By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Catholic Diocese officials in Las Vegas say they are developing a plan to add religious schools to the region, shifting focus from adding churches as local growth slows.
Bishop Joseph Pepe says the diocese has spent the last decade adding new parishes to accommodate the demands that come with a concurrent building boom in southern Nevada.
But Catholic officials now are developing a three-year master plan to add schools. An estimated 700,000 Catholics live in Las Vegas, and 3,700 students attend the eight schools affiliated with the diocese.
Experts say the schools help the Catholic Church cultivate its next generation of followers, and add competition and diversity to local education.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
