Catholic education has led the way since 1727

    As we prepare to celebrate Catholic Schools Week with an array of activities culminating in our sharing of the Eucharist, I look back on my time in Catholic education in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and realize what a blessing that education has been to my life.
    Growing up in the tradition of Catholic education, first at St. Angela Merici and then at Ursuline Academy, I learned that, as disciples of Jesus, we are called to follow his command to serve others. I learned that we are called to make the world a better place because of our faith in Jesus.
    I serve the mission of Catholic education because it is my opportunity to live my faith with passion and commitment. I serve because my parents instilled in me, through Catholic education, the importance of using God’s gifts to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I serve because I was influenced by teachers who taught me the faith, not by words, but by witness.
    The many adults in my childhood bore witness to the Gospel by reflecting the boundless compassion and love of Jesus Christ. These adults cared about strong academics, but more importantly, about the whole character of each child, formed in the image and likeness of God.
    The young church is blessed because, under the direction of Archbishop Gregory Aymond, we still have parents and teachers such as these; we are blessed because we still have schools where we can profess and proclaim our faith. We have schools where we can live out a ministry of service. Just recently, on Martin Luther King Day, I was blessed to join some of our students in a day of service to the community.
    Events such as the Martin Luther King Day of Service show that our Catholic schools are a constant force for good in our community. When you look around, you see that many of our civic leaders are products of our Catholic schools. Having grown up here, I know these leaders; I know their character; and I know they were formed by the ministry of Catholic education.
    Catholic education is indeed a true ministry serving the mission of Christ. Our schools are committed to this ministry, but I also know that Catholic education transcends the classroom. Catholic education is at its best when parents, schools and children work together.
    During this week of celebrating Catholic schools, I thank the many of you who are committed to the Catholic ministry of service in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, a ministry that has been a force for good since 1727, when the Ursuline sisters brought Catholic education to the city. Almost three hundred years later, we are blessed to serve in their footsteps. We are blessed to serve God’s young church.
    Dr. Jan Daniel Lancaster is archdiocesan superintendent of Catholic schools.