The “Vision for Catholic Schools” calls us to share our journey of faith as followers of Jesus Christ, through making disciples, serving each other and the wider community, and living our faith in partnership with our families, our schools, and our parishes. The four pillars of Catholic schools are written in “The Mission of Catholic Schools.”

• Discipleship – To form disciples and disciple -makers through faith formation, accompaniment, and personal faith commitment
• Faith Formation – To nurture discipleship that leads to transformation and growth on both the personal and collective level and to share and grow by celebrating our faith in prayer and reflection, encouraging and caring for each other and all those we serve, and acting with truth and compassion
• Service – To foster positive relationships with our schools, communities, and parishes to maintain and enhance quality support
• Academic Excellence – To respond to challenges, pursue continuous improvement, nurture a love of learning that will last a lifetime, and strive for academic growth in all subject areas

• We answer the call to make disciples, baptize all nations, and to teach all that Jesus has commanded us.
• We believe the Holy Spirit inspires all that we do.
• We recognize the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
• We believe in the continuous growth of discipleship.
• We embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ and encourage a personal relationship with God the Father.
• We acknowledge the diversity of others.

• We teach how to accompany someone in faith.
• We lead through example and are accountable for our actions.
• We believe and promote our Catholic values.
• We affirm good judgment and trustworthy behavior.

• We foster small groups for accompaniment in discipleship.
• We communicate honestly, openly, and consistently.
• We work together to achieve common goals with all members of our school and parish communities.

• We make disciples and disciple -makers.
• We respond to challenges and pursue continuous improvement.
• We believe high expectations lead to higher performance that, in turn, empowers the individual and strengthens society.
• We believe that all persons have intrinsic value and each person can contribute something of worth to society. Each child is unique, and our Catholic schools help unlock the distinct interests and talents of each child.
• We believe that excellence is a cooperative partnership with schools, families, parishes, communities, and churches.

• We prepare discipleship leaders and disciple-makers.
• We prepare students for leadership and service in the Church and society.
• We celebrate integrity and seek fair choices.
• We believe Catholic schools are a mission of the church and, as such, share in the responsibility of being Christ to the world.
• We believe it is each individual’s responsibility to respect oneself as Christ teaches, respect others in a Christ-like manner, and strive to be a disciple of Christ by witnessing to others and being a leader in the church.

The Catholic schools of the Diocese of Biloxi work with the parish on the faith formation and faith journey of the student, faculty, staff, and their families. The partnership between the students, teachers, families, and parish is vital to the mission of forming intentional disciples of Jesus Christ. Our Catholic schools recognize the importance of a strong pastoral relationship with the parish.

Each student in our Catholic schools will have a faith formation plan that is part of the parish plan. This plan will follow each student throughout his or her school journey. Each plan will be as unique as the student completing it. The first part of the plan will be the curriculum for that school year. The second part of the plan will be the goals for the student, family, and parish regarding their faith formation journey. Goals are powerful tools that can focus efforts in a specific direction. Teachers and pastors will work with the student and the family to write the goals and discuss them during parent conferences throughout the year. These goals should be written with the assistance of the pastor (or a representative from the parish) and should outline how the student and the family will participate in the life and ministry of the parish and in their personal journey toward becoming a disciple and a disciple-maker. Each student should have a faith companion as they walk through the journey of faith. The goals should include attendance at Mass, parish functions, and age appropriate faith formation training. Incorporating students’ interests and passions into these goals will be beneficial to their success. Students will be able to take ownership of their goals and experience success in reaching them.

Our Catholic schools working with our parish communities will adapt the WIN-BUILD-SEND approach as outlined by Tim Glemkowski in Made for Mission pages 95-120. 

Our Catholic schools and parishes exist to form disciples and disciple-makers of Jesus Christ. The vision and mission of Catholic schools and parishes are focused on that goal. Everything that happens in the classroom, athletics, extracurricular activities, or in any part of the Catholic school and parish program must be geared toward that end. Families who choose Catholic education enter a partnership with the parish and the school to form disciples and disciple-makers of Jesus Christ. In the Catholic schools and parishes, we desire to share the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. We prepare our students to selflessly serve the community and the church and to passionately share the life-changing message of Jesus. Our most important charge is to form disciples and disciple-makers.   This mission is what makes Catholic education distinctive from other types of schools.


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