Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

This evening, April 13, we will be celebrating a virtual Catholic Schools Dinner with some special friends. James Cardinal Harvey, a native son of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee; Timothy Cardinal Dolan, my immediate predecessor; and Bishop Donald Hying, former auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee and now the bishop of Madison, Wisconsin, will join me. We are all products of Catholic education. I know that I owe a great deal to the Catholic schoolteachers who both informed and formed me in my young years, as well as the parishioners who supported the school fundraisers so we could take advantage of various educational activities.

Catholic schools assist in fulfilling the mission entrusted to the Church by Jesus Christ: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28: 19-20).

In a normal year, we would have a dinner to celebrate the accomplishments (of which there are many) of the archdiocesan schools. The administrators, staff, teachers, and students work so hard to establish accessible and affordable Catholic instruction. We herald the various school systems that are instruments for preserving Catholic education in areas challenged by shifting demographics and spiraling costs. The archdiocesan school system is both innovative and creative. As an archdiocese, we have much to be proud of and to celebrate.

However, this is not a normal time. The outreach instruction that occurred over the last year demanded the creative efforts of our school leadership to keep students and school communities connected. We have all learned to use technology more effectively to communicate and avoid social isolation. Our schools have been second to none in the creative use of technology. And, our school staffs have courageously developed opportunities for in-class gatherings, far ahead of their other secular educational counterparts. Indeed, there have been many heroes sacrificing so that our students would not be educationally abandoned and would be able to meet in a safe class environment.

We are blessed in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to have a Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Cepelka, who I claim is the best Catholic Schools Superintendent in the United States. From the first day that she assumed her role, she set about a task of making Catholic Education “Catholic,” supporting the dignity of the person, and never retreating from the mission entrusted to us by the Lord. Dr. Cepelka would be the first to acknowledge the role of her staff in achieving the goals she desired, a staff she developed and formed. I truly consider her appointment as one of the blessed moments I have experienced as Archbishop. It is now over ten years ago since I asked Dr. Cepelka to lead our schools and she has far surpassed all expectations.

This evening will be a delightful opportunity for me and the other bishops to share stories. Those fond stories bring smiles to our faces and joyful remembrances of our school days when we began to navigate the difficulties of our world and seek the wise advice of our teachers. I do hope that you will try to join us virtually and assist our schools in your support. At this time in our history as a nation, we need Catholic schools more than ever, and Catholic schools need us. Popular media celebrity, Portia Young, will act as moderator and keep us on track so that we finish in the time allotted. Please join us!

The mission entrusted to us is always to teach what Jesus commanded us to do. These formative years in school are when we learn what it means to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.    

Note: This blog originally appeared as the April 13, 2021 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.