Hosanna from the mouths of infants" Matthew 21:16, where Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2, "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have established strength”, brings us to the lament of my heart: We need a school and a solid Catholic education in our Maronite parishes! The Maronite Church in the United States does not have any!

              The Catholic school is the most important apostolate of the Catholic parish, after the sacraments themselves. No other service organization or ministry or social group reaches the depths and attains the heights of Catholicism like the parish school. Studies show that the parish school is three times more likely to surface priestly vocations in a parish than even the most exciting youth program.   Catholic schools can be the pastor’s greatest consolation, or they can be the pastor’s greatest frustration.
In many dioceses, the parishes are failing while their schools are flourishing, but not necessarily as Catholic schools. These have become schools with a parish attached, rather than parishes with a school attached. 

The parish, however, must be the mother and inspiration of the school. If the parish fails in that maternal role, the schools gradually cease to be Catholic. They become simply less expensive private schools, usually controlled by small groups of determined parents rather than inspired by the pastor, in his role as teacher. To build and maintain the Catholic identity of his school will require much work and no little suffering from the pastor. But if he manages to do that, the school will be the parish’s greatest blessing and among the pastor’s greatest consolations. Bishops and pastors are tempted to back off when determined parents and teachers move their schools toward the world and away from the Gospel.  But a parish school is worth fighting for, and if the fight is won, it becomes the greatest source of positive energy for the parish. Let’s dream and pray for our school HERE!