Each and every day the Diocese of Providence provides economic assistance to people of different faiths. Included in this assistance are diocesan funds that help struggling families to pay for Catholic school tuition. Thousands of families throughout the state recognize the advantages that Catholic schools offer, namely, a holistic approach to education that includes a focus on faith and moral development and instilling gospel values.
A recent op-ed in the Providence Journal implied that because Bishop Thomas J. Tobin declined to extend or renew the lease of church property to Blackstone Valley Preparatory School, he is therefore opposed to charter schools and apathetic to the economic needs of families. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Catholic Church supports school choice and, in fact, has collaborated with charter schools in Rhode Island, including the leasing and selling of properties to them.
While charter schools provide an important and needed service to economically disadvantaged families, at the heart of the Church’s mission is the education of her young. The Church in the Diocese of Providence, therefore, must do all in its power to continue to provide high quality Catholic education to those families that desire it. It must be noted that Catholic schools also provide a great savings to taxpayers because they are dependent on the generosity of the faithful, while charter schools are taxpayer and corporate donation dependent.
During this Catholic Schools Week, the Diocese of Providence reaffirms its commitment to promote Catholic education as well as to provide support for those families who are unable to afford tuition.
