OFFICE OF THE CARDINAL - January 27, 2008

ARCHDIOCESE OF DETROIT
1234 WASHINGTON BLVD.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48226

My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:
As the Catholic schools of our country celebrate a week dedicated to their very vital service of the Church and our society, I want to take the occasion to offer a few reflections on the gift and blessing of Catholic schools here in our Church of Detroit.

In conjunction with other Catholic schools throughout the country, from January 27 through February 2, 2008, we proclaim that “Catholic Schools Light the Way.” Our theme is based on the message we will proclaim in just a few weeks at the Easter Vigil-that Jesus Christ is the light of the world, the light that has overcome the darkness of sin and death, the light that shows us the way to unity with God and one an-other. The dedicated principals, administrators, teachers, support staff, and parents-not to mention the students-of Catholic schools seek to follow the light of Christ in a curriculum that brings together prayer, academics, sports, and social service outreach in a atmosphere of loving discipline and clearly articulated faith values.

I would particularly like to highlight the many ways our Catholic schools have creatively responded to the cultural challenges of our own life and times. For instance, several of our local schools in the past year alone have raised great sums of money, and collected food and clothing for people with urgent needs. Some of our schools blend into the normal academic calendar with the expectation that students will annually do “hands on” ministry with the needy in soup kitchens of other service centers. Some of our schools have honored those who have given their lives through military service in Afghanistan and have prayed for those who maintain their peace and security as policemen and firemen. Our students are taking full advantage of the opportunities of computers, even designing their own podcasts for the Internet.

Catholic schools are setting where prayer and the regular celebration of the Mass is part of the school day and week. Many vocations to the priesthood or religious life can trace their roots to the influence of the experience of having grown up in a Catholic school.

I am proud to say the Archdiocese will be opening four new schools in the months ahead - Detroit Cristo Rey, a high school with a work-study component on the Southwest side of Detroit; Austin Catholic Academy in Macomb Township; a high school in conjunction with Everest Academy in Clarston; and St. Catherine of Siena Academy for Girls in Novi.

The Lord has given us a great blessing in and through the generations of people who have built up and sustained our Catholic schools.
May we continue to rejoice in the way “Catholic Schools Light the Way”!

Sincerely yours in the Lord,
Adam Cardinal Maida
Archbishop of Detroit

Rev: 01/27/08