Growing up, I never had the opportunity to attend a Catholic school. My hometown was much too small to have a Catholic school and my home-parish was already struggling financially. Now, as I begin my first school year as the parochial vicar of a parish with a significant school I regret that fact because I see the blessings that come to a parish that provides a Catholic education.

First, and most importantly I see the impact attending Mass four schooldays a week has on our kids. (I was recently corrected by a Catholic educator that I shouldn’t refer to the children of the parish as “our” or “my” kids but instead as “the children of the parish”…I disagree, as their spiritual father I will continue to speak of our kids when speaking of the youth that attend the parish to which I am assigned) Also, the children that attend our school are far more educated about their faith as sixth graders than I was even as a graduating senior in high school; this awareness of the “why” we teach and believe what we do will aid them in faithfully living as witnesses of Christ and His Church. Another benefit for the kids, which they don’t appreciate at this point, is the fact that by attending Catholic schools the kids are forced to wear uniforms. Uniforms looks better and inspire the children to act better, having distinctive clothing for school as opposed to other times is a non-verbal reminder of the difference expected in their behavior.

As a newly ordained priest, the abundant blessings God has provided to the parish are overwhelming, but the greatest blessing we have, both in the parish and the wider universal Church, are the youth. My goal for the first year of priesthood is to help the parish to develop and implement a plan to meet the needs of the children who are an important, and sadly too often unappreciated, part of our Church. Having a Catholic school is a great first step in shaping the character of the next generation and encouraging the boys and girls that will become the priests and nuns of the future. Thank God for our Catholic education and all those that make it possible!

–A newly ordained Catholic priest