Dividends For Life

This week, as a nation, as an Archdiocese, and as the School of Saint Patrick, we commemorate the annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week. The theme of this year’s celebration is: “Catholic Schools: Dividends for Life.” As part of this week- long celebration, students will be reflecting during morning prayer on what a difference a Saint Patrick High School Education has made in their lives. Let us continue to pray for all Catholic schools as they strive to persevere in the midst of adverse conditions at times. We at Saint Patrick remain strong in number and in spirit.

Among the treasures of the American church is our Catholic Schools. In the beginning, these schools of ours were vital in communicating the faith to immigrants’ children and in assisting them in a culture alien to them. Then the Catholic schools played a pivotal part in educating children to move up the socio-economic ladder as they assisted Catholic people in being competent and intellectually formidable in all areas of this society. More recently, our Catholic schools have been noted for offering a decided choice in education on the primary and secondary levels, they have been in the forefront of progressive attitudes regarding respect for life and how to shape a life in this global village, and in assisting in the spiritual formation of a new generation of believers in Christ.

Catholic Schools Week is a legitimate and time-honored celebration of this special treasure of our faith community. It is a short time that serves as kind of “pep rally” to mobilize support for our system of schools which truly enrich our community, and still gives us the best opportunity to form young people in faith and spiritual values. It is a time to thank those whose sacrifices on the part of Catholic schooling are remarkable, including those of faculty and staff, parents, benefactors, volunteers, and fellow parishioners.

The Catholic High School of Saint Patrick is a community of educators and learners that communicates truth, offers vision, and teaches skills that are essential in today’s times. It is about competency for the young, and commitment to them from adult mentors, but it is mostly about caring for the total person.

Saint Patrick is for our families. Your sons are most precious. It is a school that can make a world of difference in your son’s future.Finally, I thank in a special way all for your support of our invaluable Saint Patrick High School. And I ask that we all pray for both our local public schools and our Catholic schools that all of our educators will be successful in the development and education of every young person in our community, that all might grow “in wisdom, age and grace before God and humankind”. May the Lord bless all that work we do here and bring success to all our endeavors.