[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 9 (Wednesday, February 2, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S873-S874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING NATIONAL APPRECIATION DAY FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I am pleased to recognize that today, 
February 2, 2005, is National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools. As 
a proud graduate of Catholic schools, I am delighted to be able to meet 
some of these Catholic school student leaders to let them know what an 
investment in our future they are.
  The spirit of Catholic schools has been present in the United States 
since the first settlers arrived in America. In 1606 the Franciscans 
opened a school in what is now St. Augustine, FL. During the next 
century, the Franciscans and Ursulines established Catholic schools 
throughout the American colonies: in Maryland, Massachusetts, 
Pennsylvania, New York, and even in non-British colonial locales, such 
as New Orleans. After the American Revolution, Catholic patriots worked 
to open the first official parochial school in the United States, St. 
Mary's School, established in 1782 in Philadelphia. In 1789 Georgetown 
University, the first Catholic college in the United States, was 
founded right here in the District.
  Catholic schools have offered much more to the United States than 
just longevity, however; America's Catholic schools have offered an 
academic excellence that has helped to influence the moral, 
intellectual, physical, and social values of our youth for over 300 
years. As Baltimore Archbishop Cardinal James Gibbons said, ``Education 
must make a person not only clever but good.'' For more than three 
centuries, Catholic schools in this country

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have worked to do just that. They have inspired our youth, enriched our 
communities, and provided a moral support for millions.
  Today, with over 2.6 million students enrolled in Catholic elementary 
and secondary schools, they are working as hard as ever to enhance the 
education of our youth.
  On a personal level, Catholic schools have greatly influenced who I 
am today. It was at my alma mater, Ursuline Academy of New Orleans, 
that I sought my first elected office. As seventh grade class vice-
president, I took to heart the Academy's motto of serviam and fully 
embraced the words of the founder of the Ursuline Sisters, St. Angela 
Merici that it is better ``to serve than to be served.'' The promotion 
of educational excellence, the development of the whole person, 
community, and family, and the dedication to service are values that I 
am grateful Ursuline reinforced.
  It is with these thoughts in mind that I offer my utmost 
congratulations and thanks to the Catholic schools, students, parents, 
and teachers across the Nation and specifically in Louisiana for the 
ongoing contributions they have made in the area of education. You have 
done remarkable work over the years, and I thank you for everything.

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