Going back to school with the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...As school bells ring across the Diocese of Lansing, families fall into familiar routines — packing backpacks, racing to the car line, adjusting to earlier bedtimes. But this year, “back to school” carries deeper meaning for Catholic families throughout our diocese.
That’s because the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign, which will strengthen and sustain Catholic education in our diocese, is in full swing.
As our children settle into their classrooms, it’s a good moment to revisit the campaign with a short refresher lesson. Don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz!
As school bells ring across the Diocese of Lansing, families fall into familiar routines — packing backpacks, racing to the car line, adjusting to earlier bedtimes. But this year, “back to school” carries deeper meaning for Catholic families throughout our diocese.
That’s because the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign, which will strengthen and sustain Catholic education in our diocese, is in full swing.
As our children settle into their classrooms, it’s a good moment to revisit the campaign with a short refresher lesson. Don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz!
What is the S3 Campaign?
The name says it all: Stewardship … Saints … Scholars. This $70 million campaign is designed to make Catholic education more “On Mission, Affordable and Accessible.”
Launched by Bishop Earl Boyea in 2023, the campaign is grounded in a single goal: helping families raise holy and happy children prepared to live and witness the love and truth of Jesus Christ with faith and reason.
“We seek to form and inspire young people who will bring a new order to our culture,” Bishop Boyea wrote, “so that the salvation won for us in Jesus Christ can be shared by our society and the world.” This mission requires investment — in excellent teachers, financial assistance, services for students with special needs, and parish programs that provide religious education and formation.
This isn’t a campaign to build buildings. It’s a campaign to form saints and scholars.
Why does the campaign matter?
The campaign is a response to two powerful truths:
- Catholic education is immensely valuable.
- Catholic education faces immense challenges.
As Kathleen Krancich, a longtime parishioner at St. Michael in Grand Ledge, put it: “Every time my children leave home, they enter the secular world. With the formation that comes from Catholic education, I have peace and assurance that their daily choices will be led by the Holy Spirit, and that every person they come in contact with will have an opportunity to encounter the light of Jesus Christ.”
But giving children a Catholic education isn’t easy. Tuition has increased. Teacher pay lags behind public school salaries. More students need individualized support. And many parishes without schools struggle to fund strong formation programs.
The campaign addresses these challenges through four priorities:
On mission: Attract, form, train and retain excellent and faithful teachers and administrators.
Affordable: Substantially expand financial assistance for current and prospective school families.
Accessible: Enhance support for children with special needs and update facilities at the diocese’s four regional high schools.
Local initiatives: Invest in parish school programs, religious education, faith formation, homeschool initiatives, and other local needs.
Who benefits from the campaign?
Everyone!
Students benefit from faith-filled, well-trained teachers, increased tuition assistance, and support systems that help them thrive.
Teachers and administrators gain access to training, professional formation rooted in Catholic tradition, and signing and retention bonuses.
Parents benefit from greater affordability and expanded access to Catholic education.
Parishes benefit directly, too. Every parish keeps 20 percent of funds raised up to its goal and 100 percent of every dollar raised beyond it.
What's already happening?
Campaign dollars are already at work:
- On Mission: The diocese launched its “Sign, Train and Retain” program this school year, offering new hires professional formation grounded in Catholic intellectual tradition — and $1,000 bonuses after each of two training periods.
- Affordable: More than 920 students will receive diocesan tuition assistance this year — up from 800 last year. Over $875,000 in grants will be awarded. A New Family Grant program launches in November.
- Accessible: Diocesan teachers received training this summer in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to help meet students’ behavioral, emotional and academic needs.
- Local Initiatives: Parishes already are investing their local funds into their own projects and programs. This is only the beginning. As the campaign continues, these programs will grow in reach and impact.
How are we raising money?
With prayer, perseverance and the joyful sacrifice of thousands of Catholic households across the diocese.
The campaign has three waves, each involving a group of parishes. This staggered approach allows diocesan staff and volunteers to provide focused support while building steady momentum.
We’re approaching the third and final wave. Parishes in that wave have trained volunteers, campaign preview weekends began this month, and full parish launches will roll out by early October.
So, what's next?
Quiz time!
Just kidding. What’s next is simple. We settle back into our school routines. We keep going to Mass. We continue our commitment to our families, parishes and daily lives. And we give to the Church and the campaign.
Generations before us built Catholic schools with faith, grit and generosity. They gave so that their children and grandchildren could grow in faith and wisdom.
Now it’s our turn. The Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign is our chance to do our part for future generations.
