Bishop Kevin Farrell

The Chief Shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas

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A salute to our teachers and principals

May 27, 2011 By Bishop Kevin J. Farrell

Except for our families, the people who have had the greatest influence on our lives are probably our elementary school teachers. I bet that you can name them all and have a story to go with each one. Even if you never were sent to the principal’s office you probably recall those school leaders fondly as mentors of your tender years.

Parents are the first educators of their children. They lay the ground work upon which the teachers must build. I like to think of our minds and personalities as being pure potential when we come into this world. We might compare each of us at that stage to a block of marble, beautiful but unshaped. Only God knows what shape the marble will take as it is lovingly sculpted and shaped by parents and then by teachers.

It is much like the point made when a child who watched a sculpter turn a block of marble into a lion asked “how did he know there was a lion in there?” A great teacher has a vision of what is inside as she or he sculpts young minds and hearts.

By the time we get to college, we recognize a great teacher, but often it is only in retrospect that we recognize the greatness of those men and women who challenged and shaped us in our early formative years.

It has been said that only those who see the invisible can do the impossible. I salute the teachers and principals in our schools that can see the potential in young students that might be invisible to others and undertake the challenging task of shaping them into men and women of faith, character and integrity.

Our Catholic school system is blessed to have such dedicated and capable professional teachers and administrators. They deserve our thanks and recognition.

Filed Under: Being Catholic Tagged With: bishop kevin farrell, catholic academics, catholic blogs, catholic diocese of dallas, catholic principals, catholic teachers, dallas catholic blogs, dallas catholics, Teacher salute, Youth

The Catholic Foundation’s Annual Award Banquet

February 4, 2010 By Bishop Kevin J. Farrell

The Catholic Foundation’s Annual Award Banquet happens to fall during Catholic Schools Week this year and it is appropriate that the foundation will honor a Catholic educator on the occasion. Jesuit Father Philip Postell has served as president of Jesuit College Preparatory School since 1992. He will be the 28th recipient of the Catholic Foundation Award. The award not only recognizes Father Postell for his outstanding work and commitment to Catholic education, but also honors the institution he heads. Graduates of Jesuit College Prep are among those leaders who have shaped the Dallas’ Catholic community.

Recognizing and honoring Catholic leaders is one work of the Catholic Foundation, but it is only a small portion of their contribution to the Church of Dallas. The Foundation’s primary function is to furnish a vehicle for those who wish to provide funds for the needs of the diocese and its many agencies. Through investments it enhances the power of charitable resources. From thesw investments it is able to provide grants in excess of five-million dollars a year to various Catholic entities.

From its modest beginnings in 1965 the Catholic Foundation has become a powerhouse for the Church. I commend the Catholic Foundation for its important contributions to our diocese and for honoring the outstanding leaders of our Catholic community.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bishop kevin farrell, catholic blogs, catholic charities, catholic diocese of dallas, catholic education, Catholic Education 1, Catholic graduates, Catholic school value, Catholic Schools Week, dallas catholic blogs, dallas catholics, Jesuit Father Philip Postell, Teacher salute, the catholic foundation, the catholic foundation annual award banquet

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About Bishop Farrell

Bishop Kevin Joseph Farrell was appointed Seventh Bishop of Dallas on March 6, 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.
   
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