Catholic Schools Week is upon us and one of the many benefits is increased press coverage all over the nation.
The following is an excerpt from an op-ed piece written by Father James C. Manship, pastor of New Haven Connecticut's St. Rose of Lima Parish.
The second largest provider of education outside of the government, Catholic schools and universities consider education as a sacred duty. Catholic education recognizes the dignity of each person, and so our focus is on the integral formation of the whole person, body, mind, and soul. The respect of oneself, neighbor, and God helps our students to recognize that our lives do not belong to us alone, but to God, and with that comes a duty to God and to one another. This point is at the core of our educational mission.
More than ever, our country needs the contribution of Catholic schools and the integral formation we offer to our students. The fragmentation of family, the corruption of our institutions, the rampant dishonesty and greed that has undermined our economic system, the selfishness that subverts solidarity, and the violence that envelops our world, will not be changed unless we awaken our youth to different ways to live one’s life.
To paraphrase the founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, we are called to be a people for others. Catholic education is not just about providing a quality education, a safe, respectful environment, nor is it just an opportunity to have a good career. Our educational mission has at its goal the formation of our young to be faithful adults, who understand their duty to contribute to the common good.
Not much need for me to add anything. Father Jim pretty much said it all.
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