It doesn't matter really what the church recovers if most working families can't afford the tuition. Today in my Diocese (Brooklyn) it costs $5600.00 a year for each child, which is unaffordable, so most people send their children to the godless/woke/LGBT Public Schools.
What the church needs to recover is a way of making catholic education "FREE" for all children of Catholics. I'm afraid nothing else will save catholic education.
Have you tried dividing that amount out in monthly payments throughout year and comparing that to weekly/monthly childcare costs? Why should Catholic schools bear the burden of crunching affordability when we all are paying through the nose in our taxes for unused public school education? Even our local rural parochial school has tuition assistance in addition to payment plans. Yes, only a few years ago most all inner city parochial schools were generally so supported they could offer generous tuition assistance to minorities. Yes, I believe the federal government has recently improved or started tax breaks for private school families. It is a complex problem that will not be solved overnight. But families have to be committed to the vision and values of Catholic education and do the best they can now.
You can get involved directly at your local Catholic school in any capacity but especially in support from parish and everyone knowing what and how their children are educated.
Most especially contact Institute for Catholic Education (ICLE) in their work in revitalizing parochial schools. Christ the King parish school in Milwaukee Oregon is but one platinum example. Fr Cihak there would be happy to tell all (but of course the website does a great job of that too).
I duly noted this back in May, but now with Archbishop Cordileone in his new position at the Vatican, maybe there will be more visible progress toward support for Catholic education. Anyone who wants example of a renewed Catholic parish and school should look at Christ the King school in Milwaukee, Oregon. Msgr. Cihak was actively involved in that with ICLE support.
In my experience in England, the young people we now see finding our Catholic parish are largely the ones who haven't been through the Catholic Education System. The ones who have (my own adult children included) were inoculated against the Faith: not only by their largely non-Catholic teachers and government dictated curriculum, but also by their perceived dissonance of the importance of catechesis and relational formation in Christ between school, home and parish. I have learnt the hard way about this, and pray that my children, by the mercy of God, will return to the Faith and that I am granted the graces to embody an integrated living faith in Christ with joy and conviction. That we may all become saints and attain heaven.
It doesn't matter really what the church recovers if most working families can't afford the tuition. Today in my Diocese (Brooklyn) it costs $5600.00 a year for each child, which is unaffordable, so most people send their children to the godless/woke/LGBT Public Schools.
What the church needs to recover is a way of making catholic education "FREE" for all children of Catholics. I'm afraid nothing else will save catholic education.
Have you tried dividing that amount out in monthly payments throughout year and comparing that to weekly/monthly childcare costs? Why should Catholic schools bear the burden of crunching affordability when we all are paying through the nose in our taxes for unused public school education? Even our local rural parochial school has tuition assistance in addition to payment plans. Yes, only a few years ago most all inner city parochial schools were generally so supported they could offer generous tuition assistance to minorities. Yes, I believe the federal government has recently improved or started tax breaks for private school families. It is a complex problem that will not be solved overnight. But families have to be committed to the vision and values of Catholic education and do the best they can now.
So, how can those of us with an educational career background help?
Good question Fr Neil. I will enquire and update.
You can get involved directly at your local Catholic school in any capacity but especially in support from parish and everyone knowing what and how their children are educated.
Most especially contact Institute for Catholic Education (ICLE) in their work in revitalizing parochial schools. Christ the King parish school in Milwaukee Oregon is but one platinum example. Fr Cihak there would be happy to tell all (but of course the website does a great job of that too).
I duly noted this back in May, but now with Archbishop Cordileone in his new position at the Vatican, maybe there will be more visible progress toward support for Catholic education. Anyone who wants example of a renewed Catholic parish and school should look at Christ the King school in Milwaukee, Oregon. Msgr. Cihak was actively involved in that with ICLE support.
In my experience in England, the young people we now see finding our Catholic parish are largely the ones who haven't been through the Catholic Education System. The ones who have (my own adult children included) were inoculated against the Faith: not only by their largely non-Catholic teachers and government dictated curriculum, but also by their perceived dissonance of the importance of catechesis and relational formation in Christ between school, home and parish. I have learnt the hard way about this, and pray that my children, by the mercy of God, will return to the Faith and that I am granted the graces to embody an integrated living faith in Christ with joy and conviction. That we may all become saints and attain heaven.