In the 2005 U.S. Bishops’ document on Catholic Schools, the bishops state that the responsibility of supporting Catholic education is that of the entire Church, not merely the parents who send their children to these schools: “It is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community –bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity – to continue to strive towards the goal of making our Catholic elementary and secondary schools available, accessible, and affordable to all Catholic parents and their children, including those who are poor and middle class.” I would add to the above necessities the need to help families discover the beauty and value of a Catholic education.

I would like to embark on a more robust vision for our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Las Cruces. First and foremost, it is critical that our schools be thoroughly Catholic. That is, it is important that the Catholic world view be the lived culture in our classrooms and activities, that the Catholic faith be taught and practiced, that Christian justice and charity be palpable, and that works of mercy be practiced. Secondly, it is important that our schools have a healthy relationship of mutual support with our parish communities. I would like for the entire diocese to feel “ownership” of the schools, and for the schools to seek to serve the people of the diocese, providing outreach to the wider community. Thirdly, for our schools to continue their mission of evangelization, they must have the necessary finances.

For people of faith, a budget is a theological document. Why would I say this? Because a budget reveals our priorities. It reveals what is important to us. Looking at our diocesan budget, support to the schools has been rather minimal. I would like to change this. Some of our parishes, thankfully, have been very generous to our schools. However, I believe it is time to explore how we can all take greater “ownership” of our Catholic schools and help them become more effective in outreach and evangelization. This is a topic we should all take up, in our parishes, living rooms, and board rooms: how do we make Catholic schools available, accessible, and affordable in the Diocese of Las Cruces?

By now you have heard that Superintendent Pattie Davis has resigned, due to family needs. In her short time with us, she started some important work at strengthening the Catholic identity of our schools. I have asked Principal Julia Fracker (Fr. James B. Hay Catholic School, Alamogordo) to serve as part-time superintendent. I believe she understands the evangelizing mission of the Church and has great ideas and energy to help build a stronger Catholic schools system and more vibrant communities.