This week, Catholics across the country pause to celebrate Catholic Schools Week - a time to give thanks for the ministry of Catholic education and the countless students, teachers, families, and supporters who help it flourish. Catholic schools have a long and proud tradition of shaping not only strong minds, but generous spirits. Rooted in the gospel, these schools work to form students who know that they are loved by God, responsible to one another, and called to serve the world. All subjects - math, science, reading, history, the arts - are taught through the lens of faith, hope, compassion, and respect for the dignity of every person.

At the same time, our parish community embraces and values all children and families, those who choose Catholic schools, those who learn in public schools, and those who homeschool or seek other options. Every parent makes educational choices prayerfully and wisely, based on the needs of their child. We honor those decisions and recognize that holiness and leadership flourish in every classroom, wherever children grow, learn, and discover God’s purpose for them. All parents must remember the promise that they made on the day that their child was baptized, to be the first and best teachers of their children in the ways of faith.

As we celebrate this week, we offer prayers of thanksgiving - for students who bring joy and curiosity, for parents and grandparents who sacrifice and support, for educators who teach with dedication, and for our parishes that believe every child is a gift and a blessing. We have three Catholic Schools in our community Saint Catherine of Siena-Saint Lucy, Ascension, and Saint Giles Catholic Schools. Please hold in prayer our principals, Sharon Leamy, Maureen O’Neill Nielson, and Meg Bigane. They are extraordinary leaders and devoted to their duties as principals. May Catholic Schools Week renew in all of us a commitment to faith, learning, and our wider Catholic Communities of Oak Park and neighbors.

Finally, heads up… the Annual Catholic Appeal is underway once again. We will hear more about it and have the Appeal in mid-February. This year's theme is “Together We Bring Light.” As in the past, this is a shared effort throughout the archdiocese to raise money that supports education and offers services to the less fortunate. We will read about, and hear more about this year’s ACA, our Annual Catholic Appeal, in the coming weeks.

With you a Christian. For you, a priest.

Fr. Carl Morello 
Pastor
Ascension and St. Edmund Parish
St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish