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Parish: St. Laurence O'Toole |
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Parish Rectory/Office Tel: 307-745-3115; Fax: 307-745-3131 |
| St. Laurence Rectory Address: 617 S. 4th Street |
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Fr. James Schumacher, Pastor
jschumacher@stlos.com
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A Word from Father James |
St. Laurence O'Toole exists for one very specific purpose: to help
parents educate their children IN faith. This is a much deeper thing
than merely teaching children ABOUT faith. To educate children IN faith
is to make faith the background to the whole process of education.
Even in math or music classes, for example, faith is in the background,
because all truth, knowledge, beauty and goodness come originally from
God and lead ultimately to God.
It is our Catholic conviction that education is not basically the
responsibility of the state, but basically, the responsibility of the
family. For a truly Catholic family, all education must be education in
faith. For this, all Catholic parents need the help of the local Catholic
community, the parish. St. Laurence O'Toole Parish is able to offer the
extraordinary help of a Parish School. The Parish gives about a third of
its income to the school. This, combined with a lot of hard work by devoted
volunteers in fund raising, makes it possible to keep tuition at a relatively
low level, so that most families in the Parish have a chance
to take advantage of our school.
Because we believe that education is the resposibility of the
parents, not the state, we believe Catholic parents should have
a right to choose a Catholic school for their children.
Furthermore, when Catholic parents have the means, this right becomes a duty. Educating
their children in the faith is their most important responsibility. Perhaps, someday
the people of our American democracy will end the unjust situation in which
religious citizens are taxed to support officially secular schools, without
any form of compensation, such as vouchers, to help them follow their conscience
in the area of their children's education.
For now, we at St. Laurence O'Toole Parish make
the sacrifice of a third of our Parish income, and we encourage Catholic
families to pay a small tuition to perform the holy and
rewarding mission of educating children in the Catholic faith. |
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