As the superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Trenton, I am so excited to relate all that our schools have to offer. From the schools located in our shore communities to those serving the areas along our western border, the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton are the perfect place to experience real and lived Gospel values, along with high academic achievement EVERY DAY! Catholic Schools Week is when we choose to showcase our schools in this light.

The COVID pandemic nationally has put the educational system under stress like never before in memory. I am so proud of our schools, and their leaders, who have never wavered from their most important responsibility: that of making sure our schools were open and living the Catholic mission daily for the sake of the children they serve.

Having said that, the reason our schools have stayed open with minimal disruption is the sense of community that has been brought to the fore. Every parent, teacher and student has come together to work to make our schools safe and centers of real academic achievement and learning. The deep sense of community that has been galvanized during this pandemic is one of the residual effects that I am most proud to see come to light.

When I first arrived in New Jersey, I said you would hear me speak of Pope Francis, a Jesuit, who implores all Catholics to embrace the Ignatian ideal of becoming “men and women for others.” My prayer was for all in the Catholic school community of the four counties of the Diocese of Trenton to be the embodiment of that ideal.  I am confident in saying that we, as a school community, are on our way to making that a reality. I see it in every Catholic school I visit.

Our schools have met not only the call of the needs of the students, but also of the communities as a whole. The needs might be spiritual. The needs might be educational. The needs might be social. The need might be a meal to eat or a shoulder just to cry on. The call is now; the call is real. The call is loud. Our Catholic schools have stepped up to serve others and help out whenever/wherever there is a need.

To achieve a true Catholic education that serves all requires that we, simply, teach and live the faith. Our Catholic schools live out Gospel values. Pope Francis focuses on faith and service. Our educational staffs work hard every day to support this mission and do the same.

Many of the Catholic schools in this Diocese are poised to take off into unprecedented areas of academic growth and rigor along with an increased focus on Catholic identity. Our schools have committed teams that are dedicated to leading all students to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, strong academic achievement, personal growth in the areas of social awareness and social responsibility, and a sense of self-reliance steeped in a set of values that can only come from a mission-driven, faith-filled community. This is never on display more than during Catholic Schools Week!

Our students are just starting the journey into young adulthood within their faith, and our students are role models who are proof positive of what can be achieved by putting one’s self second. Men and women for others … just as Jesus did throughout his ministry and what Pope Francis is calling us to do. It is on display in our Catholic Schools EVERY DAY!

Thank you for allowing our Catholic Schools the privilege of educating the children of the Diocese of Trenton.