That’s why I love Catholic schools

Every January Catholic schools across the United States celebrate Catholic Schools Week, this year scheduled for Jan. 25-31.

St. Columbkille School usually joins in with special Masses, a talent show, spelling bee, Bible trivia, pizza, pancakes – and the famous teachers vs. eighth-graders volleyball game.

Schools began observing Catholic Schools Week in 1974, so many adults might remember similar events when they were students.

 I remember being a student at Our Lady of Lourdes School and going to the eighth-grade Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral. If I could have predicted the future, I might have looked over at the Holy Cross students and seen my future husband, who also was an eighth-grader at the time.

Both of us are proud Catholic-school products – for me from kindergarten through high school, for Tim kindergarten through college. And we’ve had our kids enrolled in Catholic schools for 20 years now.

Yet every once in a while I question the value of a Catholic education, especially when I’m stressed about money. After all, we have good public schools. Has it been worth the money to educate our children at St. Columbkille, Mercy and Prep?

My doubts usually disappear quickly. I’m always hoping and praying that our schools become more Catholic, but I see so much to be encouraged about.

At St. Columbkille, I love when teachers, priests, deacons, seminarians and others visit classrooms and share their faith. I get second-hand inspiration when my kids tell me what they’ve learned.

I love how well-behaved St. Columbkille students are. They hold open doors, talk politely and act reverently at Mass.

I love how they love life. Mr. Barth, a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher, generated some excitement this week when he announced to students that he’s about to become a father. Babysitting offers immediately followed.

And speaking of teachers: I love when they go off topic a bit at parent-teacher conferences and provide little glimpses of their personal faith. It inspires me and makes me grateful that they chose to teach at St. Columbkille.

And lastly, I love how administrators and staff are gentle, patient and understanding when there’s a problem that needs to be addressed or bills due.

Yesterday I was reminded of all these blessings when I visited students at another good Catholic school. A teacher and her fourth-grade students took a break from class, walked to the parish church and quietly adored the Blessed Sacrament and prayerfully wrote in journals. A fire truck’s siren broke the silence as it drove by outside, and the teacher quietly reminded the children to pray a “Hail Mary.”

That’s why I love Catholic schools, I thought at that moment.

It’s those little things that really aren’t so little: taking time for a personal visit with Jesus, listening to Him and tending to Him, praying for people in need.

Yes, you can teach those things within a family. But it’s great when classmates and teachers reinforce those lessons and offer other insights and inspirations to your children.

Catholic Schools really are something to celebrate.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.