Education Sunday

Apparently it is Education Sunday this weekend. There may well be a collection for the Catholic Education Service. It is not one to which, in conscience, I can contribute.

However, to mark the day, the parents of the Vaughan School have produced a leaflet, the text of which I reproduce below. If you want to send the money you might give to a a truly Catholic Education Service to the Vaughan Parents' Action Group, I am sure they would welcome that. Here's what they have to say:

Vaughan Parents’ Action Group

This Sunday

Pray for Catholic Education

There is a lot to celebrate about Catholic Education but our schools are under threat as never before.

The Diocese of Westminster has forced schools such as The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School (CVMS) to drop from their admission criteria the requirement for parents to present their children for the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confession.

Practising Catholic families question why this requirement of Canon Law has not been insisted upon by the Diocese.

Westminster Diocese has refused to involve parents fully in the education of their children, by eliminating them from the Foundation Governors of CVMS, even though well qualified parents offered themselves. This is why the Westminster Diocese is being taken to court by the Vaughan's elected Parent Governors.

Some Catholic schools in London struggle to fill places with Catholic pupils. Instead of singling out the Vaughan's Governing Body for special treatment the Diocese should concentrate on helping schools like these to attract a higher Catholic intake.

After Baptism and Mass attendance the Diocese prefers to use geographical distance as a tie-breaker for admission to Catholic schools over and above commitment to and practice of the Faith or involvement in the life of the Church.

When this applies to schools such as CVMS it will effectively deny practising families the choice of a Catholic education for their children if they live more than a couple of miles away from a School.

Is this what you want for your children and grandchildren?

Write to Archbishop Vincent Nichols at Archbishop’s House, Ambrosden Avenue, London, SW1P 1QJ or email: archbishop@rcdow.org Tell him what you want and expect him to provide for Catholic education for your family

Do this before it is too late to make a difference

Pray for Catholic Education