The article addresses the special mission of Catholic schools within the educational system in Germany. The considerations centre on the fundamental mission of the Church to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ as light of nations, and hence to be itself light of the world. Consequently, the essential distinctive characteristic of Catholic schools is understood to be shaping education in the light of the Good News. The article will show concrete examples in several areas of how this affects the daily lives and work of the schools. It will also reveal challenges emerging for the future development of Catholic schools in Germany.