National Catholic Register has a nice cover story this week about the Wichita, Kansas diocese. The diocese implemented a highly-successful stewardship program that emphasized Catholic schools. The result: Its 38 schools are now thriving and tuition free.
We're guessing the Wichita bishop preaches the importance of a genuine Catholic education--and not in the vague, "parents raise your kids right" sense, but in the sense that there is a presumption in favor of sending one's children to Catholic schools, if feasible. How much different than other dioceses where bishops are too timid to say anything on the matter. They give insipid words of encouragement to their schools as they get sucked under by the tax-mills-fed public school vacuum, but do nothing: like a father standing by a pit of quicksand as his son drowns in it, urging, "That's good, Bobby; just swim a little harder."
Why don't the other bishops take strong actions, or at least speak strong words?
The whole thing reminds us, by contrast, of a story about Orestes Brownson back in the 1800s. His adult son was a public school educator and wanted to send his son to public school. His bishop threatened him with excommunication. The son wrote to Orestes, asking for advice and help, knowing that his father was not a big fan of Catholic schools (many of which were rather weak back then).
Orestes responded by supporting the bishop.
