By Ricky Paradise

Remember the plaid skirts and the khaki pants? Remember the nuns, the bake sales, and the weekly masses? It’s hard to imagine that we have been out of school for so long, but it’s easy to remember the impact of our education.

Our Archdiocese has 38 grade schools and 6 high schools, educating roughly 15,000 students per year. These students are learning the same things that we learned, often from the same teachers who taught us, usually in the same buildings, and occasionally at the same desks. They are learning math, science and English.  They are learning music, social studies, and reading. They are begging for an extra recess and loving it when PE goes 5 minutes long.  

But, most importantly, they are learning our faith in everything they do. From the classroom to the lunchroom to the locker room, the cross is there, and our faith is always on the lesson plan.

I love the CEF because we give so many kids the opportunity to experience a Catholic education. It’s really that simple. The CEF is a small organization. The CEF is about 17 years old. We have a little budget, and a tiny staff. But we have a big mission. It’s our job to make sure that every kid who wants a Catholic education gets a chance to have a Catholic education.

Last year, we managed to raise about $1,200,000, for scholarships so that the poorest of the poor could get a Catholic education. How did we do it? We did it a few hundred dollars at a time. No million dollar donors, but lots of families who have a special place in their heart for Catholic education. People like me and you. People who wanted to give something back.

That’s why I love the CEF.

Originally Published on February 19, 2015