?Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service?
National Catholic Schools Week 2016 will be observed in dioceses around the country, January 31-February 6. Throughout the Diocese of Cleveland next week, schools are scheduling special activities and open houses to showcase the important faith-building, academic and societal contributions provided by a Catholic education. This year?s theme is, ?Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.?
?From the classroom we are reminded every day that Catholic schools are a vital part of the Church?s mission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and so an important aspect of our own teaching mission,? said Margaret Lyons, secretary for education/superintendent of schools, Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.
Pope Francis recently reminded Catholic educators at the World Congress held in Rome to know the spiritual and corporal works of mercy and to offer them to students in Catholic schools as practical examples of how to live the Gospel.
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland day school enrollment is 45,919 or fifth nationally overall, a rank that has been maintained since 2009. With the exception of Los Angeles, whose general population is over 11 million and whose Catholic population is growing, the Diocese of Cleveland has out-performed every other top Catholic school system in maintaining Catholic school enrollment.
About 1.9 million students are currently educated in nearly 6,600 Catholic schools around the country. Students receive an education that prepares them for higher education, a competitive work environment, but most importantly, living a Christian life of virtue in a challenging society.
The backbone of Catholic education is the relationship between the parent, the school and the Church
