[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 18 (Monday, February 1, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E86]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COMMEMORATING THE 2016 NATIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DARIN LaHOOD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 1, 2016

  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Catholic schools and 
parishes within Central Illinois and across the country as we celebrate 
National Catholic Schools Week. Parochial education holds a special 
place in American history as a long established alternative for parents 
who desire a religious component to their child's education. As part of 
this tradition, every year starting on the last Sunday of January, 
Catholic schools all across the nation celebrate Catholic Schools Week.
  There are 6,568 Catholic schools in the United States including both 
elementary and secondary schools that serve urban, suburban and rural 
communities. Catholic school graduation rates are over 99 percent and 
of those graduating students, 85.7 percent attend college. My home 
state of Illinois is one of the top ten states in the country with the 
highest enrollment in Catholic schools and my district is home to 28 
Catholic schools that will be participating in activities throughout 
the week.
  I myself am a proud graduate of Catholic grade school, high school, 
and college and the religious values I learned through my Catholic 
education have stayed with me throughout my life. Additionally, my wife 
and I and our three sons are current parishioners at St. Vincent de 
Paul parish in Peoria and our boys attend school there. I am so 
thankful for my education and that America is a country where families 
have the freedom and choice to send their children to a Catholic or 
other parochial school.
  This year's theme for Catholic Schools Week is ``Catholic Schools: 
Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.'' Students, teachers, 
parishioners, and clergy from across America will celebrate together as 
a community, recognizing God's mission through the pillars of faith, 
knowledge and service, as well as promoting the Church's values of 
volunteering, vocations and family. During National Catholic Schools 
Week, I am pleased to highlight the Catholic educational system and 
look forward to many more years of continued success and celebration.

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