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Eighteenth Sunday of the Year
1 August 2010
Dear Friends in Christ,
The Lord Jesus gave to the Apostles their Great Commission as he was returning to his Father: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19) And from that day to this, the Church has sought to fulfill these instructions by engaging in the public work of teaching everything that Christ has taught us. This general work of teaching is called Catholic education, and it comes in many shapes and sizes for people of every age. As the new academic year draws near, it is time for us to consider the ways in which everyone in the parish receives a Catholic education, most especially our children.
Every Catholic parent has the most serious moral duty to give their children a truly Catholic education, and parents are the first and most important educators of their children. To assist parents in this task and to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission, the Church has from Christian antiquity organized Catholic schools for the education of children, and this remains the best and most highly recommended means of giving children a Catholic education: place them in a Catholic school. We are most fortunate at St. Mary’s to have a truly outstanding Catholic school, and every family in the parish is encouraged to place their children from age 4 through the eighth grade in our parish school.
For children through the eighth grade who are not in our parish school, there are two other ways of receiving a Catholic education: our religious education classes on Wednesday evening and a Catholic home school organized by the parents. Registration is now open for children who will be in our Wednesday evening classes this year, and parents can find registration forms in Sacred Heart Hall and on the parish website. We also ask homeschooling parents in the parish to register with our Director of Religious Education, Joann Miller, so that I will be aware of each child in the parish who is being homeschooled. This is requested of all homeschooling families and absolutely required of those with children who need to receive sacraments in the coming year.
For high school students, the primary means of continuing a Catholic education is to participate in our high school youth group on Sunday evening. This group meets each Sunday beginning at 6.30 in McGrady Hall in the undercroft of the church, and all high school students are invited to come and see for themselves that this is not something dreary or boring, but a truly satisfying and enriching experience of Christian fellowship with their peers.
Father Newman