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NOLACatholic Parenting Podcast
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The annual Catholic Schools Week celebration will be held across the country Jan. 26-Feb. 1. How important are Catholic schools to the fabric of our community?
I consider Catholic schools a vital ministry in the church, particularly in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. It’s an awesome bit of history to recall that Catholic education in the United States actually started in this archdiocese in 1727 with the arrival of the Ursuline Sisters from France. Catholic education in New Orleans has been a great blessing to generations upon generations, and we value it not only for ourselves but also for those in the broader community.
What impresses you about the people working in the ministry of Catholic education?
I am so grateful to the principals, presidents, teachers and staff who work in Catholic education and give generously of themselves to our youth. For them, it is not simply a job but a vocation. They serve the young people in our church by providing for them both academic excellence and faith formation. It’s my belief that every subject, to the extent that it’s possible, can be rooted in faith. For example, the church has always seen education as a search for the truth, and faith and reason go hand in hand. Some of the world’s greatest scientific discoveries have been made by Catholic scientists in search of the truth. The wonder of God’s creation is illuminated through the sciences. Students’ lives are enriched by reading literature written by Catholic authors. When studying a foreign language, we can teach Catholic prayer or read Scriptures in that language. The university system as we know it was begun by the Catholic Church. The whole purpose of Catholic education is to offer the very best in educational excellence and excellence in Christian formation. In Catholic schools, the mind is being formed, but the heart is also being formed to know Jesus, to be his disciples and to know the values of Jesus through Scripture and the teachings of the church. We help young people live that out in their lives.
And there are many non-Catholic students in our schools.
Yes. We don’t teach people because they are Catholic but because we are Catholic. Very often, people’s lives change because of Catholic education and formation, and many have come forward to ask to enter the Catholic Church because of their attendance at a Catholic school. Catholic education is a great means of evangelization. The work of Catholic schools extends beyond our young students to their parents. Our faculty and staff are there to minister both to the youth and to their parents and families.
The cost of tuition unfortunately keeps many families from partaking of Catholic education.
That’s a terrible reality, and it’s a question that I find very discouraging. I believe in my heart that anyone who wants Catholic education and believes that it would be of spiritual benefit to them should be able to enter Catholic schools, but that’s not the case. We have to pay salaries to our teachers. Years ago, Catholic education was much more affordable because we had so many religious teaching in Catholic schools. We have to strive to hire the very best teachers that we can, and that is a big cost. Also, it is expensive to maintain our buildings. We do have scholarship programs that provide a significant amount of money to families, and we will continue to raise money. We have established an annual collection called “Champions of Catholic Education” that we hope can provide more money for scholarships, and we are looking into other options to raise money and make it available for those who cannot afford Catholic schools. Our goal is to help in any way we can.
What about the increased competition in education?
There is a great deal of competition from the public and charter schools, but we firmly believe this is an important ministry of the church. I consider it a privilege that parents place their children in our hands and ask us to help form them in faith. We also must remember that the primary educators of our children are parents, and we assist them in the education and formation of their children.
The Catholic Schools Week Mass will be celebrated Jan. 31 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Metairie. Is it a thrill for you to celebrate that Mass every year?
It is, for a number of reasons. We ask God’s blessings upon all those involved in the ministry of Catholic education. And, to see a thousand members of the young church gathered to pray and celebrate the gift of faith and education is wonderfully inspiring.
Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected].
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www.nolacatholic.org