Teachers in our Catholic schools are blessings

The other day I was speaking with an elementary school classmate. We were speaking about our Catholic grade school days. Except for the spelling bee when he missed the first word of the bee and had to make the “long walk” back to his desk, having misspelled the first word of the bee, our memories were mostly good memories.
We both agreed that we had great teachers in our Catholic school. We have come to appreciate that fact more and more as we have travelled through life. We were well-prepared for high school, then college, and then for later years. He went into the military and then business and was very successful in both careers. I took a different path. As we reflect back, we are both grateful for our Catholic school foundation.
Memories can be selective. I know my teachers taught me many things. I know my colors and the names of the months of the year. I know Washington was the first president. I know H2O is water. I know the Babylonian Emperor Hammurabi is credited with developing the first code of law. I know metric conversion. I know the seven sacraments. The list goes on. A teacher taught me these things, but I usually do not remember which teacher taught me what. What I do remember is how teachers made me feel, especially about myself, and I remember the life lessons teachers taught me, especially by their personal example.
Teachers in our Catholic schools are a special blessing. Catholic schools educate the whole student: academically, socially, culturally, athletically, and spiritually. Teaching in a Catholic school is more than mere employment, it is a ministry. Catholic schools educate the student about the world in which we live and speak about God who made the world. Catholic schools educate about what is important to know here and now and what is important for eternity. Catholic schools challenge and support the student to think about what they will be doing 10-20-50 years from now, and to think about where they will be 100-1,000-1,000,000 years from now.
The article on the front page of this edition shares the good news about the steady enrollment in the Catholic schools of our Archdiocese. Despite the challenges of the increasing expense of education and demographic changes, our schools continue their mission of Catholic education.
Just as my former classmate and I spoke about how our Catholic school education prepared us well for the workplace and for a life of faith, I am convinced that years from now other former classmates will speak about how their Catholic school education prepared them as well.
One other thing that my former classmate and I spoke about is how we never told our teachers thank you. We realize now how indebted we are to them, but we did not express our gratitude to them in our younger years. Expressing gratitude is not something young people know instinctively how to do. Little children quickly know how to say “mine!” without anyone teaching them to do so, but they have to be taught to say “thank you.” Even as the years progress, we often have to remind ourselves to make the effort to thank the people who have blessed us.
So allow me to say “thank you” to all our teachers, the administration and all who serve at our Catholic schools. You may not hear your students say “thank you” to you now but be assured that you are blessing them both by the education you are offering and by the way you make them feel about themselves.
And thank you to the families who send your children to Catholic schools, often at great sacrifice. The lives our students in Catholic schools are being changed for the better in receiving the excellent education and formation in Gospel values in which Catholic schools excel. May God bless you all.