For 50 years, American K-12 Catholic education had been in a quiet retreat. Thousands of schools were shuttered. Enrollment plummeted by millions. Though heroic educators and generous donors stemmed the tide in many places, even creating exemplars of what was possible, forecasts were bleak. Education journals carried articles titled, “Can Catholic Schools Be Saved?” But thanks to an unprecedented wave of social entrepreneurialism and some innovative public policies — both fueled by philanthropy — we may be witnessing the dawn of a renaissance of Catholic K-12 education.