One of our most cherished Catholic traditions is the devotion to Our Lady during the month of May. How many of us remember Mary’s Hour at the Coliseum, creating Mary shrines in shoe boxes at home or in our classrooms, participating in May crownings and school-wide rosary processions. What never overshadowed why: Mary is Jesus’ mother and our mother as well. She is our example as mother and model and it is not insignificant that her last recorded words to us occur in the passage about the wedding feast at Cana when she speaks to the servants at the celebration and to us, “Do whatever He tells you.”

The month of May is also about First Communions. This is a wonderful celebration in the life of a child and expresses the importance of our parishes and Catholic schools in the faith formation of our families. It is such a blessing to see these young children embracing their faith while they prepare their minds and their hearts to receive this sacrament.

Our Catholic schools have been educating children for well over a century in the Los Angeles region. Our parishes are often the first stop for newcomers to our community. In parish life, they experience what all Catholics experience around the world—a universal faith connection to God. As we continue to foster the great blessing of our ethnic diversity in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, we remain committed to help all feel welcome and cherished members of the family of God.

As Chancellor, I oversee so many of our programs, staff, and operations related to the outreach we do in the community. CCF-LA is a great opportunity to support this work. For example, the School Food Service, which oversees the funding and distribution of meals to children and families in our parishes and neighborhoods, provided nearly 3 million meals from March 2020 to the present. The Department of Catholic Schools, the Office of Religious Education, and the Office of Marriage and Family Life adapted to changed circumstances and have continued to provide quality services and programs despite the challenges of the pandemic.

The generosity and dedication of our staff at the ACC as well as the nearly 600 locations that serve our people inspire me and make me proud of the witness they give as missionary disciples of Jesus…as was His mother, Mary.

CCF-LA is proud to support the Department of Catholic Schools marketing campaign to encourage new and continued enrollment in our Archdiocesan schools. There is new and expanded tuition funding available to qualified students through the Catholic Education Foundation, so we strongly encourage parents to contact their local Catholic school for more information. Our clients support Catholic schools through a multitude of grants from their donor-advised funds. Catholic schools make our Church, our communities, and our world a better place!