Pastoral Letter

Voicing strong support for the right to Catholic Schools, Bishop Arthur has issued a Pastoral Letter to the parishes of the Halifax and Huddersfield deaneries.  He has written this letter in response to "the lack of awareness and appreciation" which the local authorities in those deaneries  have shown for the place of Catholic Schools.

In his letter Bishop Arthur puts forward robust arguments to demonstrate that Catholic Schools are in the front line of seeking to promote community cohesion.

"I would like to express my strong support for our Catholic Schools" writes Bishop Arthur.  "The Church is rightly proud of them, their governors, their dedicated teaching and support staff and all who contribute in other ways.  Attacks on Church schools are unwarranted and distract from the very important business of working to ensure that all children and young people, in whatever type of school, get a first class education that meets all their needs and fully develops their potential and allows them to flourish. I would therefore ask you to support our schools and to be ready to speak out to uphold the rights of parents to continue with an educational provision for their children that respects their religious faith."