Name: Jeff Glenn
Parish: Corpus Christie
Role with the campaign: Parish campaign cabinet member
How did you develop an interest in Catholic schools?
Growing up Methodist, I had no experience with Catholic schools (I went through RCIA in 1984 at the Newman Center at ASU when a student). When a son shared a desire to go to St. Mary’s High School, this was my introduction. To support my son’s decision, I quickly became involved with activities of the school to educate myself about the school and its mission. It didn’t take long to get excited about what I saw and promptly became involved with the school’s advisory board.
What does this campaign mean for students/families who struggle to afford tuition?
For many of our Catholic school families, sending their children to Catholic schools is a financial sacrifice. They use many means to cover the financial aspects of this decision through their personal finances, tuition tax credit organizations such as Catholic Education Arizona, and the generosity of family and friends. The “Together Let Us Go Forth” campaign provides another key means through the generosity of their fellow brothers and sisters of Christ throughout the diocese. The support from this campaign will be the difference in whether some families will be able or not to send their children to a Catholic school.
How do you see this campaign speaking to evangelization and discipleship?
My personal experience shows how many aspects of this campaign strengthen our evangelization efforts. Like many parents of Catholic school students, I’ve been evangelized through my experience of Catholic schools from one who knew little about them to a strong supporter. As an extension of our families, Catholic schools will help in the faith life of our children, as seen by the statistics that about half of the men and women choosing a vocation attended Catholic school. And as one who came to the Catholic faith through a Newman Center, the expansion and improvements to the Newman Centers will draw even more young adults to a life rooted in faith to Jesus Christ.
