Office of Catholic Schools CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: A COMMITMENT RENEWED Dear Friends in Christ: Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. (Mt 28:19-20) Having now completed a most successful and joyful celebration of the Great Jubilee, it is only natural that the Church in the Diocese of Youngstown should turn its attention to the future. It is an especially appropriate time to assess our priorities and carefully consider the plans and programs that will shape our work in the days and years to come. Included in any list of Diocesan priorities must be a renewed appreciation for and commitment to our Catholic schools. Catholic schools have to be as prominent and productive in the future of our Church as they have been in the past, because in very simple terms, Catholic schools remain the most effective means we have of fulfilling the command of Christ to "go forth and teach." As we enter into a new millennium, and as we prepare for the annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week, I invite our Diocesan Church to reflect upon the value and importance of the Catholic schools in our Diocese and to renew our enthusiastic commitment to their future success. First, permit me to share some general information about Catholic schools, taken in part from the material provided by the United States Catholic Conference for the observance of Catholic Schools Week. As we know, Catholic schools have been an important part of the life of our nation since its earliest days. As early as 1606, Franciscan missionaries opened the first Catholic school in the New World at St. Augustine, Florida. Later, for many immigrants, Catholic schools were the means of preserving the culture and values of the "old country." In some parts of the country schools cared for the needs of orphans, Native American children and minority groups. In other areas where the Catholic population was itself a tiny minority, the schools provided an oasis of Catholic values, protecting children and families from the negative influences of secular culture. Today, Catholic schools continue to be an important and life-giving part of the national scene, and no one should doubt the positive and long-lasting contributions they make. Today, there are 8,144 Catholic schools in the United States serving a total student population of over 2.6 million. Catholic schools teach a very diverse group of students, with the percentage of minorities in Catholic schools standing at nearly 25 percent. Studies indicate that parents choose Catholic education for their children for three important reasons: the demonstrated superior academic achievement of Catholic school students; their safe and disciplined learning environment; and a complete education which includes religious education and an assimilation of Christian moral values. Catholic schools also provide a very substantial financial gift to our nation, a fact often overlooked. Based on the projected per pupil cost in public schools ($6,642 in the 1998-99 school year), parents of Catholic elementary school students provided a gift of over $15 billion to local, state and federal governments - - the cost these entities would have paid if all Catholic elementary school students had attended public schools! And what is the status of Catholic schools in our own region, in the Diocese of Youngstown? Currently, in the Diocese of Youngstown, there are 45 elementary schools and 6 high schools. The enrollment of our elementary schools is approximately 11,300 and in our high schools, 2,600. There are 634 full time teachers in elementary schools and 182 full time teachers in our high schools. Because our resources are limited, teachers' salaries remain unacceptably low. The average beginning salary for elementary school teachers for the 2000-01 school year is $16,352, and for high school teachers, $21,900. Despite this lack of suitable compensation, our teachers continue to serve with great competence and commitment, often making significant personal sacrifices to participate in the teaching mission of the Church. While avoiding the temptation to seek facile answers to a complex problem, the Church in the Diocese of Youngstown must be committed to address teachers' salaries and to remedy this unacceptable situation. The tuition for Catholic schools in the Diocese continues to be far below the national average. In the 1999-2000 school year, the average high school tuition was $3,315, while the per pupil cost was $5,251. In that same year, our elementary school average tuition was $1,094, and the per pupil cost was $2,505. Over and above the tuition, therefore, the cost of educating children in our schools is supplemented by other sources, including fundraising and Diocesan and parish subsidy. The institutional Church in Youngstown continues to maintain a very substantial commitment to Catholic education. In our elementary schools, because tuition is so low, parishes regularly direct a significant portion of the parish budget to operate Catholic schools, sometimes sacrificing the financial stability of the parish or limiting funding of other important parish programs and activities. In recent years, the Diocese has also provided direct grants of $125,000 per year to support Catholic schools, especially in parishes where the need is great. In our high school program, the Diocese provides direct subsidies, with funds raised from parish assessments. The total Diocesan subsidy to our high schools in the last school year was over $2.2 million. As Diocesan Bishop, I have attempted to be personally supportive of Catholic education, particularly with regular visits to our schools. I have visited all six of our high schools at least every two years, and I continue to visit our elementary schools on a regular basis. I have now visited approximately three-fourths of our parish schools, and intend to continue this very enjoyable and informative practice. As we review this information, all Catholics of the Diocese should be very grateful to the teachers who make personal sacrifices for their profession, to parents who provide tuition and participate in fundraising activities, and to pastors and their parishioners who generously provide leadership and much-needed funding to support Catholic schools throughout the Diocese. In this context, too, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the recently established Youngstown Diocesan Catholic School Scholarship Fund, created in memory of Mary Ellen Cushwa Wolsonovich. This endowed fund is intended to provide scholarship assistance for every school of the Diocese. This fund now totals $1.5 million (with a total of $3.5 million pledged) and in its first year of existence, provided $73,250 in scholarships for 145 students. We are deeply grateful to the members of the Wolsonovich and Cushwa Families and to all who have so generously supported this very ambitious and worthwhile project. Now, with this national and Diocesan picture as our backdrop, we should turn to some fundamental questions: Why do we do this? Why are Catholic schools so important? What is the purpose of Catholic education? The simply stated purpose of Catholic education is to carry on the teaching mission of Jesus Christ and the Church. Or, in the words of Pope John Paul II: "The ultimate goal of all Catholic education is salvation in Jesus Christ. Catholic educators effectively work for the coming of Christ's Kingdom. This work includes transmitting in full the message of salvation, which elicits the response of faith." (Address to Catholic Educators in the United States, 1987) "Salvation in Jesus Christ" - - what a clear and compelling goal is set forth for Catholic education, a challenge that should capture the imagination and energize the commitment of all who serve in our schools. This ultimate goal is realized by the achievement of three specific objectives in our Catholic schools: to teach doctrine, build community, and motivate service. The first objective of Catholic schools is to teach the doctrine of the Catholic Church. I was reminded of this in no uncertain terms by a young man who said to me very emphatically during a recent high school visit: "we want to learn about our Faith; we don't want to sing songs and draw pictures; we want to understand what the Church teaches and why, and be able to explain it to others." The transmitting of the objective content of our faith is the foundation upon which the other goals of Catholic education are built, the foundation upon which Catholic students will build their adult lives of faith. In turn, this well-informed faith will be joyfully expressed and enriched by a life-long desire to participate in liturgy, in worship that is "full, conscious and active." We are also pleased to note that over the years, other Christians and peoples of other faiths have sent their children to Catholic schools. They, too, have recognized the values inherent in our schools and they have been a welcomed addition to our school communities. Openness to such diversity is indeed one of the hallmarks of Catholic education. The second objective of Catholic schools is to build community. It is very important, from a Christian perspective, that we call our students beyond the extreme individualism of our age and invite them into caring communities where they will learn about themselves, grow to their full potential, and discover the presence of God. A sense of community is one of the primary characteristics of the Christian experience. And the third objective of Catholic education is to motivate young people to service. Catholic teaching doesn't end with doctrine; if it did, it would be rather sterile. Catholic education doesn't end with community building; if it did, it would be rather self-serving. Catholic education finds its fulfillment in motivating others to service, a dimension so clearly rooted in the life and ministry of Jesus Himself. From my visits to our Catholic schools, and from meeting so many of our Catholic school graduates, I am pleased to report that the mission of Catholic education is being superbly fulfilled throughout the Diocese of Youngstown. Our schools are leading young people to encounter Christ and His teachings. They are teaching the doctrine of the Church and instilling Christian moral values. They are building an awareness of community life and motivating our young people beyond themselves to serve the needs of others. I believe that we need to be always attentive to these goals, lest our Catholic schools ever lose their reason for existence. At the same time, we have many reasons to be justly proud of the wonderful work that is taking place every day in the schools of the Diocese. In applauding the achievements of our Catholic schools, it would be less than honest not to recognize that Catholic education in the Diocese of Youngstown faces certain challenges, just as it does throughout our nation. As I've written in a previous "Without A Doubt" column (August 20, 1999): "I am convinced that for our schools to be successful or even survive, three things are necessary: students, money, mission. The enrollment of students is somewhat beyond our control, as it is clearly related to the changing demographics of city or town. We have a little more influence over the financial picture, but here too, there are many legitimate demands on our limited resources. The one factor we can absolutely determine, however, is fidelity to mission, the 'Catholicity' of our schools." These challenges are real, and in some cases they are urgent. While the overwhelming majority of our schools are very healthy from every perspective, there are a few others threatened by one or more of these challenges. And yet the challenges we face shouldn't frighten or discourage us. They should invite us, as a Diocesan Church, to renew our efforts on behalf of our schools. Therefore, as we enter this new millennium and welcome the future, I pledge the renewed commitment of the Diocese of Youngstown to the well-being of our Catholic schools. I invite all the members of the Diocese to join me in this effort. I ask all priests, including those who serve in parishes without schools, to make this ministry a focus of their pastoral work and preaching. Pastors should, on a regular basis, remind their parishioners of the importance of Catholic education. They should inspire their parishioners to make generous material and spiritual sacrifices so that Catholic education will be a reality for as many children as possible. Additionally, I encourage parishes with a large number of children and youth, and sufficient material resources, to consider the possibility of beginning a Catholic school program if none presently exists. I hope that religious communities involved in Catholic education will reaffirm their loving and strong commitment to this work. It is a good and important ministry, very relevant to the particular needs of our times. Throughout their history, Catholic schools would not have been possible without the generous commitment of religious women and men. Their commitment will continue to be essential if our schools are to prosper in the future. In a special way, I urge parents to consider very carefully the many advantages of Catholic education for their children. While never replacing parents as the primary educators of the Faith, Catholic schools are a most reliable partner in helping their children learn and practice the Faith. Catholic schools also provide outstanding and well-documented academic achievement, Christian moral values and discipline, and a rich variety of formative extracurricular activities. It is true that parents often must make substantial financial and personal sacrifices to provide Catholic education for their children, but a healthy sense of priorities in their lives will help them to do so. Finally, I urge every member of our Diocesan family, including those not directly or currently involved in Catholic schools, to be supportive of this ministry. Catholic education effectively passes on the Faith, strengthens community, and calls forth well-informed and principled leaders for every segment of our society. Historically, they have also been a rich source of vocations to the religious life and priesthood. In other words, every member of our Church benefits from our schools and should be eager to offer some measure of material and spiritual support. Additionally, as a Catholic community we should make a concerted effort to pass legislation, including so-called "voucher programs," that allows parents to have their tax dollars support true educational choice for their children. Political debate aside, this issue is, in the end, a question of social justice, one that would benefit the common good of the entire community. Nor should our strong affirmation of and commitment to Catholic schools be a source of envy or competition for other forms of religious education or other ministries of the Church. Home schooling is a legitimate option for some and it deserves the recognition and support of the Church. Likewise, other programs of religious education provide an essential, even irreplaceable, service for the Church and also deserve our full gratitude and support. Together, on this occasion and always, we should affirm and support all the ministries of the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ and as St. Paul reminds us, "There are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I do not need you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I do not need you' . . . God has constructed the body so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy." (Cf. I Cor 12:20-26) In conclusion, I wish once again to commend and thank all who are personally committed to the wonderful work of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Youngstown: our priests and religious; Catholic school teachers, administrators, staff and volunteers; our Diocesan Schools Office; parents and students; and all the members of the Diocese and wider community who work together so well to support our Catholic schools. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to provide the blessing of a Catholic education for so many children and young people of our Diocese. Let our work for Catholic schools always be guided and motivated by the ultimate reason for their existence: "Salvation in Jesus Christ!" January 7, 2001 Epiphany of the Lord Sincerely yours in Christ, Thomas J. Tobin Bishop of Youngstown Back to Office of Catholic Schools