[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1425]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE GOALS OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 51, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 51) recognizing the goals of Catholic 
     Schools Week and honoring the valuable contributions of 
     Catholic schools in the United States.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of Catholic schools 
across our Nation who provide our children with an outstanding 
education while preparing them to lead lives in the example of Jesus 
Christ. This year, we mark the 41st 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 post-secondary 
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 
the words of Pope Francis, ``[o]ur generation will show that it can 
rise to the promise found in each young person when we know how to give 
them space. This means that we have to create the material and 
spiritual conditions for their full development; to give them a solid 
basis on which to build their lives; to guarantee their safety and 
their education to be everything they can be.''
  During the week of January 25 to January 31, 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 this resolution 
celebrating Catholic Schools Week.
  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 51) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')

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