[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 7, 2006

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Resolution 657, which has been offered by Mr. Kennedy from Minnesota. I 
thank my colleague for introducing this resolution during Catholic 
Schools Week 2006.
  Catholic Schools Week is an annual national celebration of the 
important role that Catholic elementary and secondary schools across 
the country play in providing quality education for American youth. The 
mission of these institutions--to build solid foundations for lives of 
confidence, faith, and service--has had a tremendous impact in shaping 
family values and community life across the country, and particularly 
in my community in Western New York.
  In my hometown, neighborhoods are often known by the names of their 
Catholic Schools and Parishes, and the many families that are active in 
Catholic schools are enriched by the values they espouse. Indeed, I 
have spent my life as a first-hand witness to the beneficial work of 
Catholic schools. My mother was a teacher at Our Lady of Perpetual 
Help, and my two children, John and Maeve, are enrolled at St. Martin 
of Tours Catholic School in South Buffalo. My family and I are 
personally grateful for the contributions that America's Catholic 
schools have been making to families like ours, and American society at 
large, for more than four centuries.
  Today, more than 7,700 Catholic schools and 160,000 Catholic school 
teachers nationwide are making valuable contributions to education and 
are playing an integral role in shaping a brighter, stronger future for 
our nation. Together, they will teach 2.4 million students, an 
astounding 99 percent of which will graduate and 97 percent of those 
graduates will go on to college. As these students become adults, their 
intelligence and character will benefit communities in Western New York 
and throughout the nation.
  I thank the National Catholic Educational Association and the United 
States Conference of Catholic Bishops for cosponsoring this week-long 
event and for helping to increase awareness for Catholic education 
across this great country.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my colleagues in supporting 
this resolution, and I thank my colleague Mr. Kennedy for his 
leadership on this issue.

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