For anyone interested in the present and future of Catholic Schools in this country, these two excellent documents are a must read!

Both documents are honest about the challenges but also ring with great hope! These documents come not a moment too soon when most of the dialogue about Catholic Schools in low income areas is permeated, not by hope, but in despair.

Among other things, these documents affirm that Catholic Schools have been and remain the most effective and important resource for evangelization in the history of the Church in the United States! “There is no substitute for spending 35 hours each week in an educational environment permeated by faith and Gospel values” (Notre Dame Study). Most CCD programs spend about 35 hours a year offering religious instruction.

In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me”. At St. Augustine School we see every child God sends us as one of his sheep awaiting to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd each time they walk through our doors!

So our responsibility is to make sure that in every classroom, every subject, and every school activity, the message of the Good Shepherd is being spoken and his voice is being heard! Our children will follow Christ only if they can hear his voice. And they will hear his voice most effectively, when all of us ~ parents, parishioners, clergy, and educators ~ renew our commitment to the mission of Catholic Schools.