We received a call last week from a local businessman and friend.

He was apologetic for reaching out, but believed he had a cause of which we needed to be more aware as the community news source. He is in the purest sense a good man, a good business owner and a devout, humble believer.

He often is first and most generous in support of needy and worthy causes across Butler County, and he wasn’t looking for someone else to foot the bill, but rather for what we do best — and that is to inform the community. Instead of apologizing, he should have considered it a wake-up call for us and we thank him.

The pandemic that is upon us has taken its toll on many areas of life. Private education, and specifically Catholic school education, wasn’t passed over by the virus.

In a world already struggling with loss of funding, the last thing private education needed was a pox upon the income of its supporters.

The Catholic church was already reeling from its own internal problems that have contributed to loss of revenue and, worse, a question of trust. What makes our own Butler Catholic different is the local faith in the institution and the willingness of the parish families to support it through good times and bad.

Bad was the scandal involving abusive priests and a lack of transparency from the pope down through all layers of the Catholic community. Good is 50 years of producing quality citizens for Butler County. The priest scandal is behind us, but the good Butler Catholic has done for the past 50 years will last forever.

There is a small possibility of losing our Catholic school. We say “our,” but full disclosure: This writer is not Catholic and attended public school through all 12 grades. The diocese has stated there is no intent to close or merge Butler Catholic with any other school, and Butler County’s remoteness would make it difficult to merge anywhere.

So, it is important to keep the doors to this institution open. Not every child fits into the public school system. Not every family fits into it, either. Tradition is important, regardless of creed, and many Butler Catholic students are second- and third-generation students.

Some students thrive being educated in the earliest years in a smaller and more restrictive classroom and building. Some families feel strongly about getting their children a deeply rooted faith base. We should not take for granted the need for private education. Butler Catholic is not the only option for private education in the county, but it is the oldest and most well-known option.

Please keep in mind the role played by both private and faith-based schools in this county. Don’t forget that even though their kids don’t attend public schools, the parents still must pay the same school taxes as the rest of us, as well as pay tuition at the private school.

Private education is a vital part of the educational system in the county and deserves to be supported. Please support them if an opportunity is presented to you and you are able.