Next to the public schools, Catholic schools form the largest school system in America, enrolling over 1.8 million students in over 6,300 schools nationwide.
In the Diocese of Madison, 40 percent of our parishes sponsor a Catholic grade school. Catholic schools are an apostolate of the Church and have had a significant impact on our nation, our diocese, and our parishes, yet I often hear people wonder why we have Catholic schools. Why do Catholic schools exist?