Bill Kirk is the executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation. You can reach him at (913) 647- 0383 or send an email to him at: bkirk@archkck.org.
by Bill Kirk
“O Angel of God, my guardian dear.”
So begins the familiar prayer that many of us have prayed since we were children. We ask our guardian angels to watch over us and to be always at our side, especially in times of crisis.
Here at the Catholic Education Foundation, we have a group of generous and caring young professionals (ages 21 to 40s) — the CEF “Futures” — who are committed to lending a hand to our students’ guardian angels by promoting the mission of CEF.
The Futures host events each year to fund emergency “Guardian Angel” scholarships that help families facing a short-term crisis (such as a job loss, serious illness or death in the family) to afford to continue to send their child to a CEF school.
On Feb. 23, the Futures will host their fifth annual Art Event at the Boulevard Brewery. It will feature submissions by aspiring artists from CEF schools and local professional artists — all available for purchase, with the proceeds benefiting the CEF Guardian Angel Scholarship Fund.
Thanks to the generosity of so many sponsors and supporters, tickets for this year’s art event sold out long ago. So as I tell you about the event, I’m not trying to promote attendance. Rather, I’d like to reflect a little bit about how fitting it is that the Futures support CEF each year by celebrating works of art.
It strikes me that this event perfectly embodies what is so special about the education that Catholic schools provide our children. The Catholic education of our children consists of preparing them both for what they are called to do here on earth and for their ultimate goal: to be with God in heaven.
The experience of beauty — especially creating and enjoying works of art — prepares us to be with God, the one who is truth and beauty.
The works of our students and the professional artists that will be exhibited at the event (and which can be viewed online at: bit.ly/CEFArt) celebrate the beauty of life, the richness of our faith and the hopefulness and longing we all have for the heavenly banquet. And so, an art event is a perfect way to showcase what is unique and special about Catholic education, and to ensure that it is available to all.
The CEF Futures and those who support them assist our children’s guardian angels by lending a hand to those CEF students and families experiencing a serious crisis. I hope you’ll help as well.
Take a look at our website (www.cefks.org), read about some of the families our Futures have helped and please remember our CEF children and their families in your charity and in your prayers.
