At Newport Central Catholic High School, as with Catholic schools across the U.S., we believe it is so important to take time each year to recognize the gift of Catholic education. During Catholic Schools Week 2015 last week, this is exactly what we did.
For those of us at NCC each day, we often get so involved with the pressing daily issues that we forget how lucky we are to be able to practice our faith openly, instilling Catholic values in our students, all while providing a superior learning environment.
With ever-increasing options for families, the education scene is vastly different than half a century ago when Catholic schools saw peak enrollment. Providing a faith-filled and rigorous education, Catholic schools – NCC particularly – are bound to fulfill our missions. Catholic schools have so much to offer. Not only are they academically on par with most public options, but we also offer faith and character development with a lasting, positive impact into the future. Catholic schools are supported by a 300-year history of excellence in the United States, and the benefits of our Church’s schools – academic excellence, connection to Gospel values, commitment to community and Christ, and service to others – are sorely needed to reinvigorate the Catholic subculture lacking in America today.
Many families ask themselves – why Catholic education? Why pay tuition for a Catholic education when the local public option is academically as strong? The answer is surprisingly convincing for families who value their Catholic faith, academic achievement, and social impact. As it turns out, students with at least eight years of Catholic education do see measurable increases in academic achievement (Greeley, 2008). Due to accrued social capital throughout years of Catholic schooling, students also see higher graduation rates from college and engage in civic service more frequently than their public counterparts (McDonald & Schultz, 2012). Most importantly, students from Catholic schools hold onto their faith and values more closely than Catholics who attend public schools. This last aspect is difficult to measure in terms of benefit, but Catholics with eight or more years of Catholic education report they are “happier, more accepting and tolerant, smarter, benign in their images of God, and more likely to view marriage as sacramental” (Greeley, 1989).
A quality Catholic education provides the faith formation necessary to bring students closer to Jesus Christ. Catholic schools offer salvation through the sacraments and help students strengthen their relationships with God. These elements, although challenging to quantify, are the reason Catholic education remains such a strong option. Our schools were strengthened by immigrants shunned by public schools, and their dedication to its ideals created a network of schools committed to teaching Gospel values, community, service, and faith. These teachings are needed now more than ever in this day and age. Faithful Catholics attend Mass to join in community with one another, share struggles with one another, and, ultimately, receive the redeeming and fulfilling sacrament of the Eucharist with one another. Our Catholic Mass offers the sacraments and allows the faithful to live out the great mysteries of the faith; Catholic schools strive to be a vital part of this process, and, for this reason, they remain an unquestionable option for a so many Catholics in the United States and here in Northern Kentucky.
Bishop Roger J. Foys, Bishop of the Diocese of Covington, often notes, “While there may be alternatives to Catholic education, there are no substitutes.”
At NCC, we strive every day to provide each student such a quality Catholic education. In as much as I have witnessed, our students are prepared to live out the NCC mission to become men and women of service, leadership, and evangelization for the Church and community.
Jason R. Huther is principal of Newport Central Catholic High School.