Featured Story

(Chamberlain, S.D.) – Each spring for the past 26 years, students and staff at St. Joseph’s Indian School, a member of the American Indian Catholic Schools Network,  walk for sobriety in April, starting on campus and splitting into the four directions sacred to Native Americans. In addition to the health benefits of walking, to “walk the Red Path” in Native American spirituality means living in healthy spiritual, physical, mental and emotional balance.

(Chamberlain, S.D.) – For the Lakota students at St. Joseph’s Indian School, a member of the American Indian Catholic Schools Network, taking care of Grandmother Earth – Uŋčí Makȟá – isn’t a one-day-per-year thing, but a daily spiritual commitment. Still, the grade-school students energetically embraced the event, planning and participating in several Earth Day activities.

Madrinas at Holy Cross School in North Portland, OR. (Photo Credit: Holy Cross School) 

“Oh no, esta escuela católica no es para nosotros. Es para los ricos!” This is a line that many school leaders attending ACE’s Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI) have heard all too often from Latino parents - that their local Catholic school is not for them. It’s only for the rich.

LEI’s decade of work in increasing Latino enrollment has highlighted the unfortunate reality that many Latino families have too little information when it comes to Catholic schools in the United States. Since Catholic schools in Latin America typically serve only the elite members of society, many low and middle-income Latino families in the United States consider a Catholic education to be inaccessible, and they do not even consider it to be an educational option for their children. We regard this to be a missed opportunity for schools and a missed opportunity for families.

The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) recently released sobering statistics of record-breaking drops in enrollment in Catholic schools across the country. Given that many of these drops came in urban areas in heavily populated Latino neighborhoods, schools with Latino children have been among the hardest hit. This has left many school and diocesan leaders wondering what they can do to ensure the fastest-growing group of Catholics in the United States continues to benefit from a Catholic education.

“Esta educación que has obtenido es para las personas que servirás con todo lo que Dios te ha dado, mija.”

When Jacqueline Mendez, a member of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program, graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a master’s degree in social work, her grandfather was there to remind her what her education was all about.

(Chamberlain, S.D.) –From March 15 to 19, St. Joseph’s Indian School students and staff found creative ways to celebrate the annual Feast Day of St. Joseph, the Father of Jesus. To honor the school’s patron, students worked on a beautiful stained glass portrait of St. Joseph designed by Graphics/Preflight Specialist at Tipi Press, Ann Lens. This picture is an expression of both the Lakota culture and Catholic identity.  March 19 is a special day for St. Joseph’s Indian School to celebrate the school's patron but even more so this liturgical year as Pope Francis declared it the year of Saint Joseph. Students will continue to learn about St. Joseph and the important role he had as father of Jesus through this painting and other lessons.