Like so many Catholic men in their 40’s and 50’s I had the opportunity to attend Catholic schools throughout grade school and high school. And while I didn’t always appreciate the discipline and rigor that was required by the nuns, priests and lay-teachers during those 12 years – it benefitted me greatly when I went off to college and later when I landed my first job.

More importantly, I had the great benefit to have had the teachings of the church woven throughout each of my academic classes. Each day for those 12 years my day started with our teachers leading us in prayer thanking God for a new day. At the conclusion of the school we again were lead in prayer thanking God for the gifts and experiences we had just received. Over time for many us, these prayerful habits became our way of life. [...]