; Whereas the Catholic high school graduation rate is 99 percent, with 86 percent of graduates attending 4-year colleges; Whereas in the 2005 pastoral message Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium , the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated, Catholic schools are often the Church’s most effective contribution to those families who are poor and disadvantaged, especially in poor inner city neighborhoods and rural areas. Catholic schools cultivate healthy interaction among the increasingly diverse populations of our society. In cities and rural areas, Catholic schools are often the only opportunity for economically disadvantaged young people to receive an education of quality that speaks to the development of the whole person. Our Catholic schools have produced countless numbers of well-educated and moral citizens who are leaders in our civic and ecclesial communities. ; Whereas the week of January 26, 2020, to February 1, 2020, has been designated as National Catholic Schools Week by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and January 29, 2020, has been designated National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools; Whereas the National Catholic Schools Week was first established in 1974 and has been celebrated annually for the past 46 years; Whereas 30 percent of Catholic schools have waiting lists for admission and new schools are opening across the country; and Whereas the theme for National Catholic Schools Week 2020 is Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed: Now, therefore, be it