[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 15 (Monday, January 27, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

 Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Catholic 
schools across our Nation that provide our children with an outstanding 
education while preparing them to lead lives in the example of Jesus 
Christ. This year, we mark the 40th year of celebrating Catholic 
Schools Week, shedding light on the extraordinary contributions these 
schools and their students make to communities across the country.
  This year's theme, ``Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, 
Knowledge, and Service,'' provides a solid representation of the 
mission of these schools in educating the whole person and forming our 
children into responsible stewards ready to take on the challenges of 
the future. Today, more than 2 million children are educated in 
Catholic schools in the United States. Ninety-nine percent of them 
graduate from high school, and 85 percent pursue postsecondary 
education. Such a rate of success is a great testament to the quality 
of our Catholic schools and their educators.
  As an alumnus of a Catholic school in New Orleans, I have firsthand 
experience of the benefits of receiving a Catholic education. These 
schools are devoted to nurturing the young minds that pass though their 
halls each year, instilling in them the values necessary to become 
active and caring members of their communities, cities, and Nation.
  In a recent statement, Bishop George Lucas, chairman of the U.S. 
Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Education, stated:

       Our schools have educated millions of young people over the 
     years by providing them a superior academic background, 
     always pointing the way to eternal life. The success of 
     Catholic schools in handing on the faith, generation after 
     generation, is a bright light in the history of the Church in 
     the United States.

  During the week of January 26 to February 1, let us recognize the 
steadfast commitment of the administrators, teachers, students, and 
families, who support Catholic schools across the United States, and 
appreciate their efforts to educate the youth of our Nation. In that 
respect, I am hopeful that the Senate will pass my bipartisan 
resolution celebrating Catholic Schools Week.

                          ____________________