VALPARAISO (SNR) – Bishop Robert Vasa of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Calif., addressed about 80 people near Valparaiso Aug. 14 on the merits of Catholic education.
The talk was held on the farm of Luke and Alice Benes as part of an evening celebrating Catholic schools in the Lincoln Diocese and raising awareness of the Good Shepherd Scholarship Fund.
“I hope that you have some sense of just how fortunate you are to have such a wonderful availability of Catholic school education in your diocese, in your area, in your counties because it is a blessing which is not universal,” Bishop Vasa said.
Bishop Vasa said Catholic schools require a sacrifice for all parishioners, "but it also means that parishioners have a sense that education is a part of the mission of the Church." He said "that mission to teach is a baptismal mission that falls to every single person in the Church... and is made present and tangible in a particular way in our Catholic schools.
"The culture will not self-correct," Bishop Vasa said. He went on to say only those who are well-formed, well-founded and well-trained will have the core values to sustain themselves throughout their lives.
Bishop Vasa said the purpose of Catholic education is to raise up future Catholic leaders.
"It does work. It does produce fruit both now and hopefully into eternity, as well."
Editor's note: Video interview with Bishop Vasa
Bishop Vasa was born in Nebraska, attended St. John Nepomucene Elementary in Weston and graduated from Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo. Bishop Vasa served as a priest in the Lincoln Diocese for 24 years. He was named Bishop of the Diocese of Baker, Ore. in 2000, before assuming his current position as Bishop of Santa Rosa in 2011.
Cody Hein, a graduate of Aquinas High School in David City and a seminarian at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, also spoke, saying Aquinas High School had a major impact on his faith life and his vocation, especially by having so many priests teaching in the school.
Katie Ostgren, director of development and stewardship for the Diocese of Lincoln, said the mission of the Good Shepherd Scholarship Fund is to make sure every family that wants to send their children to Catholic schools will be able to afford it. The fund is now in its fourth year and last year provided $2.7 million in scholarships.
