The Blessing of Catholic Schools

     This week we celebrate Catholic Schools Week throughout the whole Diocese and beyond. Catholic Schools Week is an opportunity to showcase the value of an education rooted in the Catholic worldview, and what a treasure we have in our schools. The Diocese of Dallas is home to 27 grade schools and 8 high schools, as well as the Notre Dame School for students with intellectual disabilities. Finally, the Diocese is home to the University of Dallas, a top-ranked liberal arts university with a solid Catholic identity, of which I am a proud alum. 
     Catholic schools are not merely private schools that include religion classes. Rather, they are an apostolate of the Church, inspired by a supernatural vision and sustained by the evangelical witness of the principal, faculty, and staff, and indeed of the whole community. The truth of the Gospel and all its implications are not segmented and taught only in religion classes, but are instead incorporated into the entirety of our curriculum in their proper order. Catholic schools aspire not only to academic excellence, but to the formation of the whole person: intellectually, morally, socially, and spiritually. 
     The Church desires that Catholic education be available, accessible, and affordable, to all Catholic parents and their children, and great efforts are made each year to provide tuition assistance for families in need. The Church also recognizes that “Parents also have the right to that assistance, to be furnished by civil society, which they need to secure the Catholic education of their children” (Code of Canon Law, c. 793 §2). Although that state support was lacking in the past, Texas has begun furnishing assistance to families at Catholic schools through a new program called Texas Education Freedom Accounts, or TEFA for short. More information can be found at https://educationfreedom.texas.gov. 
     Finally, of course, we have our own Pre-K3 through 8th Grade school here at St. Elizabeth, which is a vibrant and integral part of our parish community. If you have considered our school in the past, but thought it out of reach, you might find it newly accessible thanks to TEFA. Our school is a blessing! Please consider supporting the work of Catholic education in our community by visiting https:// saintspride.com/giving or attending our Gala on Saturday, February 21st. Tickets will be available soon after all weekend Masses.