To decrease divorce rates, Catholics must continually pay attention to what is working both in marriage preparation and in ongoing formation, said Notre Dame Sister Barbara Markey in an address to pastoral ministers in the Diocese of Rapid City, SD. She said, "Marriage prep has a shelf life of about four years," adding that it "doesn’t prepare couples for [life changes such as] the impact of the birth of the first child... We need other programs to help evangelize as life changes" over the course of a marriage, she said. Markey is family life director of the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, and associate director of the Center for Marriage and Family at Jesuit-run Creighton University in Omaha.
Information on nearly 200 U.S. Catholic colleges and universities for prospective students, parents, and high school counselors can be found on a web site sponsored by the National Catholic College Admission Association www.catholiccollegesonline.org. Its search function allows site visitors to find Catholic colleges matched to their needs in terms of size, location, undergraduate programs, and if they wish, students can also download applications for colleges that interest them.
During the 2000-2001 academic year, 2,647,301 students attended the 8,146 Catholic schools in the United States: 2,004,037 elementary- and middle-school students, and 643,264 secondary-school students. The schools’ total enrollment decreased slightly despite having 54 new schools, according to a report from the national Catholic Educational Association. While high school enrollment increased by 3,310, the total enrollment figure represents an overall decrease of 5,737 students - less than one-half of one percent - from the previous academic year. The decrease follows a period of steady growth; enrollment increased by about 86,000 students over the last seven years. New Catholic schools will continue to open, NCEA officials said.
New U.S. postage rates that take effect July 1 are expected to raise postage costs for Catholic periodicals by about 2.5 percent, according to Neil Denton, executive director of the Alliance of Non-profit Mailers. The new rates, announced May 8, are the second set of increases in less than six months. Owen McGovern, Catholic Press Association executive director, said the rates increase pressure on Catholic newspapers. McGovern fears some newspapers may reduce publication schedules as a way of meeting costs.
On UN World Refugee Day, June 20, 2001, the U.S. Catholic bishops will call for renewed efforts by the United States to protect and support the more than 14 million refugees worldwide. Their statement, up for adoption by the full body of bishops meeting June 14-16 in Atlanta, cites the precipitous drop in United States refugee admissions and overseas assistance to refugees over the past 10 years. "Without U.S. leadership," says Mark Franken, Executive Director, Migration and Refugee Services, U.S. Catholic Conference, "refugees worldwide will continue to languish in camps indefinitely, without sufficient basic needs assistance and long term solutions." 2001 marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark United Nation’s convention relating to the status of refugees. The resolution entitled, Renewing U.S. Leadership in Refugee Protection, also suggests that the United States should take the opportunity of this anniversary year to take steps to recommit our nation to the protection of the human rights of refugees.