The mission of South Jersey Catholic Schools is to educate and inspire young minds spiritually, academically and in service to others. As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week – Sunday, January 29, through Saturday, February 4 – this mission shines through at each of our elementary and high schools in the Diocese.
Each principal, teacher, coach and staff member is dedicated to educating the whole student. The curriculum is created to ensure that academic excellence and faith are intertwined in all subjects. We prepare our students not only to succeed in the future, but also to be faithful citizens of the world as moral and ethical adults.
Academics at our schools are often described as rigorous. Some parents might be concerned with that description. It means that our dedicated faculties strive to create environments where students not only meet the educational standards but also exceed them. Additionally, our schools give students the opportunity to enhance their skills outside the classroom through athletics, performing arts and extracurricular clubs. We strive to prepare well-rounded students with the skills to perform not only in college but for their future careers.
Similarly, the spiritual formation of students is not just limited to a religion class. It is pervasive throughout the school in all subjects and activities – whether in the classroom, in the gym, on the stage or in our extracurricular clubs. Our administrators and faculties, along with local parish priests and religious sisters, provide an environment where Gospel values and Church teaching and traditions are consistently modeled. In our schools, students regularly attend Mass, learn about and receive the Sacraments, and weave the lessons of Jesus Christ into activities in the classroom.
During Catholic Schools Week, many of our schools send students to Sunday Mass at our parishes to speak about their experiences and the benefits of Catholic education. As you leave Mass this Sunday, I suggest you take a moment to introduce yourself to one of these wonderful students and learn more about his or her academic journey.
Our curriculum and the spiritual nature of our schools encourage another companion element, a dedication to serving our sisters and brothers in need in our communities. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Whatever you do for one of these least brothers of mine, you do for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Throughout the year, including Catholic Schools Week, our students engage in a variety of service projects. These experiences of service to others will live in the hearts and minds of our students long after they have left our halls and will influence their understanding and treatment of the needy among us.
Please support the mission of our Catholic schools by prayerfully considering a donation to the South Jersey Scholarship Fund (16042.thankyou4caring.org/south-jersey-scholarship-fund) or to a school directly. I thank you for your generosity and support.
Let us pray for our administrators, teachers, priests, religious sisters, students and their families as they embrace the opportunities only found at a Catholic school.
Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D.
Bishop of Camden