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congratulates Catholic schools
Dear Friends in Christ, The yearly celebration of Catholic Schools' Week in the United States in late January takes on special prominence for us in the Diocese of Sioux City this year. As of Jan. 15, we are 100 years old. Our centennial is official and we are proud to remember the heritage of the pioneer families, priests and religious who gave so much of themselves to makes our faith, our diocese and our life possible. Part of that heritage is the existence and growth of our Catholic schools. One of the great pioneer priests of our Diocese, Father John Joseph Smith, who came in 1871 to the new community of Catholics in Emmetsburg, Iowa, the first pastor of Assumption Church, had some memorable comments to make after the founding of the Diocese of Sioux City. In 1906, he remarked that all his efforts in the early days of his ministry were worthwhile in light of what transpired in the rooting of faith in Northwest Iowa. He then wrote of "the blessings that have come to our people through the church and the School - the two great forces of civilization and progress in all ages." I do not think that Father Smith was exaggerating. The role of our schools, where "Faith and Knowledge meet," have been incalculable in bringing a deeper sense of civilization and of the common good to both our own people and to the nation. The faith threads its way through every subject and form of knowledge in Catholic Schools and gives coherence to the life of the mind. It is fascinating to note that by 1902, when the Diocese of Sioux City was founded, there were already 40 Catholic schools in its territory. The extraordinary commitment to our Catholic schools in the early days was certainly due to the sacrifice of pioneer families and priests. Most heroic of all were the example and the determination of the women religious of various congregations who came here to staff the schools. Nor do I want to forget that the Sioux City Diocese, in its early days, was quite unusual in also having many lay teachers in its Catholic schools. Through the years, our schools have changed, expanded, contracted and reorganized. But the same theme prevails: Faith and Knowledge meet. I take this occasion to express, in the name of the diocese, my gratitude to all the administrators, teachers, pastors, staff, parents, students and friends of our Catholic schools for their work, their zeal, and their commitment to our Catholic faith. Their witness allows our schools to be vital places where the principles and practice of our Catholicism are blended with the human achievements of learning, thinking, judging and acting. If a Catholic school student from Fort Dodge or Carroll or Sioux City in 1902 were transported by a time capsule to 2002, he or she would probably be bewildered by some of the differences in technology, style of buildings and the methods of learning between his or her own day and today. \ But the same person would still be absolutely at home in watching the Sign of the Cross and prayers that begin the day, the Mass and the Sacraments that mark the days of the week and the times of the year, and the basic substance of our faith in catechesis. In the manifold of different procedures and educational emphases, the unity of faith would appear all the more profound. May it always be so. Congratulations to all our Catholic schools! May God bless all of you who make them possible. Sincerely yours in Christ, |
