November 2023
I attended my son’s Confirmation at our parish last week, and I was struck by Bishop Dennis Sullivan’s remarks about the prayers that are part of the sacrament. He emphasized that they were not words that he thought sounded good, or that he made up. They are ancient words, used since around the second century – 1,800 years ago! – in the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. I never realized so strongly that the prayers we pray every week at Mass go back just as far, and that the words we pray every day in the “Our Father” go back to Jesus himself.
Catholic schools are grounded in ancient words, too. Each one lives the words of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself” every day. This small phrase can be taken for granted, but there is so much to it. What does it mean to love? How do you love yourself? And who is your neighbor? Catholic school students know this doesn’t mean “let everyone do whatever they want to do because that’s what you would want for yourself.” They know that because they are taught discipline and structure that are appropriate to their age and grade. Discipline for younger students is more tangible to build good habits. It includes how to wear a uniform correctly, how to remain respectful of others by keeping your hands to yourself or remaining quiet while they are working. Older students maintain that tangible discipline and learn discipline of the mind, such as how to study, how to honor obligations, how to commit to a team or a subject or an activity, and how to recognize the impact of their decisions on other people.
All of those things come from the ancient and eternal words of Jesus to love one another. It seems so simple, but we all know that the challenges we face every day make truly loving others a lifelong journey. In a Catholic school, caring faculty and like-minded peers and their parents travel that journey with each student. Parents choose Catholic schools because of values like these and because they know that other parents are doing the same. Together, they create a community that, to paraphrase Proverbs 22:6, “trains up” children in the way they should go so that they do not depart from it when they are adults.
Because we are grounded in ancient words that express eternal truths, we do not waver from these commitments to students and their parents. The way that we do things might have changed over the years, but the reasons have remained constant. And those reasons are important no matter how old you are – whether in preschool or high school or beyond – because they provide the strongest of foundations for fulfillment and success in school and in life.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bill Watson, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Camden
Would you like more information about a school near you? Fill out the form below.
September, 2020
Welcome to the South Jersey Catholic schools website! Here you will find all the resources you need to learn more about the great academic opportunities available to our students.
In our schools, children grow in their faith, receive an outstanding education and participate in a wide range of activities outside the classroom – especially in service to others.
Students are coming back to South Jersey Catholic Schools for the first time in nearly six months. It will not quite be business as usual, but it will be a joy to have them interacting with classmates and teachers again — a return to the faith-filled, academically rigorous experience families expect from our Catholic schools.
Since the 2019-20 school year ended in June, our school principals have worked tirelessly with the Office of Catholic Schools to prepare for the coming year. Under the leadership of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bill Watson, they have created detailed plans covering a multitude of contingencies to ensure a safe return — including a virtual learning option for families who are not ready to return to classrooms.
There is no precedent for the path we are on. Understandably, some families are fearful about starting the new school year. I can assure you we would not be opening if we did not believe we can do it safely or if we thought it was not in our students’ best interest.
Our schools are communities of love and mutual support. Families who embrace Catholic school education understand the tenets of Catholic social teaching that call us to seek together the common good and well-being of all and to be mindful that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. Working toward the common good requires discipline to act in ways that protect our brothers and sisters. Our students learn this discipline from the time they enter our schools as they share their faith, serve others, and develop a keen sense of respect. It is the very nature of our schools that enables us to move forward.
I am confident that our students understand the importance of doing everything they can to keep all members of their school communities safe, which includes wearing masks, maintaining appropriate distance, and adapting to new standards of hygiene and personal protection. They will do this for each other, and for the teachers, staff and school leaders who have accepted God’s calling to the ministry of education.
We count on a strong partnership with our school parents and I thank them for working with us to ensure their children do everything possible to stay safe and healthy.
Our schools’ plans to open full time are well within the guidelines established by state and local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and our governor. I know the Office of Catholic Schools and our school leaders will continue to operate within those guidelines, while being flexible to accommodate any changes that the schools may face in the future.
My deepest appreciation goes to our Catholic school educators who have been formulating these plans for reopening Catholic Schools and to the families who continue to show their dedication to providing a Catholic school education for their children.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D.
Bishop of Camden