January 28, 2009

Reasons to celebrate Catholic schools

By Loretta Oakes

Many years ago, my cousin came to visit my newborn daughter and celebrate her birth.  She was full of compliments, all the things new parents want to hear.  However, she dropped the heaviest brick we could imagine.  She looked at our new little angel and said, “Isn’t it amazing that God entrusts us with their souls?”

That single comment changed our perspective, as well as how we approached everything about parenthood.  No longer did we worry about her gymnastics or dance future, we concentrated on her education. 

As Catholic parents, there are many times when we wonder if we’re doing a good job of educating our children, especially with regard to our Catholic faith and traditions.  Like all Christian parents, we worry that our own knowledge of our rich Catholic roots may not be up to par. 

What we’ve come to learn is that none of us should feel like we have to bear this task alone.  Our parents, our siblings and friends can all share in the responsibilities of raising our children in the Catholic faith.  However, we have another ally that is ready and able to help us in our quest to educate our children.  We have Catholic schools. 

Thankfully, here in Denver, we have an archbishop, a deanery and clergy that fully support the concept of Catholic education.  Catholics schools offer a safe, nurturing environment in which all children are considered important because the staff recognize that we are all made in the image of God and we are all important enough to be loved. 

Sadly, this philosophy is not the cornerstone of the everyday public school system.  When our daughter attended first grade just up the street, we quickly found out we couldn’t celebrate Christmas—instead a wintertime theme was observed.  We were not able to mention Easter because it might offend others. That’s when we found a home at Our Lady of Lourdes School.  We quickly learned that our traditional thinking of 30-minute religion class every day was incorrect.  Catholic school provided so much more.  When the children study science, they learn about the vastness of their Creator.  When they are learning to read, they use stories that enrich their minds and their faith.   When they study about our earthly environment, they learn how to be stewards of God’s creation.  All of these things are valuable lessons that they will carry for the rest of their lives.  Listening to the Christian values that my children are learning gives me great cause to celebrate.

Five years ago, my husband and I took the first step in providing a better education for our children by enrolling them at Lourdes.  To this day, it has been the single best decision we’ve ever made for them.  Catholic school has provided a stable environment in which they thrive and strive to be their best.  With the excellent academic standards that the diocese and the Lourdes staff provide, my children are not only learning the basics that every school offers (and achieving higher levels than their public school peers); they are learning how much God loves them.

This year Our Lady of Lourdes School celebrates its 60th anniversary.  That is a true milestone.  For 60 years, this school has been offering children an alternative to the everyday, plain concept of education.  For 60 years, Lourdes has been graduating educated children who are socially, emotionally and spiritually thriving.  Clearly this is another reason to celebrate. 

What greater gift can we give our children than a solid education that lasts them a lifetime?  The only gift that truly matters is the gift of God’s love that leads them to an eternal happiness with the Creator of everything.

This year, consider Catholic school.  Give your children a reason to celebrate.

Loretta Oakes is a parishioner at Our Lady of Loreto Church in Foxfield.