March 5, 2010
Campaign to bring more Hispanic students into Catholic schools
Beth Clark, CEF campaign co-chair, speaks with a board member after the annual campaign kickoff Feb. 18. (Message photo by Paul R. Leingang) Click for a larger version.
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
In November of 2009, a national task force commissioned by the University of Notre Dame launched a campaign to improve educational opportunities for the next generation of American Latinos by expanding their access to Catholic schools.
The U.S. bishops have lauded the campaign which seeks to double the percentage of Hispanic students enrolled in Catholic schools, bringing their number to one million by 2020.
Father Henry Kuykendall is the pastor at Nativity Church which is located on Evansville’s southeast side. It’s a parish with a growing Hispanic population.
He’s been the pastor there since 1990, and under his direction the parish has launched a campaign to get poor Latino students — in grades kindergarten, one and two — into four Catholic schools in Evansville: Christ the King, Holy Rosary, Holy Spirit and St. Theresa during the 2010-2011 school year.
Under an agreement with the four parishes, Nativity will pay $1,000 of each student’s tuition and the four parishes will cover the rest of the costs. Their Latino families, if they are able, will donate $15 a week to the “Adopt a Student” fund.
Providing Latino students with a Catholic education is the very best way to provide future leadership in the Church, Father Kuykendall believes.
“Look at the diocesan priests. Almost 100 percent are Catholic school educated, and most par-ish leaders are Catholic school educated.”
He cites sociologist Father Andrew Greeley who says, “the only hope of the Catholic Church are Catholic schools.”
There are an estimated 10,000 Hispanics currently living in Vanderburgh and Warrick counties, and “87 percent of Mexican Hispanics are Catholic,” Father Kuykendall said, asking, “What is the future for them?”
At Nativity, his Hispanic parishioners come from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
“They have all different levels of education,” he said, adding that he believes “the only hope for the Latino community is Catholic education. That’s how the Germans, the Italians and the Irish made it. You get them in Catholic schools and integrate them.”
This campaign which encourages parishes to financially assist Latino students enrolling in Catholic schools, is necessary, he believes, because of the changing times. “When I was a kid, the nuns were teaching then, and it cost $5 a month. Now it costs $5,000 a year.”
In responding to Father Kuykendall’s plans, Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger said in an e-mail, “This is a wonderful initiative which I hope will be expanded to all our parishes who have Latino/Latina populations so as to assist poor families to have the opportunity for their children to be in Catholic schools.”
He added, “This is a generational matter. If we can help this young generation and their parents to experience the value of Catholic schooling it will be a great boon for them and the diocesan church. Yes, it is long term but we already have waited for the grain to give itself away so a new crop will eventually come to a fruitful harvest.”
Father Kuykendall agrees, noting that the crux of the initiative is to “keep them Catholic.
“Fifty percent of all Catholic children in America are Latinos,” he said, asking, “What is the future of the Catholic Church? It is with the Latino population. In 25 years, 50 percent of all Catholics in the United States will be Latino.”
In the Diocese of Evansville this year there are 5,802 students enrolled in the elementary and middle schools. Of that total number, there are 69 Hispanic students. There are 1,518 students in the four Catholic high schools which are located in Evansville, Vincennes and Washington. Of that number there is one Hispanic student.
Father Kuykendall said often Hispanic families believe that Catholic school education is “only for the rich.” He wants them to realize that’s not true, and that Catholic schools are places “where they can get the best in reading, writing, arithmetic and science,” along with the “best discipline, values, sacraments, religion and a good relationship with Christ.”
In a letter to the Hispanic parents in his parish, he wrote that the four parishes which are involved in the initiative will welcome the Hispanic children “with open arms and hearts.”
“Holy Spirit is a small school with 168 students on the southeast side with Marian Day School special education classes and a priest, Father [Claude] Burns, who speaks fluent Span-ish. They already have several Latino children attending and doing well.
“Christ the King is a school on the east side, with quality teachers. They have several La-tino children doing well there.
“Holy Rosary is a large school with 431 students; they have had many Latino children attending and offer a high quality education, sports and religion.
“St Theresa is a small school with 107 students on the north side with a brand new program that offers year round school with more days for your child to learn. They have already had several Latino families.”
Deacon Dave Seibert is the pastoral life coordinator at St. Theresa Church. He said, “This year we have no Latino students enrolled. Last year we had four students who were referred to us through Nativity Parish. Their situations required some financial assistance which was provided through an arrangement with Nativity and St. Theresa Parish.
“In return for the assistance they worked at various activities as volunteers in the same way that our other parish families do.
“The students fit in well with our student body and helped our other students and teachers expand their cultural awareness. Thanks to the parents, the other students were able to experience how the Hispanic community celebrates their holidays and learn about their customs. It was a great opportunity for all involved.”
He said that his parish “is happy to participate in the program with Father Henry and Nativity Parish. Our philosophy is that no child should be denied a Catholic education regardless of their financial situation.
“We have the capacity to accept these students, the programs to provide them with a sound education and an atmosphere that is welcoming and inclusive.
“As a result, the initiative to bring more Latino children into Catholic schools fits very well into our mission to provide lifelong Catholic education to everyone.”