Catholic Schools: Are They Worth It?

Last week we dropped Jackson (5) and Addie Rose (2) off at school – equipped with new shoes, new backpacks, and lots of prayer from their parents! We made the decision to send our kids to Catholic school, not because we’re on this hyper-academic, ace their ACTs and get-them-into-Harvard track. Sure, it’s a National Blue Ribbon School but that’s not why we’re sending them there.[1] The Catholic high school in town has racked up 38 state championships in the last 21 years, but that doesn’t really do it for us.[2] So why Catholic school?

Catholic schools are not mere college-prep stepping-stones toward elite colleges and high-paying jobs. Athletics are great and we’ll surely encourage our kids to participate, but state championships do not define Catholic witness. For us, the decision to send our kids to this particular Catholic school came down to two things: Jesus and discipleship.

What impresses us most about St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School is that making intentional, mission-minded disciples of Jesus Christ is the priority that informs everything they do. The school’s mission is the same as the parish’s mission – to build up a community of disciples who celebrate, live and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.[3] “We take seriously our commitment to family, stewardship and academic excellence,” says Julie Delaney, principal of the school. “But at the end of the day, we want these students to leave here as strong, intentional, missionary disciples of Jesus. St. Paul the Apostle is first and foremost a Catholic school focused on building up the kingdom of God. This is our defining mission.”

And that’s not just a message coming down from the top. From the principal’s office (which Jackson visited on his first day of school – long story but it had something to do with him looking for a raccoon) to the lunchroom ladies, this particular Catholic school is unequivocally committed to Jesus and the abundant life that can be found only in him.  “We can give these kids so much more of a foundation that just reading, writing, and math. We can give them the ultimate foundation of life – Jesus Christ,” notes Monica Burchett (who has the distinct privilege/punishment of serving in Jackson’s kindergarten class – pray for her).   

Luke Ebener, the Catholic youth minister serving both parish and school, can always be found among kids – sharing a meal in the lunchroom, playing kickball on the playground, or talking to kids waiting for buses. Luke’s passion is Christ and everything he does flows out of his relationship with God. “I just can’t imagine going back to life without Jesus, because He is life!” Luke says with enthusiasm. Luke had the opportunity to see the ministry of Young Life up close this summer as a participant in the Catholic Adult Guest Week at Timber Wolf Lake. While he admitted that the music was a little louder and the games a little crazier than your typical church camp, “The bottom line is the youth loved it! They heard the Gospel and it hit them right where they were at. It broke down walls and allowed the Gospel to penetrate their hearts and lives. It opened my eyes to reaching youth in a whole new way.”

Luke, Monica and Julie spend their time pouring into kids, not simply to teach them math, science and social studies, but to introduce them to the person of Jesus Christ, the one that changed their lives and they one they’re convinced will change the lives of kids like Jackson and Addie forever. Makes me wonder, “What if every Catholic school was just as excited about forming intentional disciples of Jesus?”

“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.”

Pope Benedict XVI

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[1] For more information about National Blue Ribbon Schools see http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html

[2] Assumption High School in Davenport has won 42 state team championships since its founding, 38 in the last 21 years. This doesn’t include a slew of state titles won by individuals in cross country, golf, wrestling, track and field, cheer and dance.

[3] For a complete list of the guiding values of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, see my previous post, “What Are Catholics All About?” at: http://ylcatholic.blogspot.com/2014/08/what-are-catholics-all-about.html