Stewardship is rooted in the very act of creation when God created Adam and Eve and entrusted to them all of His creation. They could not own it because it belonged to God. They were not told to use it however they wished. Rather, they were asked to take care of it.

Both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament authors return to this theme which is most clearly expounded in the 1993 pastoral letter of the American bishops, “Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response.” The Christian steward, the Bishops wrote, accepts God’s gifts gratefully; cultivates them responsibly; shares them generously; and is accountable before God for using them wisely.
In 1884, the American bishops, meeting in plenary session in Baltimore, entrusted Catholic schools to their parishes declaring that within two years there should be a Catholic school next to every parish. This school system, unique to the Church and to the world, served the Church well for seventy-five years, propelling a largely immigrant Catholic population to become the largest, wealthiest, and best-educated segment of Catholic population.

In the wake of the profound changes experienced both in the culture and within the Church in recent years, Catholic schools are fast becoming not a parish school system that provides for all, but rather a private school system funded largely by its patrons, and, in particular, by its users.
The results have been predictable. In the last quarter century, as tuition has increased exponentially, Catholic school enrollment has declined substantially. With ever-increasing tuition increases on the horizon, one can safely predict the future of Catholic education unless a different course is charted.

Since 1985, the Diocese of Wichita has followed a different path, embracing stewardship as a way of life, and committing the Catholic school system to the stewardship of generous parishioners. In the process, all grade school and high school tuition has been eliminated. The results have been predictable. A seamless Catholic culture binds the family, the school, and the parish together. Enrollment has increased by 34% while the percentage of low-income students and ethnic minority students has increased by almost 50%.

Recognized as an Exemplary program by SPICE in 1998, the Catholic school system of the Diocese of Wichita, and in particular, the stewardship way of life, have received increasing national attention and scrutiny. We welcome the opportunity to return to SPICE seven years later and tell what has happened to us in the intervening years. We believe that our story might help Catholic schools recover a rich tradition of parochial education before it is too late.

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