The summer has suddenly come to its end. I know that many will attempt in these remaining weeks of a hot summer to have an enjoyable time with family and friends, perhaps finding time for a few days of vacation before children go back to school and the rhythm of everyday life returns.

During the next two weeks, schools in our State of West Virginia and across the nation will reopen and children will return for a new year of education and personal formation. Many eyes will be upon our schools as teachers and children return from the summer vacation. This is a good thing for all schools and for our Catholic Schools. The education of the young is an important ministry within society and within the Church. The education that our young people receive should always be reviewed in order to ensure that they are given a quality education. And the education offered in our Catholic Schools is being examined, especially with consideration given to the benefits of good schools and the formation of our young for future life in society, in family life, and in the Church.

Our Diocese, which is small in population by comparison, has worked hard to make and retain a significant presence in the faith formation across the spectrum and especially in a good, balanced education to our young people, in order that they might be able to take advantage of the best opportunities available. A good education in our Catholic faith and a sound formation in Catholic morals is essential in the world which our young people are preparing to enter. They will be faced with many new and complex choices, often being presented in an uninformed manner by others who will not bother to present any alternatives nor explain the likely moral consequences of the choice being considered. The surest way to make the best decision is to have the most information available. The information needed for good choices in life is not only intellectual facts and data; it also requires that moral value and ethical discernment be part of our decisions.

Providing our children an education in our Catholic Schools gives families and the Church an opportunity to explain the truth revealed by Christ and surrounded by a Catholic culture that prefers right over wrong and encourages taking personal responsibility for our decisions. A great fear a Bishop has today is that children will not have their faith explained by competent and believing people. I also pray for good teachers to take advantage of the opportunity to give examples by their own lives. I do believe this is happening in our Catholic Schools.

I know that there are many places where Catholic School Education is not possible and this situation places heavy obligation on parishes and parents to engage their children in good Catholic Education within the parish and the family, taking advantage of all that the parish’s Religious Education program has to offer, including Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. There are also very dedicated people who work hard to share our Catholic faith with young people, especially those who are preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.

There is no question that one of the greatest responsibilities as a Bishop is to distribute fairly and responsibly the resources of the Diocese to continue good Catholic School Education and encourage continual improvement in our schools and their academic programs. Demographic changes that have occurred in many regions of the State and the economic realities of what parents can afford do put an increasingly greater financial obligation on the Diocese each year.

One of the greater challenges in our time is to properly promote Catholic School Education and to continually improve the opportunities available to young people whose education is entrusted to us as a Church. There is not always enough accurate information for parents to make a good decision for the education of their children and their future lives. We, as a Church fully committed to Catholic School Education, carry a great obligation not only to provide what is good in our world but also to inform others of the opportunities of the educational treasures that are readily available to some of our faithful. The obligations of parents in such a difficult world demands close investigations as to what is best for their children and to work together with parishes, schools, and the Diocese to improve these opportunities.

Our faith is a great treasure and there are many people in our Diocese who are working hard to provide for the Catholic education of our youth. The Gospel must be preached and the faith must be imparted; it is our responsibility as a Church to teach the Good News of Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, we must take this responsibility seriously.

I ask you to join me in praying for all students as they return to school this month. In particular, please pray with me for our Catholic School students, for the faculty and staff of our schools, and for all of those committed to continually improving our Catholic Schools and the education our young people receive from them. I thank God for those who work in our Catholic Schools and for all those who support our schools and their wonderful educational mission. May Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, watch over our young people and their teachers as this new academic year begins.