What makes Catholic schools different?
Monday, November 3, 2008
Brother Richard DeMaria
Perhaps one of the most important ministries that any parish can sponsor is that of a Catholic school. Experience has shown that adults who received a Catholic education become leaders in their parish and community. It is critical that the whole parish see the school as a responsibility of the parish and not simply the responsibility of the parents of the children.
It is critical that the school offer daily classes in Christian doctrine. It is essential that there be Catholic symbols throughout the school and that the children participate regularly in prayer and liturgy. But these aren’t, to my mind, the critical factor.
To my mind, the critical factor is whether the school provides a caring, loving community. When children are enrolled in a Catholic school, they should experience the embrace of a community that takes their lives seriously. And precisely because the teachers take each student’s life seriously, they will use every skill they have to bring out the full potential of the student.
I am a member of a religious community whose constitutions say that “our primary means of evangelization is community.” This means that the main way in which we preach the Gospel message of Jesus is by creating communities of care. Any member of the staff of a Catholic institution who does not have the skills to help create community is, no matter how many other credentials he has, under-qualified for a position in the school.
It is not enough for a Catholic school to claim that it is a community; it must demonstrate this day in and day out. Today in America there is a lot of talk about the culture of “family.” Every business institution claims that it is a family, and tells you that when you do business with them you become part of the family. It is easy to claim the culture of family, but to create such a culture takes a lot of work on the part of everyone.
How can parents judge whether the Catholic school is really a caring community?
I think the litmus test is whether the teachers demand the most that the child can produce. Although the Catholic school will adapt its teaching methods to the abilities
or disabilities of each student, it should hold high expectations for all its students.
Parents should help their children to understand that the teacher who keeps
demanding a lot of them is a teacher who cares about them, a teacher who takes the student’s life seriously.
When I was a debate coach, and a team member complained that I was never satisfied with his performance, I would tell him: the day you should be concerned is the day when, after hearing you, I don’t make any suggestions for improvement; that is the day that
I have given up on you.
I hope the Catholic schools in our archdiocese always will be characterized by a sense of community and by teachers who demand the most from their students.
Brother Richard DeMaria, CFC
Executive Director, Ministry of Christian Formation
Comments from readers
God Bless
Military leaders used to respect our children and KNOW that they knew discipline and authority, now our children are heaped with the rest and often considered to be as uncivilized as they.
But the tide is turning.....watch for the young seminarians....
In Christ,
Mike Kramer
Luis:I am not aware of an organized effort to introduce students to Latin, Gregorian Chant or Polyphony. Many of our secondary schools teach Latin and include poplyphony in the repertoire of their choirs, but this is not as a result of an intentional effort on the part of the Department of Schools.
Anne: Every teacher when hired in our schools should agree in advance taht they will contribute to the mission of teh school. Teaching something contrary to the teachings of the Church would be contrary to the mission of the school. Parents should inform the principal of the school if something contrary to the faith is being taught in their classroom. I believer that every one of our principals would speak to the teacher mentioned and tell them that they must cease from this action.
Richard
We think Catholic Schools are doing a good job in their role of creating the caring Catholic family message in the schools. But, we need to do much more than this in our schools. As this election showed, there is a worrisome trend that our youth do not know the values of the Church and the teachings of the Church. Many Catholic schools in Miami, (we have had our sons go through since PreK to HS), preach a message that is inconsistent with Catholic teaching. Pro Choice, Homosexual marriage and other social issues are being espoused even in the 5th, 6thgrades and in particular in High School by teachers being politically correct and harming the formation of the consciousness of our youth by preaching their views from positions of authority. It worries us because our young people are the future of the Church.
Kids today are smart. They need to learn starting at a young age, the rubrics of their faith and the why we believe what we believe, so that it can become part of their core conscience. How can they go out in the world and Vote their conscience if their conscience has not been formed our formed correctly.?
These teachings should primarily be taught and reinforced at home, but for many students Catholic school is their last hope and HS is the last chance to form the conscience of these young people. We believe Catholic schools, through their teachers should teach the correct views of the Church and not preach their worldviews.
Fifty percent of Catholics voted for the most ProAbortion candidate in the history of our nation. We lack leadership and teaching from our Church leaders and our youth lack instruction- from the schools and the parents.
God have mercy on us,
AmR
Out of curiosity, do you know of any other families that are interested in the Extraordinary Form in the Archdiocese? God Bless
While I do agree that it is important that all Catholic schools present the child with a loving and caring envioronment, given that they are attached to our Holy Mother the Church, who loves us even beyond the capabilities of our earthly mother, we must not forget that to present a truly caring and loving environment, it must fulfill its end. The end in itself is the greatest means by which the school can be said to have shown the child love and care. More than the body, more than the mind, the Catholic school is responsible for the soul. Today more than ever the secular schools (I was educated in these) are completely incompetent in these matters. Pope Pius XI of blessed memory teaches the following in his Encyclical "Divini illius magistri":
94. The proper and immediate end of Christian education is to cooperate with divine grace in forming the true and perfect Christian, that is, to form Christ Himself in those regenerated by Baptism, according to the emphatic expression of the Apostle: "My little children, of whom I am in labor again, until Christ be formed in you."[63] For the true Christian must live a supernatural life in Christ: "Christ who is your life,"[64] and display it in all his actions: "That the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh."[65]
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Once this end is achieved, to nuture the life of Christ in the soul of the child entrusted to the school, then the school can be said to have shown the child love and care. All other forms of showing love and care, while important, are in vain if the school does not do its part in saving what is at stake, a human soul.
In Christ,
Michael Kramer
Thank you for your words which are an inspiration to me. I am encouraged by your affirmation that we make an effort to promote a "vast solidarity". This is precisely why I am trying, in my small way with my family, to promote the use of the more common prayers in the universal language of the Church. I am trying to teach my family what it means to be part of a Universal Church. I began this small project after reading the Holy Father's letter "SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS". I sought to understand why he suggested that the laity be taught Gregorian Chant and latin prayers. Hopefully there are other parents who might be similarly interested in forming their children using these treasures of our tradition. Do you know of any others? Thank you again for your words of guidance and encouragement.
I would like to make a point to this very fine reflection from our Superintendent.
Open community. The school seeks to be open to the parish to which it belongs. It is the parish that shapes the school identity. Open to the neighborhood by participating in social and sports events among others. Open to the diocesis. Open to the Pope as universal teacher. Open to suffering humanity to teach compassion for all. In this way, community is not only an internal loving and as Brother says challenging atmosphere but it ipromotes a vast solidarity.
AHORA ESTE ANO ME DIERON EL MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP PERO LA UNICA ESCUELA CON LA CLASE ESPECIAL QUE NECESITA EL ES EN ST. AGATHA Y ME QUEDA LEJOS, YA QUE YO VIVO CERCA DE LA ARQUIDIOSESIS.
SINCERAMENTE.
ILEANA MORALES.
(DEL CORO DE ST. ROSA DE LIMA)
I have spent my entire youth and most of my young adult life exclusively in Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Miami for which I am truly grateful. I whole heartedly agree that the parish life should integrate the school as a part of a caring, Catholic, community. Just as the Apostle James instucts us that faith without works is dead, catechesis without community is probably insufficient. Both are probably necessary and complimentary.
Is there an organized effort to foster and promote the treasures of the Church such as the Latin language, Gregorian Chant and Polyphony? Are there any local parochial schools who offer training in these areas for our younger children? My daughter is approaching kindergarten age and I have made a few inquiries but have not had much success. While I am trying to teach her the more common prayes in Latin I would like to know if there are any resources on a Diocesan level to assist those interested in formation using the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite? Thank you and God bless
Thank you for your observations with their support for the work of Catholic Schools, one from a DRE and one from a National Principal of the year. This gives me an opportunity to thank both of you as well as all of our principals and DREs whose roles in the Archdiocese are so demanding and so crucial.
Terry asks who will be teh next generation of Catholic school leaders. Interestingly, despite the lower salaries offered in Catholic schools and the shortage of teachers in the state, our schools have always been able to find teachers who welcome the chance to teach in the ambience of a Catholic School. Kristen Hughes, the Superintendent of Elementary Schools, has developed a program which looks to prepare administrators for the next generation. One part of thsi program is a discernment process which helps people discern if they are being called to the ministry of administration within a Catholic School. teh second partof teh program which provides funding for some of those interested to earn a master�s degree in Catholic School Administration. Both aspects of this program, funded by a grant from the Adrian Dominicans, have been very well subscribed and successful.
Richard
Thank you for affirming what many of us believe and live every day. I I know that Catholic schools strive to provide students excellence in spiritual, academic, athletic, cultural, emotional and social development in accordance with Christian principles. I live that reality every day for the last 40 years. We ultimately aim to form mature individuals who base their actions on Christian Catholic principles and then become productive citizens in the society where they live. We want to make them aware that God has given each of them a special gift. We form in our schools citizens that should know that they need to realize that they are created to serve and not be served. Ultimately, we want to foster mature citizens with a strong moral conscience who will eventually know how to face the challenges of a multi-cultural global society.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my views on the tradition of Catholic education in the 21st centrury. This is a serious moral responsibility, but one we must try to face every day in His name.
Carlota E. Morales, Ed. D.