The American Bishops statement entitled To Teach as Jesus Did remarks on Catholic education:

The difference in Catholic schools is not a difference in standards, but something more fundamental.  Catholic schools are distinguished by the integration of life with religious truth and values.  Catholic schools strive to live, learn, worship and serve following the example of Jesus Christ.  Catholic schools educate the heart, mind and soul so that children can embrace lives full of hope, joy, and peace, no matter what challenges they meet.  As the schools are committed to academic excellence, so too are they committed to helping children become productive, faithful, and responsible members of society.  Students are challenged to learn not only for their own sake, but to help build up the world around them into the Kingdom of God.

As each child is created in God's image and likeness and is endowed with certain gifts, Catholic educators look at each individual child and strive to help identify and develop his/her gifts, and to make the most of his/her life in response to Christian faith.

A Catholic education provides a perfect opportunity to show children how faith enters their lives by incorporating it into their daily work and play, their friendships, their trials and fears.  Faithful and loving Catholic educators remind students of their duties for prayer, worship and service through example.

The next generation will face a host of challenges in the world. We need to help prepare young people to face those challenges with Christ in their lives. Catholic schools offer the technology of today with values for life so that our young people will be more likely to grow up to be faithful Catholics and loving family members; responsible adults in the workplace and leaders of the world and of their communities.