One of the most important ministries in the life of the church is to pass on Catholic faith and practice to our children and youth. The catechism of the church reminds us that parents are “The first teachers of their child in the ways of faith.” They are, however, not the only ones tasked with this mission. The local parish church community also bears a responsibility to support the faith formation of our young through various religious education and sacramental prep programs open to all.
One special way we do that in our NE Seattle Catholic Community is through our parish schools. January 26 - February 1 this year is “Catholic Schools Week,” the theme of which is “United in Faith and Community.” We are blessed with three very strong schools in our family of parishes: St. Catherine, Our Lady of the Lake, and Assumption/St. Bridget. While Catholic mission and identity are central to the life of our schools, we welcome families from other faith perspectives to join our learning communities.
Catholic schools receive no funding from the local government and need to charge tuition for the education we offer. Each of our schools also engages in robust annual fundraising programs to help with the various costs associated with the education we offer, including just compensation packages for our dedicated teachers and staff. While the cost of a Catholic Education will no doubt continue to rise, please remember this promise: No Catholic Family will ever be denied admission to our schools because of the inability to pay the full tuition.
Blessings to all of our families for their commitment to raising our children and youth in the ways of faith, hope, and love!