HARRISBURG, Pa. – Most Rev. Ronald W. Gainer, Bishop of Harrisburg, and Mr. Daniel Breen, Secretary for Education and Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese, announced today the start of a strategic vision process to strengthen Catholic education in the Diocese of Harrisburg.
“Today, our 36 Catholic schools continue to strive for excellence in educating nearly 10,000 students across our Diocese. While grateful for our history and current success, we believe that Catholic education now is as important as it ever has been, and we feel the urgent need to chart a pathway for the future,” said Bishop Gainer. “To that end, we announce today our effort to create a strategic vision for our Catholic schools in a process called “Christ Before Me: A Strategic Vision for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Harrisburg.””
“There is a rich tradition of Catholic education in our Diocesan schools. Humbled by our inheritance, we stand today on the shoulders of so many faithful men and women who have, since 1868, educated and supported thousands of students in faith and in academics: bishops, priests, principals, school leaders, teachers, staff, parents, alumni, and benefactors,” said Breen.
Throughout the summer and the 2021-22 school year, the Diocese will gather and study data, including conducting surveys and interviews. This information will be used to develop the strategic vision for the Diocesan Catholic schools. It is anticipated the vision plan will be completed by May 2022. As this process progresses, updates will be posted to the strategic vision webpage – www.hbgdiocese.org/christbeforeme.
The Diocese is partnering with the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) in this effort. The NCEA “works with Catholic educators to support ongoing faith formation and the teaching mission of the Catholic Church.”
The Diocese has approximately 10,000 students enrolled at 36 schools. High School students in the Diocese typically have a graduation rate over 98% and annually are offered more than $40 million in scholarship funds. Please visit GoCatholicSchools.org to learn more.
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