“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” (Mt 28: 19-20). Our Lord’s final command to his disciples was very clear: to make disciples of everyone and teach them everything he had commanded them. Since that time, his followers have understood evangelization and education to be central to their faith. And, through the ages, the Church has placed a great emphasis on both. Evangelization, as defined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is “the proclamation of Christ and his Gospel by word and testimony of life.” Education is an essential aspect of evangelization since it expands and explains the Gospel and provides for a contemporary application of the eternal truths found in Christ’s teachings.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has enjoyed a very strong tradition of Catholic education that dates back to the late 18th century, with the establishment of a parochial school at St. Mary parish. By 1860, under the leadership of our fourth bishop, Saint John Neumann, there were 17 parish elementary schools in Philadelphia. By 1911, there were 68,000 students in Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese. And, in 1916, our own St. Katharine School opened with a surprisingly high enrollment of 168 students (Msgr. Charles F. Kavanaugh, the pastor of our young parish – it was founded in 1893 – had only anticipated 100 students) who crowded into six classrooms. Thanks to the long, consistent history of an excellent faculty and staff, our school has continued to grow. While so many other Catholic schools throughout our Archdiocese have closed or consolidated, our enrollment today is a very strong 379 students and our school, under the visionary and enthusiastic leadership of our principal, Mr. Bud Tosti, and the outstanding guidance of our wonderful teachers and staff, continues to thrive! I am particularly impressed by the active involvement of so many of the parents of our students in a variety of school activities and am delighted to know that the school staff recognize them as important partners in the school. I am also encouraged by the enthusiasm, dedication and imagination of our newly-formed Board of Limited Jurisdiction. You will recall that this Board was formed last spring to assist us in the marketing, enrollment and development for the school. It has already hosted a young alumni reunion and is planning an exciting social evening for all alumni and supporters of our school on 29 February; I encourage everyone to attend and support our school!
I firmly believe in Catholic education. I have related several times that, as I prepared to return to the Philadelphia Archdiocese when my assignment in Rome was coming to an end in 2011, Cardinal Rigali called to ask about my preference in ministry. I responded immediately that I would prefer to return to parish ministry; I had spent enough time in administrative ministries. He then asked if I had any preferences regarding the type of parish. I responded that I would prefer a parish where the trees are taller than the buildings (meaning a parish in the suburbs) and with a school – because I consider the school to be so important to the vitality of a parish. And, our school is certainly a very vital part of our parish and I’m delighted to offer my support.
As we begin Catholic Schools Week with the theme, “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed,” I encourage all of you to attend a School Open House; the next one will be held on Thursday, 6 February, 9:00 – 11:00am. Everyone in the parish who contributes to our Sunday collections contributes to the operation of the school. Although tuition payments cover most school expenses, the parish contributes as well; last year, it provided 15% of the school operating costs. So, come and see your contribution at work and how we encourage our students to learn, serve, lead and succeed in the name of the Lord with an outstanding academic curriculum and a wide variety of extra-curricular activities!
Yes, evangelization and education are very important in our Church. As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, let’s thank God for our strong and vibrant school and rededicate ourselves – each of us – to growing in our faith and teaching our children in the wondrous ways of our faith!