Catholic School Grads Ready To Face Future
With Poise, Confidence, Faith
 

The recent Catholic high school graduation ceremonies were infused with all of the traditional elements of pomp and circumstance.

While the students and their families will undoubtedly treasure those memories, a more lasting impression was also evident: the graduates are well prepared – academically and as faithful Catholics – to embark on the next phases of their lives.

“I was extremely impressed by our students,” said Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, who participated in the graduations of Holy Cross High School , Holy Redeemer High School , Notre Dame High School and St. John Neumann Regional Academy .

“As I listened to the speeches by the valedictorians, salutatorians and class presidents, I was struck by how poised and confident they are – and especially how they talked about Catholic identity and how their faith has been formed by their experiences in the school. What a testimony to the benefits of a Catholic education!”

The Bishop thanked parents, teachers, administrators and coaches, and anyone who supports Catholic education, for making these achievements possible.

“Catholic schools are a vital link in the Church’s evangelization efforts, and we are committed to ensuring that here in the Diocese of Scranton we have a viable school system,” Bishop Bambera said.

Catholic schools have traditionally high academic standards and high graduation rates, all supported by strong moral values. Students annually devote thousands of hours to community service projects that benefit numerous worthy causes.

According to the National Catholic Educational Association, Catholic secondary schools report a graduation rate of 99.1 percent, which is higher than rates reported by other religious schools (97.9 percent), non-sectarian schools (95.7 percent) and public schools (73.2 percent).

Students graduating from Catholic high schools are also more likely to attend four-year colleges (84.7 percent) than graduates from other religious (63.7 percent) and non-sectarian (56.2 percent) schools. They are twice as likely to attend four-year colleges as graduates of public schools (44.1 percent).

These national figures are reflected in the achievements of the 2010 graduates of the four Diocesan Catholic high schools and Marian Catholic High School in Schuylkill County , Diocese of Allentown, which includes a number of students from the Scranton Diocese.

Of the 489 graduates from these five schools, 467 will be pursuing further education. The graduates received 913 post-secondary scholarship awards totaling more than $31.7 million.

“Our schools had a fantastic year,” said Kathleen P. Hanlon, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Education and Superintendent of Schools. “All of our principals, teachers, staff and students can take pride in these accomplishments.

“Those of us who are associated with the schools can definitely notice the difference a Catholic education can make. For parents, choosing their child’s education is probably the most important decision there is. And if you look at the success of this year’s graduating classes, you can see that Catholic education is an investment that will pay dividends for life.”

Ms. Hanlon said that early enrollment projections for next year are promising and registration at all schools continues. She encouraged all parents who are still undecided to seriously consider how much their children will benefit from the Catholic school experience.

“We need parents to partner with us to maintain the tradition of excellence in our Catholic schools,” she said.

Parents may contact the schools for information, or they can call the Catholic Schools Office at 570-207-2251.