Sunday, January 26 begins Catholic Schools Week, an annual opportunity to celebrate our Catholic schools and to thank all who make Catholic education possible. During this week, each of the 50 schools in the Diocese of Columbus will host events and activities to recognize families, show appreciation for administrators and teachers, celebrate clergy and religious, and participate in service activities for the community. It is also a time for inviting new families to take a look at the difference that Catholic schools make in the lives of our students.
This year, the Office of Catholic Schools chose a verse from the Gospel of John as our theme: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” This verse reminds us that, as Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, it is only through our union and connection with Him that we will bear much fruit for the benefit of our students, their families, and our Church. Our upcoming celebration of our Catholic school communities reminds us that there are many branches that allow our children to receive an excellent, Catholic education. Joined together by our faith in the Lord, we have accomplished a lengthy list of highlights:
• Enrollment continues to grow in our Diocese. Once again, we have seen steady increases in all areas of the Diocese and continue to surpass previous records. We are blessed to serve nearly 18,000 students across our schools. In fact, our enrollment is growing so quickly that we are facing capacity challenges, with 60% of the schools on waiting lists, and 20% of the schools at over 90% of capacity. With registration season upon us, capacity challenges remain at the forefront.
• Our growth has prompted a number of capital campaigns for expansion and renovation of school facilities around the Diocese. Bishop Watterson High School recently completed a beautiful renovation of its St. Pius X Chapel. St. Charles Preparatory School is nearing the completion of the new Brotherhood Center. And Holy Trinity School in Somerset recently broke ground on a new classroom addition. The Diocese and several parishes are also continuing to develop plans for the creation of new schools to serve the growing population of our Diocese.
• Our relentless commitment to supporting authentic and unapologetically Catholic schools continues this year. Developing a strong, faithful Catholic culture at every school remains a focal point of our work. This year, to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in October, the students at every school joined together to pray a Rosary led by Bishop Fernandes. It was amazing to see all of our schools united together to honor Our Lady. We also saw participation from every high school (and one elementary school!) in the annual March for Life in Washington, DC just last week. More than 300 of our Catholic school students made the trip along with Bishop Fernandes to put their faith into action and defend life.
• Through Catholic education, we show our students the fullness of creation, inseparable from the love of God. Last year, our administrators began a study of Catholic Academic Integration – incorporating a Catholic perspective into all content areas and into all aspects of school life. The schools of the Diocese of Columbus have chosen an anthropology grounded in the Way, the Truth, and the Life, bringing a Catholic worldview into every aspect of our schools. We are continuing to develop this work by reflecting on Catholic instructional practice and methodology, aligning our curriculum and resource selection more with the teaching mission of the Church.
None of the success of our Catholic schools would be possible without the dedicated people who make it a reality every day. During this celebration of Catholic Schools Week, I would like to sincerely thank the administrators who tirelessly lead our schools, the teachers and staff who educate and care for our children daily, and all of the families that have made the choice to send their children to schools where they can learn and thrive in the fullness of our Catholic faith. We are truly blessed here in the Diocese of Columbus by so many who are motivated by their love of the Lord and desire to create excellent Catholic schools.
I ask that you keep our schools, our administrators and teachers, and our students in your prayers. And, of course, please encourage anyone with an interest in learning more about our schools for their children to contact their local Catholic school or visit education.columbuscatholic.org.