March 2006
We have a limited number of back issues available in print.
To request back issues, e-mail jjob@dioceseoflansing.org
or call 517-342-2595. You will be charged the regular cover price
of $2.50 per issue.
what color is God's skin?
Deacon Oliver Washington’s experience
of being black and Catholic
By Nancy Schertzing | Photography
by Jim Luning
 Though
he was just a young child in the late 1940s, Oliver vividly remembers
when Father John McShane, SSJ came to town.
Passing through Oliver’s small, southern Louisiana town on
his way to his new assignment, Father McShane spent the night in
the local rectory. As a courtesy for his lodging, he offered to
say six o’clock Mass the next morning. Yet upon entering the
church, Father McShane’s eyes fell immediately upon the Colored
Only signs perched at the entrance to the last rows of pews.
Angry, he turned to a parishioner and asked, “What is this?”
The man didn’t understand his question. “What is this?”
the priest demanded as he tore one sign from its perch.
“Why that isn’t anything, Father,” came the confused
reply. “That’s always there.”
Still holding the sign, Father McShane left the church and
walked across the lawn to the rectory. Interrupting his
host’s morning routine, Father McShane demanded, “Monsignor,
I have studied theology for years, and I don’t recall any
reference to God’s color. Maybe you can tell me. What color
is God?”
“I don’t know,” said the monsignor, continuing
to read the newspaper and sip coffee, “and I’m not going
to get into that now.”
“Monsignor,” Father McShane replied. “This sign
has to come down. It is desecrating the house of God.”
“That’s just the way we do things around here, John,”
the monsignor replied calmly.
“Then you’d better get over to the church,” Father
Mc Shane replied. “Because it’s full of people. And
you don’t have a priest to say Mass.”
Oliver smiles at the memory. “Understand,
this was before six o’clock Mass, and by 9 a.m. almost everybody
in our community knew what had happened. The domestics who worked
in the rectory told their families and friends.
 Father
McShane did go back into the church that morning. He asked
if anyone had a home he could say Mass in, and one of the black
families obliged. After he had said Mass, he used their telephone
to call his superior. ‘Superior General,’ Father McShane
said, ‘I have found a flock in need of a shepherd. May I have
your permission to stay here?’
“It was grace,” Oliver says simply. “This gift
that came into our midst accompanied us for many years. He built
a church, an elementary and high school. Before then, we did not
have a high school for blacks. The grade schools that did exist
for us were substandard and overcrowded, with multiple levels in
one classroom. The books handed down to us were torn – destroyed
by former owners before they came to us.
“Even though we were Baptist, my mother sent me to
Father McShane’s school, and I was educated there. When
I graduated, I took the Army entrance exam and scored high enough
to get into their special training school for electronics.
“Growing up, I had a great-aunt who used to tell me,
‘Oliver, you will make a great pastor some day.’
She made a point of telling me this every time we got together,
and it made me pretty nervous. I loved my aunt, but I knew I did
not want to be a pastor. In fact, I was thinking that maybe I did
not want to be Baptist.
“I saw the changes that occurred within the community because
of Father McShane. So I talked to my mother about becoming Catholic.
‘Mama,’ I told her, ‘this priest is living a life
touching people as people. Not knowing what color God is. I want
to be part of that.’ My mother told me she would honor my
decision, but I would have to get my uncle’s and my aunt’s
blessings first.
“My uncle was blind, but he could see right into my heart.
He asked me, ‘Oliver, if you want to be Catholic, are you
going to become Catholic, or be a Catholic in name only?’
‘Become Catholic,’ I told him. He must have known I
was speaking the truth, because he gave me his blessing.
“I had only to get my aunt’s blessing now.
When she met me at her door that day, she offered me some of her
sweet-potato pie and ice-cold milk. She asked me to sit down next
to her like she always did. ‘Tell me, Sweetie,’ she
said, ‘if you become Catholic, are you going to become Catholic
or will you be a Catholic in name only?’ I told her the same
thing I had told my uncle.
“Then she told me something I’ll never forget. ‘Then,
Oliver, I give you my permission on one condition. Be Catholic.
Don’t be a pew warmer.’ And every time I went home after
that day, she would ask me what I was doing to live my faith.”
Oliver smiles. “I couldn’t be a pew warmer if I had
to answer to my aunt!”
 Throughout
his career in the U.S. Army and state government, Oliver Washington
encountered many opportunities to live his faith and had many stories
to tell his aunt. With his wife Charlan’s blessing,
Oliver even embraced a portion of his aunt’s wishes and became
a deacon in his adopted faith.
Whether as chief warrant officer or the Rev. Mr. Washington, Oliver
has encountered the face of God in countless ways over the years.
Serving in the Clinton County jail ministry program for approximately
10 years, he has seen God in the countless faces of those he serves.
“We are all embossed with the image and likeness of
God,” Oliver states simply. “When I sit across
from you, I see you. But I also see our God. The Bible says, ‘You
shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and love your
neighbor as yourself.’ If you say you love and you truly love,
you share it equally with all people.
“You take that love with you into the prison system, and you
don’t see the men and women there as prisoners; you see other
children of God.
“In my role as deacon, I coordinate and conduct services
for prisoners in the Clinton County Jail. Every Wednesday
evening, a Communion service or Mass is held in that facility for
the prisoners,” Oliver explains. “My service is truly
catholic, because I stress the participatory nature of the service.
Volunteers read the Scripture and choose the hymns to be sung. A
priest or I read the Gospel and give the homily. Residents of all
faiths are welcomed, but we ask that only Catholics come for Communion.
Non-Catholics may come forward for a blessing.
“I also mentor, model and coach residents along their journey.
One night when I arrived for services, I buzzed in to announce myself
and heard locks immediately clicking open along the corridor. The
guard said, ‘We need you, if you don’t mind, on a suicide
watch. Would you talk to him?’ I replied, ‘I will talk
to him only if he will receive me.’
“Well, he did talk to me, and I learned he was hurting because
his loved ones were being taken from him. I told him, ‘You’re
only here for 12 months. Do these things and I promise I will help
you.’ He petitioned the judge and earned parole. Since he
was released indigent, my wife and I bought him a round-trip ticket
home on the condition that he check in with local law enforcement
and a local church when got to his hometown. He went back and was
able to stop attempts at having his parental rights terminated.
When he returned to Michigan, he got a job as a chef and is now
living a productive life that includes his children.”
In his younger years, Oliver once met a tow truck driver
who pulled his truck from the mud of a rural Missouri highway.
The man was beginning his morning routine when he got the call to
rescue the stranded motorist, but he came without delay. After Oliver’s
truck was cleaned, gassed and ready to go, he insisted on paying
the man for the tow. The driver looked directly at Oliver, paused
and replied, “What you have received freely, pass on to someone
else on your journey.”
Many years and miles later, Oliver thinks back on his advice and
smiles – grateful for another gift of grace from a God whose
color we do not know.
---
 workshops
available
from the Office of
Black Catholic Ministry
• African American Christology
• Athletics and the Gospel Mission
• Cultural Mythology
• Culture, Race & Real Estate-The
Real Difference!
• Diversity Training-“Culture
and Me and You and Us”
• The History of Black Catholics
• Interracial Dating
• Ministry, Media & Marketing
in the New Millennium
• Pluricultural /Multicultural
Ministry
• Recovery from Everyday Racisms
• Race & Culture: A Business
Primer
• Race and Religion: Practicing
our Preaching
• Sports and Spirituality
• Strings Theory of Relational
Ministry (S.T.O.R.M.)
For more information, contact:
Ronald Landfair, M.P.S.
Dept. of Catholic Charities
517. 342.2496
rlandfair@dioceseoflansing.org
---
 Are
you called to minister to troubled youth? Your presence
could stop a young offender from turning into a lifelong criminal.
Mentors for juvenile offenders have been proven to reverse the pattern
of incarceration for troubled youth.
The Diocese of Lansing is seeking volunteers to become part of an
initiative working with offenders who are under age 18. Volunteers
will work at detention facilities in their local counties. Training,
formation, information and direction will be provided by the diocese.
For more information, contact Rory Hoipkemier at 517.342.2469 or
rhoipkemier@dioceseoflansing.org.
---
6 rules of engagement:
There is
a need to engage each other in open, honest discussions about race/culture.
To do so, follow these tips:
1 Self-initiative: There is a need to overcome
personal fears and individual prejudice(s) to begin a discussion/dialogue.
2 No presumptions: You must
have an open mind and be willing to learn – about others and
particularly yourself. Don’t presume you know everything about
the other person/people, based on your specific experience of one
or even a group of people from an ethnic group or culture not your
own.
3 Have a willingness to hear others: Don’t
rely on “objective sources (e.g. nightly news or newspapers)
for information; talk with people of various ethnic and geographic
backgrounds (blacks, Hispanics, whites, Latinos, Africans, Colombians,
Irish, Germans, etc.).
4 Acknowledge the individual and his/her identity:
Don’t see the other person as the spokesperson for
his ethnic race or cultural group; don’t pretend to be “color-blind”
either. Don’t reduce the other person to her race. Ethnic
makeup, like gender, is part of one’s historical experience
of “being” in the world. Be yourself, and recognize
the valid authenticity of the other person.
5 Truly listen: Don’t
just wait for or expect confirmation of your fears/anxieties or
what you think you already know. Don’t blow off the other
person’s concerns.
6 Respond honestly: Say
what you really think, believe or feel, and recognize that each
individual’s context of understanding is specifically his
or her own, including yours.
– Ron Landfair, director
of the Office of Black Catholic and Multicultural Ministry for the
Diocese of Lansing
“it’s the disease, not the person”
the challenges and joys of taking care of
Grandma
By Nancy Schertzing | Photography by Tom Gennara
 Anyone
who goes into this field has a person who inspired them,”
gerontologist Pam Bolam explains. “For me it was
my grandma. Grandma was very active in my life, growing up. I went
between her house and my own all the time.”
“Grandma was my good friend. Sometimes, when
we were together, I used to watch people try to take advantage of
her. They would claim they had given her the correct change when
they had not, or talk around her in conversations when she was standing
right there. I could feel a whole dynamic of disrespect for the
elderly. Partly because of what I saw very young, I decided to advocate
for older adults.
“Besides that, I know how many older adults feel. When I was
19, I developed an illness that made walking or doing simple tasks
torture. For about a year, all of my body’s energy went into
fighting the illness and the pain. I remember going to a doctor’s
appointment and breaking down in tears when I had to walk from one
end of the office to the next. I constantly longed for sleep!
“God gave me those experiences so I could have a deeper respect
for those I was planning to serve.”
Now a healthy 42-year-old, Pam advocates for older adults
as supervisor of Be Our Guest Adult Day Service. A program
of Livingston County Catholic Social Services, Be Our Guest operates
as a day club for adults suffering from various types of dementia,
including Alzheimer’s, Lewy bodies and mini-strokes.
“We call our participants guests, never patients or clients,”
Pam explains. “Here we practice a culture of respect.”
Each weekday, up to 17 guests gather at a lovely apartment
in Brighton’s Village of Woodland senior living complex.
They enjoy nutritional meals and snacks and therapeutic activities
designed to keep them moving and engaged. A visiting nurse regularly
monitors guests’ physical health. Pam and her staff look after
their emotional well-being, flexibly adapting activities to guests’
needs.
“They’re in there,” she insists. “So often
people with dementia lose their identity, they lose the things that
used to make them special. We try to connect our guests with their
identity and long-time skills within an atmosphere of respect and
independence.
 “One
of our guests is a former surgeon who retired 15 years ago.
Since then, everyone has called him by his first name. Here, we
address him as ‘Doctor.’ Another guest coached high-school
football for years, so ‘Coach’ leads us in our sports
– from balloon volleyball to horseshoes. I got my sewing machine
and some fabric squares out for a guest who was once a master tailor,
and he made a beautiful lap quilt!” Pam smiles.
“They are definitely in there. We stay flexible to find ways
to connect with and honor that person regardless of current abilities.”
Flexibility and respect are hallmarks of the Be Our Guest philosophy.
Every day, Pam and her staff engage their guests from 8 a.m. to
6 p.m., through socialization, reminiscing and exercise. Staff members
read the newspaper aloud; take guests on walks; engage them in art
projects; help them bake or garden or enjoy music therapy. Each
activity and effort goes toward the goal of giving every guest a
good day.
Sometimes guests are agitated, so Pam stays flexible and tries to
key in on them. “One day we served lunch and a woman
started screaming, ‘I’m not eating lunch! I didn’t
order this!’ She was upsetting our other guests, so I took
her into another room. She was still angry, pacing all over. Because
she has a tendency to fall, I asked her to sit down. ‘No!’
she yelled, ‘I’m not sitting down!’ I asked her
again to please sit down and told her I was afraid for her safety.
Again she refused and continued pacing.
“Finally I looked at her and said, ‘Please walk around
the room as much as you want. I do not want you to sit down here
in this chair.’ She immediately said, ‘I don’t
want to walk!’ and plopped into the chair!” Pam laughs.
“If we took every insult or outburst seriously, we’d
be in the wrong business.
“Sometimes dementia can cause people to lash out – kicking
or spitting, for example – though they would never
have done that while healthy. I try to tell families to remember
this is part of the disease process. You cannot take it personally
when your loved one no longer recognizes or relates to you the way
he or she always did. Especially in the final stages, you have to
understand it’s the disease, not the person.”
“Most of our guests live at home with caregivers – usually
their child or spouse. My heart goes out to those amazing people.
It can be so hard trying to juggle time and responsibilities; many
have a job or young children. They’re the sandwich generation,
stuck between the younger and older generations and holding them
both together. We offer caregivers respite, strengthening them to
go on caring for loved ones when they return home.
“Sometimes it can feel overwhelming for the caregiver and
the family. One Christmas, we brought Grandma from the
nursing home to stay with us. The first night, she fell out of the
bed she shared with my 6-year-old daughter, Amanda. My husband and
I lifted her back into bed and tucked her and Amanda in. The next
morning we discovered Amanda had lain half-awake the rest of the
night, holding onto Grandma’s collar so she wouldn’t
fall again.” The memory brings tears to Pam’s eyes.
“Everyone is affected.
“I believe families should talk about their experiences.
I encourage families to reach out to the support services available,
such as Catholic Social Services, their area Agency on Aging, the
Alzheimer’s Association and support groups.
“Seeing your loved one change with dementia is terrible. It’s
OK to need help.
“Most of my families notice a change in their loved one within
a few days of joining Be Our Guest, and caregivers are relieved
to have some help.”
Pam is happy that, through Be Our Guest, she can provide an atmosphere
that honors the memory of her dear friend and grandma.
---
If you are caring for a loved one who is suffering from Alzheimer’s
or another form of dementia, and need respite care, call
your local Catholic Charities agency. They can help you or direct
you to someone who can:
Catholic Charities of Lenawee 517.263.2191
Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County 734.971.9781
Catholic Charities of Shiawasee and Genesee Counties 810.232.9950
Catholic Social Services of Livingston County 517.545.5944
Catholic Charities of Jackson 517.782.2551
St. Vincent Catholic Charities, Lansing 517.323.4734
Special Report
What is the state of our Catholic Schools?
What are their successes and challenges?
 My
dear brothers and sisters
of the Diocese of Lansing,
The coordinating commission for our diocesan pastoral plan
is now focusing on reviewing parishes and the use of clergy.
Please pray for these fine people as they consider what is best
for our parishes and our diocese.
The commission will also review our parish schools. The
faith formation and academic education provided by our Catholic
schools are most effective in preparing students for a successful
and happy way of life in this world and the Kingdom of God. Catholic
school students generally perform better than their counterparts
on standardized tests. Our schools offer a classic example of doing
more with less. The administrative overhead for diocesan Catholic
schools is less compared to public school districts of similar size.
Additionally, Catholic school teachers serve our students as a ministry,
and I commend them for the gifts they are to our students every
day. They offer our students first-class formation and
education, even though their salaries are less than their public
school counterparts.
Our diocesan Catholic schools thrive due to the commitment
of parents. Only through their generous gifts of time,
talent and treasure can our schools continue.
Despite the good news, however, there are some painful realities
that challenge us. Shifting populations, rising costs and
alternative educational choices present continuing challenges. At
this time, no schools are slated to close. As this report details,
separate committees will review the overall state of our schools,
especially how they can collaborate and become more efficient. Those
committees will report to the Diocesan Coordinating Commission and
to me.
The commission members and I are deeply dedicated to making
decisions that will best serve Catholic school students, their families
and the mission of the Diocese of Lansing. I ask for your
prayers as we engage in this sacred mission.
Yours in Jesus Our Lord,
+ Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling
Bishop of Lansing
 In
our last issue, we reported how the clergy shortage and shifting
populations will impact the parishes of our diocese. In this issue,
our focus is on our diocesan and parish schools. What is the state
of our Catholic schools? What are their successes and challenges?
How will the current parish restructuring process affect
our Catholic schools? Decreasing enrollment, escalating
tuition costs, declining urban populations, increased technology
costs, aging infrastructures in some schools and a weak Michigan
economy impel us to review Catholic school structure in parts of
the diocese. The bishop is ultimately responsible for Catholic schools
in the diocese and will seek recommendations from:
1 Diocesan commission:
The coordinating commission, which is examining parish structures
for the diocese, will also look at schools. A subcommittee of that
commission is studying schools’ accessibility, affordability
and availability. They will incorporate the recommendations of the
Blue Ribbon Committee.
2 Diocesan Blue Ribbon Committee: This committee
was established by Bishop Mengeling in 2004 to address Catholic
education issues identified by the Parish Assessment Tool. This
committee’s goal is to ensure that Catholic education in the
diocese is accessible, affordable and available.
3 Regional commissions:
For several years, commissions in the Lansing, Genesee/Owosso and
Jackson regions have been studying their school structures and viability.
The Lansing and Jackson commissions have made recommendations to
the bishop. Genesee/Owosso pastors and principals continue to discuss
regional cooperation for their schools.
 At
this time, are any schools slated to close? No. Some schools
are at capacity and are financially healthy. However, other schools
need to increase enrollment and explore alternate funding to stay
financially viable. There will also be changes in how some schools
operate. Regional collaboration, such as consolidating purchasing,
marketing and resources, is likely to increase.
How are schools financed? Overall, schools are financed
by tuition, parish subsidies and trust funds/endowments. Many people
think tuition covers all costs for Catholic schools, but that is
not the case. All parish schools require financial support from
the parish. Some parishes only cover the expenses of the school
facility, which is also used for parish functions. Other parishes
cover operational expenses to keep the schools going. Since each
school is individually operated by a parish, tuition rates and teacher
salaries vary. Each school is on its own for purchasing, marketing
and administration.
What is the status of Catholic schools in the Lansing region?
The five elementary schools within the city limits of Lansing lost
32% of their student population since 1995. The 10 schools in the
surrounding area fared better. Their student population increased
by 7.3% over the past 10 years. (This includes St. Peter School
in Eaton Rapids, which opened in 2003-2004.) Lansing’s regional
school commission made recommendations to area pastors and the bishop.
The bishop has approved a restructuring of operations in order to
keep the five schools in the city of Lansing open and viable. The
commission will continue to work toward organizing the remaining
regional schools into a regional system.
 What
will change in how Lansing area schools are operated? The
schools will still be operated by parishes. However, a regional
K-12 system for Lansing will be created to do the following:
1 Standardize
tuition.
2 Standardize teacher salaries.
3 Create uniform business and accounting practices.
4 Develop common marketing.
5 Facilitate common purchasing.
An executive director will be hired to facilitate these goals in
the Lansing Area Catholic Educational System (LACES). He or she
will work in cooperation with the superintendent of Catholic schools
for the diocese, Lansing Catholic Central High School and parish
school leadership to streamline school operations in order to lower
costs – making each school more accessible, available and
affordable.
The Greater Lansing Education Foundation will continue to provide
financial support to the area schools through the Pope John Paul
II Society.
Will there be a middle school for the Lansing region?
Although there is no current plan to build a regional middle school,
LACES will study the feasibility of either building or converting
an existing building into a middle school. The sixth- to eighth-grade
student population of the region’s 14 elementary schools is
678. Total K-8 student population is 2,791. A middle school with
up-to-date technology and science labs to draw new students is what
some envision. However, others say a new middle school would cost
at least $15-20 million, which doesn’t make sense with a decreasing
student population.
What is the status of the Catholic schools in the Jackson
region? Enrollment has dropped in every school in the Jackson
region, both in the city and the outlying areas. In Jackson’s
seven elementary/middle schools, the student population has declined
by 30.4% over the past 10 years. A study was conducted by the Diocese
of Lansing Office of Pastoral Planning to examine the school structure
in the Jackson region. A separate regional school committee reviewed
this study, and is making recommendations to Bishop Mengeling. If
approved, the recommendations include the collaboration of Jackson
Catholic Schools to promote unity and support among area schools
and regional parishes by developing principles of operation. A regional
coordinator would implement the following school study recommendations:
1 Standardize tuition.
2 Standardize teacher salaries.
3 Create strategic plans for development and marketing.
4 Create uniform business and accounting practices.
5 Facilitate common purchasing.
6 Analyze and develop programs for special needs,
gifted and advanced students.
7 Enhance technology and enrichment curricula.
8 Conduct a feasibility study to see if sixth grade
should be pulled into the regional middle school.
9 Determine how facility upgrades for Jackson Catholic
Middle School can be implemented.
10 Create a common policy of financial support
from all parishes, whether or not they have a school.
 What
is the status of schools in the Genesee/Owosso region?
Like the cities of Lansing and Jackson, the Genesee/Owosso region
has experienced a decrease in enrollment over the past 10 years.
In the four schools inside the city of Flint, the student population
decreased by 40.3% since 1995. In the surrounding areas, the enrollment
in the eight Catholic schools has risen by 9.3% during the same
period. Pastors are meeting to study the schools in the Genesee/Owosso
region and decide whether to follow the Lansing or Jackson model,
or develop their own.
Will Powers High School move? Powers Catholic High School
in Flint has a committee that is considering the feasibility of
moving the school. Powers is located in the northern end of Genesee
County, far from most of the student population. Some believe that
moving the school is essential to ensure its continued success.
Others believe the estimated $20-30 million price tag on such a
move is prohibitive, and the declining county population does not
support the investment at this time.
What is the status of schools in the Washtenaw region? Enrollment
in the two parish schools has decreased by 17.5% over the past 10
years. Currently, both schools are addressing this issue and there
are no plans for regional restructuring.
What is the status of schools in the Livingston region?
Enrollment in Livingston County schools has increased by 122% since
1995 (including Holy Spirit, which began in the 2002-2003 school
year). St. Mary Parish in Pinckney recently built a new school.
St. Patrick School in Brighton has outgrown its current space and
is expanding into an existing commercial building the parish has
purchased. Parishioners are raising funds to finance the move. Currently,
no regional studies are being done and no other parish has permission
to build a school. There are no plans for a Livingston County regional
high school at this time.
 What
is the status of schools in the Lenawee/Hillsdale region?
Sacred Heart in Hudson is the only parish school in the Lenawee/Hillsdale
region. Its enrollment has grown by 56% over the past 10 years.
The student population at St. Joseph Academy in Adrian, operated
by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, has declined 26% over the same
10 years. There are no current plans to open any new schools in
the Lenawee/Hillsdale region.
What does it take to open a new regional Catholic high school?
It requires articulated support from area pastors, a viable financial
plan, a substantial and growing student population base, and the
willingness of enough parents to support Catholic education at this
level. Fr. Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor is the newest
high-school building in the diocese and it cost upward of $20 million.
Will the diocese need to build new K-8 schools?
New K-8 schools must meet the same criteria as high schools. New
schools may be built in areas of population growth that also have
strong parent and parish support.
What is the state of Catholic education in the United States
and how does our diocese compare to national trends? Nationally,
enrollment is decreasing in K-12 Catholic schools. The decline in
Diocese of Lansing parish school enrollment is similar to the rest
of the country. The culture is changing and formal Catholic education
is only one alternative for parents. Schools of choice and charter
schools are options that did not exist 20 years ago. Still, many
of our diocesan Catholic schools are thriving and have waiting lists.
Others are responding to the changing times and will continue to
succeed with the vital support of parents and parishes.
Are Catholic schools becoming something only for the elite?
Tuition does not cover all the costs of a Catholic school education.
Parishes subsidize the education of every student. Even with these
subsidies, elementary tuition has grown to an average of $2,000
to $3,500 per year. For diocesan high schools, tuition can top $5,000
per year. This is of great concern not only to parents but to diocesan
officials, who want to ensure that a Catholic education remains
affordable for the average family. Some argue that tuition is moving
out of the affordability range for the average family, let alone
the poor. Since Catholic education is a mission of the church, we
must find ways to keep Catholic education affordable, accessible
and available. Solutions include endowing our Catholic schools and
asking each parish to financially support schools, whether they
have a school or not.
 Does
the Diocese of Lansing have any plans to create an endowment or
initiate a capital campaign to fund our Catholic schools?
The Diocesan Blue Ribbon Committee, responding to Goal 3 of the
pastoral plan, is presenting a proposal for a major capital campaign.
If the campaign is approved and is successful, it could provide
funding to update aging buildings and enable our Catholic schools
to compete.
What is the overall state of Catholic education in the diocese?
Even with some declining enrollment, our Catholic schools maintain
high standards of excellence and continue to exercise the church’s
mission of educating our children to be the Catholic leaders of
tomorrow. Education as a whole in our diocese is premiere and has
been nationally recognized. In addition to our parish schools, the
diocese also offers many opportunities for young and old to learn.
Programs include parish religious education for children and youth,
young adult ministry, adult faith formation, lay ministry formation
and college level education. The catechetical formation program
is renowned and is dedicated to the formation and education of the
entire individual.
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