Bishop's Message for Catholic Schools Week 2021

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis

The Diocese of Salt Lake City joins all of the Catholic schools in the nation in celebrating the 2021 Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6. I extend my heartfelt greetings and gratitude to Mark Longe, superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools, and to all the principals, teachers, staff, students, parents and supporters for their partnership and dedication in the Church’s mission of evangelization.

The theme for the 2021 Catholic Schools Week is “Faith. Excellence. Service.” This highlights the essential virtues of the mission of our schools. Catholic education integrates the value of faith into the instruction and transformation of the minds and hearts of students so they can share the love of Christ with others. The close collaboration and support among our schools, parents, parishes and the community continue to play an essential role in the lives of our students and creates a conducive environment for academic excellence and the pursuit of a holistic learning that prepares and motivates our students to serve and to make a difference in their lives and in our society.

God has tremendously blessed our Catholic schools through the years. The educational landscape has drastically changed and brought other challenges but our mission remains the same, in spite of the many challenges that come along the way. Our schools remain vibrant and healthy, and provide faith-based quality education rooted in our rich Catholic tradition, impressed with excellent formation carried out in a safe environment.

I commend and gratefully appreciate the hard work of our faculty, staff and students. We value your commitment and resiliency, especially during these unprecedented and trying times. I thank all parents for entrusting the faith formation and academic development of your children to the hands of our capable, dedicated and excellent teachers. Likewise, thanks to our pastors, parishioners, donors and benefactors for your unwavering support of our Catholic schools.

Let us celebrate Catholic Schools Week with thanksgiving, trust and renewed hope for better days to come. Meanwhile, please maintain all our school cautionary health measures and safety protocols for the physical and spiritual well-being of everyone. Prayerful wishes for a joy-filled celebration and God’s blessings!