Catholic Schools Week comes to a close this weekend but the important work and lasting impact of our parish Catholic school and Catholic schools across the country and around the world will continue. Students & staff at Holy Family Catholic School & Preschool enjoyed a lot of fun and formative activities this week to celebrate in Catholic Schools Week. You can see some of the highlights on the HFS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/holyfamilyna/
The word “catholic” means “universal, complete, whole”. Catholic is not so much a denomination name – like Lutheran, Presbyterian, Evangelical, or Baptist – as it is the bold claim, dating to the first century and St Ignatius of Antioch, that the Church of Jesus Christ is meant for all people in all places in all periods of time, and that it provides the complete and whole deposit of Faith and Tradition that Jesus Christ entrusted to the Apostles and is preserved and protected into our own day. That does sound bold, and by mere human means would be impossible. Fortunately, the claim is backed by Christ through the Holy Spirit who will always and forever guide and protect the Church in Her continued ‘catholic’ Mission for Christ.
Our parish Catholic school is a universal opportunity for the education of all children. Our Catholic Faith compels us to open our doors to all children of all faith backgrounds, even while boldly proclaiming the complete and whole Truth as received from Christ for our salvation through our education. In this way, HFS is the single largest ministry of outreach and evangelization of the parish. About 14% of our students and school families are not Catholic. We are glad to have them with us. Yet, they still attend Mass and have daily religious education according to the Catholic Tradition in Scriptures and the Sacraments. Many non-Catholic parents have their first experience of the Holy Mass through their child’s attendance at HFS. Several have commented that this experience has helped open their minds and hearts about Catholics as Christians and the importance of the Church!?! That’s a great thing!
The very ‘catholic’ nature of our Catholic school was extended this past year through recent Indiana legislation that generously expanded access to School Choice for a greater number of Indiana residents, making it substantially more universally attainable. Nearly 84% of Indiana households now qualify for some form of state financial assistance. This legislation has rightly put the decision of what school or educational environment is best for one’s children more firmly into the hands of parents – who the Catholic Church acclaims as the “First educators in the Faith”. If you have never considered a Catholic education because of the financial barriers, now is a great time to reconsider. We are ready to answer your questions and assist you in finding your way into our Holy Family School family.
More details on Indiana School Choice found here: https://www.i4qed.org/calculator/voucher-qualification
Holy Family Catholic School & Preschool (HFS) carries forward the rich long tradition of Catholic Education for 3-year olds through eighth grade. If you are interested in learning more about how your child can experience the transformative power of a Christ-centered, academically-minded, relation-oriented formation through Catholic education, please contact Principal Amy Huber in the school office at 812-944-6090 or email [email protected]. Visit the school website at http://holyfamilyeagles.org/
Holy Family, The First School of Holiness, Pray for us.
~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries