The mission is possible in Catholic schools

So many things were different, yet so many have remained the same. Indeed, the 2020-2021 school year in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Catholic schools was one like no other. The impact of COVID-19 was definitely evident, as our communities, state, country, and world felt the impact of a global pandemic like most have never experienced. Our Catholic schools family was not exempt from the direct and indirect effects of the virus. However, the beauty of the deep faith and commitment to our Lord and savior was just as evident. Through it all – the triumphs, the tragedies, the disappointments, and the celebrations – one thing remained true. God was, and is, with us!

Through the diligent efforts of our dedicated Catholic schools community, the students we serve continued to thrive and grow spiritually, emotionally and academically, despite the challenges before them! Students, parents, teacher-ministers, school leaders, staffs, clergy, and all who make up our Catholic schools community committed themselves to doing all they could to make our 2020-2021 school year all that it could be! Through the careful and intentional work of so many, our schools completed a full year of in-person instruction, affording the students we serve an outstanding education in a Christ-centered environment, culminating in beautiful graduations and end-of-year eucharistic celebrations and closing programs.

The commitment of our students, teacher-ministers, parents, staffs, clergy, school and diocesan leaders, and all who worked tirelessly to provide safe and successful school environments is what allowed the 2020-2021 school year to be the success that it was. Through creativity and commitment, our students flourished! Their resiliency, through all the many challenges that could have caused some to waiver, allowed the year to be one of formation, learning, growth, and wonderful memories that will always be with them.
 
Our school families did not allow the adjustments to physical school environments to pause their efforts to live the church's social teaching. The beauty of the ongoing formation of our students and larger school communities was evident in so many actions and activities. Whether it was welcoming and assisting students and their families who had been displaced due to Hurricane Laura into our school communities, collecting and delivering gifts of thanks and prayer for the COVID-19 front line workers in area hospitals, donating money to the Society of the Missionary Childhood Association that is used to build schools, hospitals, provide medical care, food and clothing in mission countries, volunteering at the Louis Infant Crisis Center for abused and neglected children, or walking alongside a fellow student, co-worker, or parent who experienced the illness or loss of a loved one, our school families continued to make our mission possible through their call to action – through examples seen and, many times, unseen.

Our students have also continued to thrive in their many curricular and extracurricular school experiences, including winning the South Louisiana Quiz Bowl Championship, several state championships in varsity athletics, hosting Right to Life school-wide assemblies, and earning more than $10 million in college scholarships in addition to their TOPS academic awards by our graduating classes! Congratulations to our students and all those who make up their support systems, allowing them to set their goals and give it their all!

With a new school year upon us, we are excited to embrace all that is to come for our Catholic schools family with great hope for a new faith-filled and successful school year! In a time when many dioceses throughout the country are experiencing a decline in Catholic school enrollment, we are blessed to report an increase in our total enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year! What a blessing it is to be able to minister to the children and families we serve!

Through our ongoing strategic planning, we continue our deep commitment to the mission of our church. As we work toward continuous improvement, we embrace the National Standards and Benchmarks of Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools through its four pillars: Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence,, and Operational Vitality. As we embark on the 2021-2022 school year, we do it with great anticipation, hope, and the awesome responsibility of forming students who will go out into our world and spread the Good News! In the words of St. John Paul II, "The mission of the Catholic school is the integral formation of students, so that they may be true to their condition as Christ's disciples and, as such, work effectively for the evangelization of culture and for the common good of society."  In the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Catholic Schools, the mission is possible!