By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami

Catholic schools have an irreplaceable role in the Church’s evangelizing mission. Our Catholic schools teach the three “Rs”– reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmatic (and they do it very well) but they also teach us about a fourth R – religion.

To have faith is to see the world in a particular way. As Catholics, we believe we receive the gift of faith in baptism — but it is a gift that must grow and develop. That’s why we study religion in the classroom — for faith must seek understanding if it is to light up our path in life. Faith needs to grow in understanding — but also, to have clear– sighted faith we need to grow in our relationship with the Lord. We are convinced that all human values find their fulfillment and unity in Christ. It is in Christ that the fullness of truth concerning man and God is to be found.

That’s why — besides religion classes — Catholic schools have time for prayer, for Mass, for retreats. We also make time for service projects. And that’s also why we have a code of conduct that both teachers and students are to adhere to, on and off campus. This code of conduct is not just a bunch of silly rules that make life difficult. Rather, our code of conduct, the way we interact with one another — whether as parents, teachers or students — is based on our faith — which, as I said, is a way of seeing the world and living in the world in a particular way. It is the way of Jesus, who tells us to love God with our whole hearts, minds, and souls — and to love one another as He has loved us.

In Catholic schools, students learn the truth about themselves. They learn that God made them to know him, to love him and to serve him in this life so that they can be happy with him forever in the life to come. How can anybody say that he or she is educating someone about the truth —and yet not be able to speak about God? About how He loves us and how the Son of God became man to save us by dying and rising for us?

The history of these United States would be incomprehensible without acknowledging the role of Faith, the role of communities of faith, in its foundation as well as in its foundational documents. And yet, how well —and how fairly —is this topic addressed in our secular schools? How can anyone say that he or she is educating someone about the truth, if they cannot teach that we exist not only for this life —but also for the next? Not to know that we were created for eternity is to be as ignorant as not knowing how to multiply fractions.

In Catholic social teaching, parents are regarded as the primary educators of their children and therefore they have the right to choose how their children should be educated. In Florida and some 20 states, state-sponsored scholarship programs have been expanded to allow parents, as the primary educators of their children, to choose an education for their children that respects the values of their faith tradition.

Expanding choice to include Catholic schools also remedies a historic injustice because of a faulty interpretation of the Separation of Church and State that was purposefully designed to discriminate against Catholic parents who chose to send their children to Catholic schools. (cf. Blaine amendments)

These scholarships, like Step Up, McKay, and others, grant parents an average of $8,000 per child to apply to the school of their choice. In addition, need-based financial assistance offered to qualifiing families by our schools has helped to make Catholic education an affordable option for parents to choose.

The goal of Catholic education —and what makes Catholic education “good news” —is the development of the whole person. In pursuing this integral formation, which aims to prepare our students for life —both this life and the life to come — we want our students to become saints.