CHICAGO (September 8, 2005) -- Catholic elementary and high schools throughout Cook and Lake counties report that they already are welcoming students displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Last week, Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, asked all Catholic schools to welcome students displaced by Hurricane Katrina and asked school administrators to waive tuition and fees for displaced students.

“We are hearing from our principals throughout the Archdiocese that families from the Gulf states are already arriving, and we have already admitted students in our elementary and secondary schools,” said Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich, Superintendent of Catholic Schools. “The Office of Catholic Schools is also advising school administrators that regular admission paperwork and documentation may be completed after students are admitted. The most important thing we can offer in our Catholic schools right now is a sense of familiarity, security and regularity, something these students and their families need as much as anything else.”

In addition to the numerous local school-based initiatives to raise funds and collect donations for relief efforts, Catholic school children also will be extending a helping hand, one dollar at a time, to their counterparts in areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Through an initiative of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) entitled, “Child to Child: A Catholic Campaign to Aid Education,” more than 6.6 million Catholic school children are being asked to join together to assist their peers affected by the hurricane. Every student is being asked to give $1.00, or as much or little as they can, which will be used to purchase school supplies or support other educational needs in Catholic schools and religious education parish programs.

“Children always have had a great capacity for compassion and generosity – whether collecting dimes for the missions or conducting service projects to help local families in crisis,” said Dr. Wolsonovich. “Now we’re counting on our Catholic children and young people to reach out to thousands of students whose lives have been turned upside down by this disaster.

“We know that there are many programs underway to provide relief and rebuilding in this region, including Catholic Charities USA,” added Dr. Wolsonovich. “Our goal is to give our children the chance to help other children by working with the NCEA to provide resources like books, computers, paper or pencils.”

Anyone wishing to contribute directly to the Catholic school children’s relief efforts may make checks payable to the Archdiocese of Chicago with the notation that the funds are to be directed to “Child to Child Hurricane Aid.” hecks may be mailed to Archdiocese of Chicago, P.O. Box 1979, Chicago, IL, 60690-1979.

For more information about “Child to Child” and other Hurricane relief efforts, please visit the archdiocesan website at www.archchicago.org.

The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago play a critical role in the life of the community by providing academic excellence and faith formation for students of many races, faiths and backgrounds in elementary and secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties. At the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year, there are 218 elementary and 40 secondary schools. To locate a Catholic school in your area and learn more about Catholic education in Cook and Lake counties, visit the Office of Catholic Schools web page on the Archdiocese of Chicago web site at www.archchicago.org

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