Nationwide celebration of Catholic Schools

Nationwide celebration of Catholic Schools

The Catholic community prepares to celebrate Catholic Schools day and the Chief Executive of Catholic Schools, Paul Ferris, says ahead of the annual celebration that there is much to celebrate.

“A network of schools across the country of 66,000 students has a responsibility to show its strengths and share them with the wider community - that is the rationale behind Catholic Schools Day 2016,” Paul Ferris says.

“Integrated schools are seen as a successful partnership between the State and the Church. Over the past 41 years they have built a reputation for being excellent schools because of their aspiration for excellence and their care for the whole child. Excellence is probably a frame of mind rather than a destination. We have to keep that focus and make it central to the celebrations on May 16th,” Mr Ferris says.

“It is our hope that this celebration for schools will be an opportunity to affirm their success, reflect on their effectiveness and commit to being a witness to the Gospel in the community,” he says.

“The Catholic Church has a long tradition in education, with the Church being responsible for the first formal places of learning in the Middle Ages, today, the Catholic School is at the heart of the Church’s mission and is an important part of preparing young people to participate in a complex world where religious belief is often less valued.”

“Both Catholic primary and secondary schools are an integral part of the parish community it resides in and both parish and school are inextricably linked with helping us live the good news and proclaim it through the way we live our lives.”

The Annual celebration of Catholic School Day will be celebrated in many ways by schools and parishes.

www.nzceo.catholic.org.nz

ENDS

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