From the Desk of Fr. Schaller - January 29, 2023

Today’s Gospel presents for us one of the best known teachings of the Lord: the Sermon on the Mount. If you read through the Gospels you will find many occasions when Jesus was teaching His Apostles and disciples, or the whole “crowd”. That responsibility to teach the Faith was handed on to His Apostles and their successors, the bishops. One of the chief responsibilities of the Bishop is to teach the Faith within his diocese. Not just his ideas or opinions; but the Faith taught by Jesus, handed down by the Apostles, and still taught by the Church today. One of my responsibilities as pastor is to teach the Catholic Faith here at Saints Peter & Paul Parish. And finally, parents have the responsibility (and the right!) to teach their own children within the family. The Church has always stressed the primacy of parents as the first and most important teachers of their own children, especially in matters of the Faith. Though increasing numbers of parents may choose to homeschool their children, most make use of public, private, or Catholic schools. In every case the parents retain the privilege of directing their children’s education. It is proper for parents – indeed, all citizens - to have an active interest in how their schools are operated – not only regarding fiscal responsibility, but especially concerning the content of the curriculum. This applies to all schools: public, private, and Catholic schools. This week the Church celebrates Catholic Schools Week - an occasion to give thanks for all that our Catholic Schools have accomplished, and to re-commit ourselves to excellence in our Catholic Schools. I strongly encourage you who are parents to consider the value of a Catholic School education for your children. Now is an excellent time to explore the opportunities available for your child (ren) at Assumption Catholic Schools. My siblings and I benefitted greatly from our Catholic School experience. (For the record, I attended eight years of Catholic school at Saint Patrick’s in Onalaska, and graduated from Holmen (public) High School, and Marquette University).
May God bless you!
Fr. Schalle 

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