“We have repeatedly chosen a Catholic education for our children, first and foremost, because of the focus on values and building character through the curriculum which has helped our children learn to model vitally important virtues that will last their entire lives,” explains Ray Patnaude.

His wife, Annie, fully agrees. “Giving our children the tools to grow up as faithful men and women of good character is the most important outcome I want from their education,” she says. “Without this, they can’t be successful in life in the deepest sense of that word.”

The Patnaudes live in the Groesbeck area of Lansing. We caught up with them on a cold Michigan morning as they were preparing to pile into the family van en route to another school-day at Church of the Resurrection. Due to parental work commitments, the Patnaudes didn’t feel homeschooling was a realistic option for them, while public schools were deemed “a non-starter.”

“We don’t share many of the cultural values that seem to be actively pushed in public schools today,” says Ray. “We recognize that there are many Catholic teachers in public school, but their hands are tied by the system.”

It seems that Ray and Annie are far from alone in recognizing the difference that a Catholic education can make in helping parents raise happy, holy, and learned children. Enrolment at Catholic schools across the Diocese of Lansing has risen every year for the past four years. In total, that’s an increase of over 10 percent in student numbers.

“Our school has done a great job to provide loving accountability for our children when mistakes are made, and recognition and encouragement when virtues are modeled,” explains Annie.

Like all schools across the Diocese of Lansing, the Church of the Resurrection employs the “Disciple of Christ, Education in Virtue” program, which was developed by the Ann Arbor-based Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Based upon the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas on the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit, the program’s resources aim to provide a framework that helps children of all ages understand how to live a more virtuous life.

“Our kids come home excited when they receive recognition for doing small things, like noticing the teacher needs help stacking chairs and jumping in to help without being asked,” adds Ray. Meanwhile, all teachers within the Diocese of Lansing sign a Code of Conduct testifying belief in all the Church teaches on matters of faith and morals and, crucially, a written promise that those beliefs are being lived out within the teacher’s personal life.

“The teachers at Resurrection School certainly model the faith and the character I want my children to aspire to,” says Ray. “Particularly with our boys, having male role models that aren’t your dad, good men of good character modeling discipline, has been transformational.” This includes a close partnership between teachers and parents to ensure that both school and home are on the same page when it comes to upholding virtuous behavior.

“One of our kids was talking in Holy Mass during a visit by Bishop Boyea,” recalls Annie. “Our school made sure we knew so we could take corrective action, in this case a written apology to his teacher and to the bishop, who graciously penned a note back accepting the apology.”

As well as raising young saints, this home-school partnership also attempts to foster great young scholars.

“Challenging children to think, examine ideas and getting them excited about learning will stay with them their entire lives,” says Ray, a self-taught Latinist, who is particularly excited by the continued move towards the Catholic liberal arts across Diocese of Lansing schools. This approach encourages a more classical approach to the school curriculum and classroom teaching.

“Latin, for example, might seem inaccessible to a lot of people, but when our kindergartener came home proud of the Latin roots she is learning, you know something is being done right. Latin and Greek are a huge part of the English language and are found throughout science and law, so these skills will also help them excel on the SAT.”

Like all schools across the Diocese of Lansing, the Church of the Resurrection provides financial assistance to parents as well as a sliding discount for families with more than one child, with no further tuition levied after four children. Despite this, the Patnaudes say they do find the cost of a Catholic education “an immense sacrifice” but one, they believe, that is very much worth it.

“We feel this is an investment that will pay dividends in the success and happiness of our children,” concludes Annie.