CNA Staff, Jul 31, 2020 / 12:00 pm
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is appealing to the Congressional Black Caucus to support families who opt to send their children to non-public schools, including Catholic schools. The letter comes as an estimated 500 Catholic schools are at risk of closing.
The letter was addressed to Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), the chairman of the Congressional Black Congress, and was signed by Bishop Michael Barber, SJ of Oakland, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, and Bishop Joseph Perry, an auxiliary bishop of Chicago.
Barber is the chairman of the USCCB's committee on Catholic education; Fabre leads the USCCB's ad hoc committee against racism; and Perry is the head of the subcommittee on Afircan American Affairs.
After noting that public schools have requested an additional $300 billion in the next coronavirus aid package, the bishops asked that "families of non-public schools be considered as part of the comprehensive needs of K12 education, since non-public students represent ten percent of the K12 student population."