Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/538372
National Catholic Forester 2 As families enjoy mid- summer, they also start to think about preparing for the school year ... "Back-to-School" sales offer supplies for students from pre-school through university. Families plan for a variety of student needs: tuition and fees, new clothes, new books and computers, or any of the items necessary for athletic or music programs. In the excitement and frenzy of preparing for a new school year, we can sometimes forget that the opportunity to go to school is both a luxury and a blessing that is available to American children because of the efforts of many who worked to establish schools in a frontier country. We, as Catholics can be especially proud of the contribution fellow Catholics have made to the education system in the United States. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Katharine Drexel, Blessed Theresa of Jesus and Mother Caroline Friess are just a few of the women who started congregations that served in schools in the United States. Each of these women KDGDVLJQLŅFDQWDQGODVWLQJLPSDFWRQHGXFDWLRQLQRXU country and especially in states where we have NCSF courts. They have fascinating lives which included attending to the needs of immigrant children or minority children in the early history of our nation. They set up schools, founded universities and contributed to the consistent knowledge-base of a new and growing nation. Elizabeth Ann SetonZDVD\RXQJZLGRZZLWKŅYH children. She was a convert to the Catholic faith, the foundress of a religious order and the foundress of the ŅUVW&DWKROLFVFKRROLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVKatharine Drexel grew up in a very wealthy family. When she was a young adult, her parents died, leaving her a substantial fortune. She entered religious life, founded DFRPPXQLW\VSHFLŅFDOO\WRDWWHQGWRWKHQHHGVRI Native American and African American children, and used her inheritance to start schools and a university. Theresa founded a Bavarian order and then sent Caroline to the US to teach German immigrant children, especially in the Milwaukee, WI area. There are MANY more – School Sisters of St. Francis, Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sisters of Mercy, LaSalle Christian Brothers, Dominicans, etc. who started schools and universities to provide Catholic education for students of all ages. At NCSF, we honor and support Catholic schools with grant programs that provide tuition assistance for Catholic education at every level from pre-school through high school, as well as offering a grant to offset fees for CCD or Religious Ed. programs. The college scholarships and other grant opportunities for students ZKRKDYHDOUHDG\ŅQLVKHGKLJKVFKRRODOVRRIIHUWRRXU members the opportunity for continued learning. )LQGPRUHGHWDLOVDERXWRXUHGXFDWLRQEHQHŅWVRQSDJH 4; plus, enjoy learning about some of our patron saints to education, which we have peppered throughout this issue, for your enjoyment. Supporting the gift and blessing of Catholic education is just one of the ways that NCSF serves the needs of Catholic families and their parishes. MARGARET (PEGGY) SCHMITT NATIONAL PRESIDENT National President's Message Catholics in Education