Celebrating Catholic Schools WeekRead Time 8 min

During the month of January, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has been blessed with much to celebrate. Parishes and schools from across our 10 counties of southeastern Wisconsin have honored and thanked Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki for his 15 years of service to our local Church. Then, with great joy and happiness, Catholics have welcomed Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob as he was installed as the12th Archbishop of Milwaukee on Jan. 14.

These historic moments bring our local Church together, and connect us in real and tangible ways to the global Church. For those who attended the archbishop’s installation or watched the livestream, this connection to the global Church was evident when Pope Francis’ letter announcing Archbishop Grob’s appointment was presented. As the new archbishop walked around the Cathedral displaying the papal letter, he personified the connection that we in Milwaukee have to the Holy Father and to Catholics around the world. That universal connection among the faithful is a wonderful thing for us to celebrate.
Thankfully, our January celebrations are not finished. Beginning Jan. 26, Catholic schools across the United States come together to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. The Catholic schools of the archdiocese will celebrate the achievements of our students and proclaiming our mission of developing young people into disciples of Christ. This year’s Catholic Schools Week theme, “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community,” highlights how a strong Catholic school builds community within a parish and strengthens its faith.

Our Catholic schools are united with each other and with a global movement that seeks a faith-centered approach to education. With 103 Catholic schools and more than 27,000 students, our Catholic schools are having an impact in each and every community in southeastern Wisconsin. But if we widen our view, we can see broad demand from parents for an education rooted on Gospels. Across the United States, there are 6,000 Catholic schools educating 1.7 million students. Globally, the Church supports 217,000 Catholic schools and more than 60 million students. Every Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is part of this global movement that seeks to educate children by forming them into faithful disciples of Christ.

This year’s Catholic Schools Week will be the first in 15 years that we celebrate without Archbishop Listecki. As the archbishop moves into retirement, it is easy to cite his well-known accomplishments, such as the growth of Saint Francis de Sales seminary or his strong leadership through bankruptcy. I would argue that Archbishop Listecki’s most impactful legacy has been his strong and steadfast advocacy for Catholic schools. The archbishop loved sharing his own experiences as a Catholic school student and then educator, and he made sure that Catholics knew that he prioritized and supported Catholic schools.
As we transition this Catholic Schools Week with a new archbishop, I am excited about Archbishop Grob’s leadership of our schools. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Archbishop Grob served on the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic School Board and led its Catholic Identity Committee. Many friends from our south have shared that Chicago’s loss is Milwaukee’s gain. In speaking with Archbishop Grob the day after his installation, he shared his excitement for the upcoming Catholic Schools Week and the opportunity it gives him to visit a few of our Catholic schools early in his tenure in Milwaukee.

The future of our Church can be clearly seen in any of the classrooms of our Catholic schools. Our schools are united in faith and community, and they are connected to our Church locally, nationally and across the world. I encourage all Catholics to join their parish school or a Catholic high school in celebrating this year’s Catholic Schools Week. When you support your Catholic school, you are joining a global initiative that unites Catholics who care about the future of our Church.