For Matt Carlin, a veteran public school principal who switched this year to take the leadership role at a Catholic school in the Diocese of Allentown, there is hope everywhere you look in Catholic education.
It’s in the heart of an eighth-grade girl considering a vocation to the religious life. It’s in the school families who gather to pray a Rosary. It’s in the dedication of Catholic school teachers who share their faith and nurture Catholic values.
It’s even in the “car line” where Carlin stands at the end of the day, in all kinds of weather, chatting and building trust and camaraderie with parents waiting to pick up their students at the elementary school where he is principal, St. John Vianney Regional School, Allentown.
Carlin converted to Catholicism 30 years ago after being moved by the faith of his girlfriend (and now wife), Tracy, and her family. The Carlins sent their three kids – Breene, Evelyn, and Ben – to their parish elementary school, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton, and then on to Notre Dame High School, Easton.
Carlin comes to Catholic education after 29 years as a public school teacher and principal. His enthusiasm for Catholic education is infectious. “This has been rewarding and life-changing for me,” he said. Talk to him for five minutes, and you can tell that he is absolutely passing that enthusiasm along to the rest of the school.
There are 24 other Catholic elementary schools in the five counties of the Diocese, and three special education schools, and six Catholic high schools. Every one of them is in the business of inspiring hope – during this Jubilee Year of Hope and during every other year – in the hearts of students, teachers, staff, and parents.
Hope is a gift from God that fosters within us a deep and appropriate desire for Him. It’s the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness.
“We are definitely promoting heavenly virtues here,” said Dr. Michael St. Pierre, Superintendent of Catholic Education in the Diocese. “Catholic education is truly one of the best gifts the Church has to offer the world.”
Catholic schools provide a strong formation in the Catholic faith. They put a major focus on academics, and they are surprisingly affordable, St. Pierre said. They also deliver on what many parents want for their children – a set of traditional Catholic values, a solid work ethic, and a strong sense of pride.
Catholic Schools Week, which this year runs from Jan. 26 through Feb. 1, is an excellent time to learn more about Catholic education. Check your school’s website for special activities or visit the Diocese of Allentown Catholic Education web page www.adschools.org.
By Paul Wirth
