By Bishop Edward J. Burns
Publisher of The Texas Catholic
Catholic schools here in Dallas are a blessing. They help form our students and place them on the road to college and heaven, by preparing them academically and ensuring that the next generation of Catholic youth have instruction that will serve them well in their responsibility to the church. The sacramental preparation, spiritual formation, faith development and strong academics all help strengthen the church and community here in North Texas.
Nationally, our schools continue to be recognized with our schools receiving nearly 20 Blue Ribbon Awards in the last two decades — with three in the last two years. This is a prestigious honor open only to the top ten percent of schools nationally.
Our administrators are routinely recognized by the National Catholic Education Association, and our leadership is present on a number of national boards and groups due to the innovation in Dallas.
As a matter of comparison, our graduates are more likely to go to college, score better on the ACT or SAT and are more likely to graduate from high school than their peers.
As we celebrate Catholic Schools’ Week, it is important to remember our parents, benefactors and parishes that support our work and mission and allow our nearly 15,000 students to thrive within this diocese. It is even more important to call to mind the more than 1,000 lay teachers who sacrifice and strive to educate the youth within our diocese. They are truly heroes to our church.
Finally, if you have never considered a Catholic school or do not think that there is one that would meet your needs, I would ask for you to carefully consider what the Diocese of Dallas might do for you. We have schools that offer dual language immersion programs, work study programs, college prep programs, STEM programs and more, all backed by financial aid for families that qualify. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Bishop Edward J. Burns, publisher of The Texas Catholic, is the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.
