also part of that community, sharing their faith, knowledge and moral lives with those entrusted to their care.
Of fundamental importance to our Catholic schools is the role of parents and family. By God’s design the family is the building block of society. And it is our Catholic teaching that parents are the first and primary teachers of their children. Catholic schools emphasize the respect for and importance of the participation of parents in school and in the parish.
Along with the practice of prayer and the sacraments, the commitment to our students is supported by academic excellence. The fact is, our Catholic schools train our students with the knowledge to be successful. Our goal is to prepare graduates of Catholic education, in faith and knowledge, to effect positive change in the world. For that reason, our schools maintain a 100% high school graduation rate and they offer diverse extracurricular opportunities, fostering the growth of the whole student.
Catholic schools are a priority for the Diocese of Rockford. Their holistic approach to conveying a deep sense of Catholic identity to our students is summed up in our motto: “Diocese of Rockford Catholic Schools: Nurturing Families, Cultivating Catholic Virtues, Pursuing Academic Excellence, and Forming Faithful Servant Leaders.”
Please join in, with prayers and donations, to support our Catholic schools. Encourage families to check out the excellence of the programs in our schools. Experience the welcoming, safe, affordable and faith driven community of your local Catholic school. Be part of being united in faith and in community.
