By Cindy Schilmoeller
The good news about Catholic schools is that we have something special going on here in the Diocese of Lincoln!
Emigrating from Iowa in 1986, and sending our first child off to kindergarten at St. Mary School in downtown Lincoln in 1993, my husband Mark and I knew we wanted for our children what we had growing up—a Catholic education that would nurture their faith, be rooted in and aware of the richness of the sacraments, and journey with Christ every day. We wanted prayer, the history of the saints, the celebration of Mass, and the presence of religious to be integrated into their educational routine.
We have received that and more over the past 30-some years. When I look back at raising six children, with three now married, one about to be ordained a priest, and two in high school, I realize we landed on a pot of gold when we chose to raise a family here. Collectively, our children have attended St. Mary, North American Martyrs, St. Michael, and Pius X High School. We have been incredibly blessed in the Diocese of Lincoln where education is affordable, and the opportunities to strengthen the foundation of faith outside our home are exceptional.
Our children have been involved with GodTeens, TEC, Totus Tuus, SKY, Marian, and Leadership camps, Villa Marie, afterschool programs, and the March for Life in Washington, D.C.; just so many opportunities to grow in faith, to be Christ, and to witness Christ in others.
Fortunately, the beauty of Catholic education after high school continued for our adult children at the UNL Newman Center. There, too, lie opportunities to be surrounded by individuals who share the faith and are ultimately on a path to heaven. Our Catholic schools are institutions that allow students to be immersed in an atmosphere where attending Mass and receiving the sacraments are the norm. All of these factors have aided us as parents in raising responsible, faith-abiding Christians.
You reap what you sow, and with the aid of Catholic schools, I have to ask, “How can I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?” I am so blessed as I recognize our Catholic school educators and benefactors work tirelessly and sacrificially because they believe that the principles of virtue and charity taught in the classroom are carried into everyday living.
While Catholic schools have been instrumental in helping our children live and grow in light of the Catholic faith and its traditions, I would be remiss to say that without fueling my own faith, the impact of sending our children to Catholic schools would not be effective. It is not the Catholic school on its own, nor the parent(s) alone, but together, with the aid of both environments, we aim to form well-informed Catholic individuals who keep those core values close to their heart and can fully rely on the foundation built for them. Parents cannot cease to be an example of holiness to their children, not only when they are small, but even when they enter adulthood and pursue their own vocations.
I hope my children recognize and value the experience they had in Catholic schools and will choose to make them a priority for their own children if possible. We came from Iowa, almost moved to Minnesota (where we learned quickly that the waiting list was too long and the tuition too high for enrollment in Catholic schools), and are reaffirmed again and again that our treasure was and remains to be here, in the Diocese of Lincoln, with the best of Catholic schools and the heart of Catholic tradition.
