Catholic Schools Week - Caring Communities

This week I write about Catholic Schools and the reasons I so believe in them ...

We know what Jesus said ... "love one another as I have loved you." And I am a living product of the kind of environment that showed that perspective every day. I am not just a cradle Catholic but a cradle Catholic school student, from Kindergarten through the University I attended. I know the difference true care makes.

A caring community ... any caring community, whether it's as simple as a small church group or as complicated as a Catholic school ... is a great place to learn in, no matter the situation. The connections are real, there is love in the air, there is something uniquely different about it ... it exudes a palpable sense of belonging and of being accepted and loved because you do.

I value all of the caring school communities I have been a part of, through grade school, into high school and college ... and they have each left a mark on me, morally and spiritually, and in secular ways too. Beyond camaraderie and warm feelings, they have taught me how to care, really care, for others. They have taught me the value of sharing your blessings. They have instilled in me a moral sense that no amount of pure education and knowledge can compete with. And yes, importantly, they have delivered a great education wrapped in that love that Jesus spoke of.

I thank God that we have Catholic schools, because they deliver value beyond measure ... they truly do.