As we do every January, we begin today our celebration of National Catholic Schools Week, an annual celebration of Catholic education in our parish and, indeed, throughout the United States. It is an opportunity for us to recognize the importance of Catholic education and formation and to celebrate our school that has instructed and formed our children for 110 years! Our school has enjoyed a strong reputation as an outstanding Catholic elementary school ever since it opened in 1916. It was originally founded to ensure that the Catholic children in this area would receive both an excellent education and a strong foundation in their Catholic faith during a time when Catholics were a minority in the area. It has the same mission today and it is just as important now as it was more than 100 years ago. Our children excel academically as they are instilled with the Catholic teachings of love of God and neighbor. The national theme for this week – Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community – is well reflected in our school. You will notice that the logo for Catholic Schools Week is made up of images of people surrounding a cross. This symbolizes the important reality that the Church – and all of its institutions, including its schools – are first and foremost, not buildings but people of faith encircling and embracing our Lord who proclaimed the Good News through his words and actions. As he drew people to himself while he was among us in person, we are called to draw everyone to our Lord. Our school equips your children to do this.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our principal, Mrs. Jeanne Mulvanerty, for her outstanding, enthusiastic leadership. She has continued to introduce new initiatives and approaches to help our students learn and grow. I also want to thank our dedicated teachers and staff who work so well together to instruct and form our students academically, socially and spiritually.
Let me also thank our Home and School Board that continues to find new and exciting ways to build the school community. Additionally, I am very grateful to our dedicated Board of Limited Jurisdiction, now in its seventh year of assisting our school in such important areas as marketing, enrollment and development. Under the energetic leadership of Bud Tosti and Tom and Moira Hobson, Chet Walsh, Jessie Bryan and Michelle Johnson, his co-leaders of our Fall Golf Classic, we raised $94,000 for our school. In fact, in the last fiscal year, our BLJ raised $689,000 for our school. Our School Endowment Fund has also grown to $850,000. This financial support is so important for the ongoing vitality of our school and I thank everyone who supports the outstanding fundraising efforts of our BLJ.
Faith, hope and love are the binding elements of Catholic schools. Our faith in Jesus Christ fills us with hope as we strive to follow him in love and lead others to him as well. As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week with great enthusiasm, let us be grateful to God for his love for us and energized to share his love with everyone we meet!