A long-standing call to keep Christ central and make Catholic education accessible is colliding with cultural forces, rising costs, and models that treat schooling like a consumer product. Some dioceses use stewardship funding to resist that drift.
Many diocesan Catholic schools have adopted secular priorities—testing, college prep, market competition—that push Christ and inclusivity to the margins.
Two dioceses—Jefferson City, MO and Wichita, KS—use stewardship, tuition-free models tied to parish support that keep schools neighborhood-representative.
The author proposes a communal examen about whether current funding and cultural pressures affect family size, access for the poor, and the schools’ mission.
# What the story says Diocesan Catholic schools were founded to center Christ and serve families regardless of means. The article traces how that ideal has frayed: secular cultural forces, regulatory pressures, and a focus on measurable academic outcomes have shifted many schools toward secular priorities and market behavior.
# How culture changed what schools do The piece identifies several cultural influences—materialism, radical individualism, feminism, and broader secular norms—that have reshaped diocesan school priorities. Combined with state and federal regulations, those forces make it harder to keep Jesus at the center of school life. Schools competing on standardized metrics and college-prep credentials increasingly resemble secular private schools with Catholic branding.
# What changed financially and demographically Tuition has risen while enrollment has fallen. As costs climb, Catholic education becomes accessible mainly to wealthier families. That exclusivity undermines the historic Catholic commitments to inclusivity and to educating the poor and marginalized.
# Language used to describe the drift
# Alternatives in practice: stewardship models The article profiles two dioceses using stewardship funding instead of tuition. In Jefferson City, Missouri, Superintendent Dr. Erin Vader oversees parish-supported schools that do not charge tuition provided families tithe and participate in parish life. She says parish backing often creates a stronger church–school relationship.
In Wichita, Kansas, Associate Superintendent Dr. Jamie Finkeldei reports a similar tuition-free stewardship model. She notes stewardship helps schools mirror their neighborhoods and allows Catholic worldview formation to reach the local community.
# Questions the author wants the Church to ask The piece proposes a "collective examen"—a community-level reflection—around concrete concerns: Is affordability shaping family decisions about how many children to have? Are some families limiting family size to afford Catholic schooling? Are diocesan policies making Catholic education a product instead of a ministry? The author does not offer definitive data but urges reflection and action.
# Bottom line The article argues diocesan Catholic schools face a choice: revert toward ministry-rooted funding and formation, or continue following secular market incentives that make Catholic identity and accessibility secondary. Stewardship models in some dioceses offer one tested alternative that aligns funding with parish ministry and neighborhood representation.
John M. Grondelski, Crisis Catholic colleges that have largely given up their Catholic identity are finding that they can't compete with their secular counterparts.
Multiple recent reports are adding up just how costly college has gotten for students in general, but especially Black college
The number of families willing to pay $80,000 to $90,000 or more for a private university is dwindling.
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