This month’s column contains the thoughts I shared with a
Blue Ribbon Committee of academic, business, community leaders and
pastors charged with developing a plan to revitalize the mission of
Catholic education in our Diocese, titled “Covenant to Educate.”
I realize that the challenge of developing a vision and strategic plan
is a difficult one — especially given the changing ecclesial, social,
economic and educational trends with which we are coping.
I have fond memories of my own Catholic school education under the
Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Patrick’s School in Troy; the Brothers of
the Christian Schools at LaSalle Institute in Troy; the diocesan priests
at Mater Christi Seminary in Albany and St. Joseph’s in Yonkers, the
seminary for the Archdiocese of New York; the Jesuits at the Gregorian
University in Rome and the faculty at the School of Social Work at the
Catholic University of America. Full Story from the Evangelist
