Faithful invited, challenged to be attentive to needs of poor

My brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
This edition of our “Catholic Spirit” pays tribute to our catechists. How blessed we are to have an army of men and women, from the young to the more senior, who volunteer to serve in this wonderful ministry, helping our youth to know Jesus and His Church better through the many different catechetical programs our parishes host. In fact, the formation of our children as faithful disciples of the Lord is one of the most important works of the Church. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans expresses our gratitude for those who bring the good news to others beautifully: “And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  
Another blessing in our diocese is our Catholic schools and last week I had the chance to visit two – St. Ann in Raritan and St. Thomas the Apostle in Old Bridge. It was a joy to visit with the wide-eyed students, dedicated teachers and administrators. As you have heard me say before, one of the many blessings I have found in serving as the Bishop of Metuchen is the opportunity to visit our parishes and schools. The chance to support and witness the different catechetical and service initiatives taking place is so encouraging.
I was sad to learn, however, that for nearly 115,000 people, just in our four-county diocese, poverty is a day-to-day reality. Here in the Diocese of Metuchen, we are blessed with a rich diversity of ethnicities, cultures, languages, religions, and a broad economic diversity, too. The four counties in our diocese – Middlesex, Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren – are some of the wealthiest areas in our state, yet poverty continues to rise, especially in urban areas where there is an alarmingly high poverty and school dropout rate, some of the highest in the state.
Poverty has a significant impact on a family’s ability to provide children with a quality education. Economic disadvantage is, in many ways, associated with educational disadvantage and yet, a quality education is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty. As a diocese, we are committed to education and, particularly, the education of the poor. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Metuchen work hard to give parents a choice by keeping Catholic education available and as affordable as possible to ensure our schools are for everyone, rich or poor. Our diocese provided $796,250 in scholarships to needy students for this current year, thanks to donations from you, our faithful to the diocese and in the annual collection as well as from interest on some endowed funds held by the diocese in a sacred trust for this purpose.  
As a new further effort, I am grateful for the recent establishment of Hope through Education, a newly incorporated, independent, nonprofit charitable organization. Hope through Education was established by lay people from throughout the diocese to try to close the educational gap by providing low-income families with partial tuition scholarships for children K-12 to attend private and parochial schools located in our four counties. This will be a God-send. As an independent nonprofit corporation, even businesses not able to donate to the Church are able to offer hope to the children of our diocese by helping them to attend private and Catholic schools. Through this partnership, I am indeed hopeful that we can make our Catholic schools even more accessible to our youth.
In its first organizational year, Hope through Education offered 26 scholarships of need-based tuition-assistance, totaling $74,000, to qualified low-income students living in our diocese and though that amount is significant, the need is even greater. From the applications for tuition assistance we receive each year, low-income applicants are in need of more than $2 million in tuition assistance. There is great need, but gratefully we are blessed with resources throughout our diocese too.
As Pope Francis reminds us, “parents themselves enjoy the right to choose freely the kind of education – accessible and of good quality – which they wish to give their children in accordance with their convictions.” (Amoris Laetitia, 84).
I invite and challenge you to be attentive to the needs of the poor, especially the economically disadvantaged youth in our diocese. They are our future, but they are our present, too. We must recognize the need to provide them with a quality, values-based education, so that they have the opportunity to develop to their full potential, grow in their love for the Lord and his Church, and take the Gospel message out into the world. Through our commitment and generosity, let us together take this concrete step to reduce the long-term impact of poverty and prepare the way so that all children may have a bright future.
Please pray for the success of Hope through Education and, also for all of our young people, as they begin a new school year and another year of catechetical formation, growing in their own discipleship. Be assured of my love, gratitude and prayers for you, even as I ask for your prayers for me and my ministry here too.
 
With renewed best wishes, I remain
Yours in Christ,
Most Rev. James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA
Bishop of Metuchen