Keeping the Faith

From Our Leadership

Bishop Malesic, Fr. John Betters and Frank O'Linn have written letters to the faithful regarding the Keeping the Faith initiative.

Rationale, Purpose, History

For 175 years, the Diocese of Cleveland has had a long and rich history of vital service to the Catholic faithful and the wider community of Northeast Ohio. Recent decades have brought challenges to the Catholic education sector, particularly affecting parish elementary schools, which have declined significantly both in the number of students and schools serving the elementary grades.

Honoring the Sisters

From the start of the system through most of the 20th century, most students were taught primarily by religious sisters, whether in religious order schools, or in parish schools that were led and staffed by religious orders or congregations at the invitation of the pastors.

Catholic Schools Today

Vision & Goals

The Keeping the Faith planning process seeks to build on the rich history and tradition of excellence and faith formation. Its purpose is to strengthen the system of elementary Catholic education in order to keep irresistibly Catholic, academically excellent, operationally sound and geographically accessible schools available across the diocese where demand exists.

Task Force Members

The task force is made up of a diverse group of 49 individuals, plus 9 Diocesan staff liaisons, including 22 members who are either current or past parents of Catholic school pupils (37%), 15 clergy and religious (26%), 15 current and past Catholic school employees (26%), and 12 business and nonprofit leaders (21%).