January 31 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This week the Church throughout the country celebrates “Catholic Schools Week.” The theme this year is: “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” Catholic schools have a specific purpose to form students to be good citizens of the world, love God and neighbor and enrich society with the leaven of the gospel and by examples of faith.
Our Lady of Mercy parish is one of the five financially supporting parishes of the inter-parish Catholic grammar school All Saints Catholic Academy on Aurora Avenue in Naperville. There are many choices of Catholic grammar and high schools in the area for parishioners who want to send their children to a Catholic grammar school. Our Lady of Mercy specifically promotes All Saints Catholic Academy because the school and our parish is in the Diocese of Joliet. The other ten Catholic parishes in Aurora are a part of the Diocese of Rockford. While we provide tuition assistance for registered and active parents of OLM for their children attending a Catholic grammar school in the Rockford Diocese, our primary support and promotion is for All Saints Catholic Academy.
All Saints Catholic Academy provides Catholic education from pre-school through 8th grade, and has had in person instruction since school began last August. Mass is celebrated weekly on Wednesday at 8:15am. Often times I am the celebrant. It is an excellent school with a strong and dedicated administration, faculty and staff. I invite you to check it out at: ascacademy.org
As communities of faith, Catholic schools instill in students their destiny to become saints. Academic excellence is the hallmark of Catholic education intentionally directed to the growth of the whole person – mind, body and spirit. Service is fundamental to Catholic education and the core of Catholic discipleship. Service is intended to help form people who are not only witnesses to Catholic social teaching but also active participants through social learning. Catholic schools, like the Catholic Church is not a building or an institution, but it is the people. As the people of God, we work together to bring the Kingdom of God to Earth and raise up the next generation to do the same!
I encourage our parents with grammar and high school age children to check out Catholic Schools as an option for their children’s education. And I thank all the dedicated staff and teachers who make a financial sacrifice by their dedication to Catholic education!
Have a Blessed week!
Father Don