Archbishop Carlson calls on all to support Catholic education

Promoting the mission of strengthening Catholic schools, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson unveiled a framework for a pastoral plan for Catholic education March 24 at the Mission Advancement Summit at Rosati-Kain High School in the Central West End.

"We must keep our schools Catholic," Archbishop Carlson wrote in his pastoral letter. "We must grow them. And they must be financially sound and able to assist those in need."

The archbishop's pastoral plan for Catholic education, Alive in Christ 2018, recognizes the St. Louis Archdiocese's long tradition of Catholic education, which will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2018.

The plan is a result of a yearlong Mission Advancement Initiative that included participation by an estimated 3,000 people through listening sessions, an online survey and consultation meetings. Archbishop Carlson said the hundreds of suggestions he received revealed "a passion for Catholic education" and "a zeal for God's Word made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ" throughout the archdiocese.

He discussed a hopeful future for Catholic schools here, saying he believed that by working together Catholics could "stem the decline" and provide stable, growing, Christ-centered schools for their children.

Four Mission Advancement Initiative goals have been set, each with five objectives. Mission Advancement Initiative teams are to be formed around each goal, to develop specific action plans and accountability by Nov. 30. Once approved by the archbishop, the plan will be implemented beginning in fiscal year 2012-2013.

The goals and the team leaders are:

  • Catechesis/Academic Excellence, Msgr. John Unger, deputy superintendent for Catechesis and Evangelization
  • Evangelization, Msgr. James Callahan, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Cottleville
  • Social Justice, Father Jeffrey Vomund, pastor of St. Elizabeth Mother of John the Baptist Parish in North St. Louis
  • Stewardship, Msgr. Gregory Mikesch, pastor of St. Alban Roe Parish in Wildwood

One proposed objective of the Stewardship goal is to establish a Catholic Foundation for the archdiocese that would coordinate archdiocesan fundraising and develop new endowment funds for tuition assistance and other priorities.

This would probably include an archdiocesan-wide capital campaign to benefit individual parishes and schools and increase archdiocesan funds available to help mission schools (schools that primarily serve the poor and depend on nontraditional funding sources).

Archbishop Carlson stressed that his vision included serving "the needs of all children" and said that, by 2018, his hope was that "Our parishes and schools will teach -- and practice -- the basic tenets of Catholic social teaching ... Students in our schools and parish schools of religion will learn Catholic social teaching as a constitutive element of the Gospel."

Among the proposed objectives of the Evangelization goal is to establish pilot parishes dedicated to being centers of excellence in education and faith formation. The Catechesis/Academic Excellence goal calls for proactive pastoral planning on a deanery basis and promoting collaboration among all Catholic schools.

Placing the new Mission Advancement Initiative, Alive in Christ 2018, under the patronage of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, Archbishop Carlson said the challenge was clear.

"Our Lord didn't say it would be easy to be His disciples or to proclaim His Good News, but He did promise to remain with us and to send us His Holy Spirit to guide us. Our job is to discern God's will through prayer and meditation on His Word, and then to act boldly with confidence in His grace," Archbishop Carlson said.