A Christian is always beginning anew. This is what we celebrate at the center of our Catholic faith with the cross and resurrection of Jesus. God offers us new life in the midst of our struggles and difficulties. This is what the new school year has offered us as well — a chance to begin anew in our continual journey of drawing closer to God and sharing the gift of our faith with our young people. Has the new school year offered you ways to begin anew in the practice of your faith? What are you learning about the faith from your children in Catholic school? New opportunities for life and learning abound in our Catholic schools.
We had a beautiful opportunity to thank God together for the new school year and the new life we share in Christ. In September, we celebrated our first Mass of the Holy Spirit with 12,000 students and 60 priests filling the Saints’ baseball stadium, CHS Field. It was wonderful to gather as a whole archdiocese, under the leadership of our new archbishop, Bernard Hebda, to give thanks to God for the many parents and teachers who sacrifice to pass on our life-giving faith.
These days, our schools are experiencing the new life of Christ. There is no better time to be a student in a Catholic school! Young parents are choosing Catholic education in greater numbers this year because our Catholic schools are places where children can integrate faith with learning, personal development and daily life — and even learn how to pray (as one first grader told me when I asked what he learned in one of our schools). Christ is alive in our Catholic schools — in our school leaders, our teachers, our staff and our students. We are excited that we have gained more young families in our schools and parishes, and we continue to be grateful for the many ways they enhance our Catholic community.
As we celebrate the final two months of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, let us take advantage of all the ways our Catholic faith offers us new life through learning, prayer and the life of Jesus, which comes to us through the sacraments.