[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 6 (Monday, February 4, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E63]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E63]]



               HONORING CONTRIBUTIONS OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. SAM GRAVES

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2002

  Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in support of House 
Resolution 335, honoring the commitment of our Nation's Catholic 
Schools to excellence. Catholic schools continue to enrich the lives of 
our children by providing excellent education as well as spiritual 
enrichment.
  The numbers speak for themselves. Catholic schools boast a 95 percent 
graduation rate, with 83 percent of students continuing on to higher 
education. But the Catholic school experience fosters more than just 
scholastic excellence. Catholic schools provide spiritual guidance to 
students, instilling in them fundamental values that are crucial to the 
overall development of these students. Catholic schoolchildren gain an 
appreciation of the importance of family values, community service, and 
faith in their lives. This, in turn, shapes Catholic school students 
into leaders of tomorrow.
  I am proud of the Catholic schools in my district that continue to 
establish such high standards--Saint John LaLande in Blue Springs, 
Bishop Hogan Memorial in Chillicothe, Saint Andrew the Apostle in 
Gladstone, Saint Patrick and Saint Therese in Kansas City; Saint James 
in Liberty, Saint Gregory Barbarigo in Maryville, Saint Charles 
Borromeo in Oakview, Bishop LeBlond High School, Co-Cathedral, Our Lady 
of Guadalupe, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint James and Saint Patrick in 
Saint Joseph.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the contributions of our 
Catholic schools and look forward to their continued achievement.

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