Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

I always enjoy Catholic Schools Week; it gives me a chance to celebrate with some of our Catholic high school and grammar school students. Yesterday, I was in Kenosha to celebrate at St. Joseph Academy and All Saints Catholic School. Today, I spent time at St. Leonard Parish School in Muskego, and on Thursday, I’ll be at St. Mary’s Springs Academy, Fond du Lac.

There is a unity that joins all Catholic students together; our very baptism makes us brothers and sisters. As archbishop, I have the privilege of celebrating Mass with administration, faculty, staff, students and even some parents. We gather around the altar and witness our faith as we pray for our Catholic schools. I try to emphasize that we are a people who must express our gratitude for these many blessings.

Catholic education did not just develop out of thin air. It developed over decades through the sacrifices made by bishops, priests, religious, deacons and committed lay faithful to fulfill the mission of the Church given to us from Jesus: “Go 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.”

In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, there is a renaissance in Catholic education. Many parents desire that their children receive the worldview that comes from a faith-based perspective. Recent studies have demonstrated that Catholic education produces citizens that are more concerned with social issues, a responsibility for the common good and are more likely to participate in civic government. Parents have determined that the sacrifices they make to send their child to a Catholic school instills in them a sense of personal dignity – they can achieve a success that surpasses grades on a report card.

This evening, hundreds of people from the archdiocese will gather at Marquette University to pay tribute to those involved with Catholic education. It’s the annual Catholic Schools Dinner, and the overwhelming majority of attendees are products of Catholic education. Years ago, someone cared enough to send them to a Catholic school and now they return as the great promoters who understand the value of preserving and extending Catholic education.

I thank God for my own Catholic education, for the religious sisters who taught me and protected my vocation. Now, as archbishop, I thank God for our superintendent of Catholic Schools, Kathleen Cepelka, Ph.D., and her staff, for the high schools and grammar schools of our archdiocese, and for the priests and parishioners that support our schools. I hope we realize that we need Catholic education and that Catholic education needs us. After all, Catholic schools educate us in the ways we can LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Note: This blog originally appeared as the January 27, 2015 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.