Catholic schools do 'pay dividends'

Monday, February 1, 2010

*Dr. Carlota Morales Ph.D. - Sts. Peter and Paul School

English Spanish

What a joyous opportunity to talk about Catholic schools with a theme as appropriate as �Catholic Schools: Dividends for Life�, which celebrates the education of faith, morals, knowledge and discipline provided by Catholic schools.

Since the Second Vatican Council, Catholic schools are receiving the attention they deserve by the Church. Those of us who have been involved with Catholic education know that the school and the Church are essential in the life of a child. However, they are not the sole entities for the child�s education as this involves parents, teachers, young people as well as Church and school authorities working together.

We must use our minds and put our means together so that Catholic schools can carry on their true apostolic mission. It is our responsibility to evangelize and to proclaim the Gospel of Christ so that it takes root in the mind and lives of the faithful.

Those of us who work in Catholic education hope to inspire children to become loyal to the Church and be of service to their neighbors. Through Catholic schools, parents and children can partake of the sacraments and the liturgies, elements that lead to the personal sanctity of the students and help them to know the teachings of the Catholic faith. We integrate culture and faith and then faith and life.

Catholic schools also integrate human knowledge through the subjects taught in the light of the Gospels and in the growth of Christian virtues. A myriad of information regarding this topic can be found in documents published by the Sacred Congregation on Catholic Education.

In brief, why do I believe that Catholic schools should be the parents� choice for their children? Allow me to enumerate some reasons:

To form spiritually mature individuals educated and acting on Christian Catholic principles
To develop awareness that God has gifted each individual in different ways
To teach doctrine and moral values
To create an environment which fosters academic excellence and where parents and teachers work in partnership for the benefit of the children
To adapt current curriculum trends
To encourage awareness in the students of the needs of others and to render service to the community
To develop in the students respect, appreciation and understanding for the individuality and the rights of others
To develop culturally oriented persons who appreciate music, art and literature.
To develop citizens who realize their civic and moral obligations and recognize the value of other cultures
To develop well-adjusted individuals
To develop healthy individuals of sound mind and body
To encourage the students to use technology in our global society

In closing, after 41 years in Catholic education, I rejoice in having seen many students who have succeeded in the various walks of life. I invite you to visit our Catholic schools and realize how we keep our Catholic tradition in the 21st century and how we, at our schools, are our children�s home away from their own.

Carlota Morales, Ed.D.
Principal, Sts. Peter and Paul School, Miami

Comments from readers

Bishop Felipe J. Estevez - 02/12/2010 12:00 AM: Thank you Dr. Morales for writing this inspiring essay. The Church provides this educational service through the great generosity of many persons working together in a spirit of collaboration and stewardship. This wide community grows spiritually for there are many sacrifices and surrenders out of love for Christ and for the glory of the Trinity. Here lies the secret of such an enterprise.

Marilyn S. Bimonte - 02/08/2010 12:58 PM: Dear Dr. Morales,

Thank you for continuing to be an example to all of us. You embody what it is to be a Catholic educator and a leader in our field. Thank you for remininding us all of why we do what we are doing! It is for the children and fo rthe gloriy of God. The children are the future of the Church, and if we do not guide them in that direction, who will?

God Bless You!

Maria E. Semper - 02/08/2010 09:53 AM: Again, as a mom and an employee of Catholic schools it has been my experience that the community working together in the name of the Lord is the best teaching the children receive from our schools, parishes and parents.
I do not believe that any child feels unworthy at our schools, no matter the financial situation of the family. On the contrary, they can learn that all can help and feel worthy. As a group, we experience that those who have the most give the most and those who have less can still help in so many ways. Ex: bringing cans of food, pampers or baby food, etc. to help those that have even less. Just like the widow in the Gospel who gave the least but gave the most by giving what she had. I have witnessed that when there is a will there is a way: economic situations can always be discussed and agreements can be made according to each economic situation. In doing so parents can teach their children that they can be responsible, worthy and be proud of themselves even though their limited economic situation. Every one of us must have priorities and serious responsibilities with our schools, church and community. After all the church has to pay also the bills and there is a community in need to help. By doing this we teach the best to our children and we learn to thank God for what each of us have�this is how I see it and what I have experienced.
Maria E. Semper

Jorge A. Morales, M.S. - 02/06/2010 09:55 PM: Even though I only attended catholic schools for a short time while in elementary (St. Peter & Palm back in the mid 1960s), several of my sisters and nieces/nephews have graduated from catholic schools here in the US and in Colombia. They have done very well in there professional & academic life, which I think has a lot to do with the excellent preparation they obtained in these schools.

Enrique Senger - 02/05/2010 02:03 PM: Catholic Schools are only as good as the persons who integrate them. Although in theory, they have an advantage over public schools by teaching our Catholic values, we must carefully monitor that indeed those values are being transferred to our children in teachings and actions. Also, in this time of such great economic distress, we must not forget that the families which are the backbone of our institutions are struggling to make ends meet. Although fundraising is a necessary part of the survival of the school, by making a child feel unworthy because the school puts so much emphasis on the fundraising that maybe the child�s family cannot meet, we then are no better than the non-catholic schools. We, as a community of parents, teachers and administrators must be student centered and not try to sell salvation. The teachings must equal the deeds�. We must not forget that we are servants and not merchants to our kids. When a family is turned away because they have not met the minimum donation requirements for the church; are we truly walking in the steps of Christ? When a family cannot enroll their child in CCD because the fee is $200 per year plus mandatory annual church contribution, are we truly teaching by example? Let us go back to the teachings and become servants; we must open our hearts and our doors to those that want to come and not only to those that can afford it.
Enrique Senger

Carlota E. Morales, Ed. D. - 02/04/2010 04:49 PM: Dear All,
Thank you for your commitment to Catholic Education. This is our mission which all of us strive to do with love in His name. I thank you for your kind support. As we are about to close Catholic Schools Week, I pray that we continue to celebrate it with the same enthusiasm and devotion as all of us have shown this year.
Happy Catholic Schools Week!
Carlota E. Morales, Ed. D.

Mrs. Susy Del Riego - 02/04/2010 10:17 AM: Dr. Morales,

You are a driving force in Catholic education...your leadership has served as inspiration to students and parents, to the faculties and staffs whose lives you have touched.

I have witnessed your love of and dedication to Catholic education. Your belief that every child deserves a Catholic education served as a driving force when you pioneered the special needs program (Padre Pio) at St. Agatha School.

It is because of leaders like you that we have excellent Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Miami. I, too, encourage parents everywhere to look into the wonderful investment that is a Catholic education which will yield them and their children "dividends for life"!

May God bless us and our schools,
Mrs. Susy Del Riego, Principal
Good Shepherd Catholic School

Br. Patrick Sean Moffett, CFC - 02/03/2010 08:02 AM: BRAVA!!!!
Thank you Dr. Morales for again articulating so powerfully what you and your school and all Catholic Schools are and need to be about.

Ame Travieso Rodriguez - 02/02/2010 08:00 PM: Dr. Morales,
You continue to be an inspiration for many! I think of you often and recall all the seeds you planted in so many hearts, including my own. God bless you! I am happy to see you continuing to allow God work through you and your staff and the many other lives you touch elsewhere. I continue to have the Catholic School system in my prayers and the dreams for the St. B Program still stay alive in my heart! United in prayers, hopes, dreams, and the realities of the children whose lives we touch each day ... as they continue to touch our innermost selves.
God bless,
Ame Travieso Rodriguez
Pre-K LEAP Teacher
Redondo Elementary School

Richard DeMaria - 02/01/2010 03:33 PM: Dr. Morales: the students and faculty at Sts. Peter and Paul are fortunate to have you as their principal. No one could doubt for a minute your commitment to your faith and to your students. Thank you for providing such an excellent Catholic education at SPP School.

Maria E. Semper - 02/01/2010 01:44 PM: Dr. Morales, I would like to thank you for sharing with us so many years of experience by resuming so clearly what Catholic education entails. As a parent of four children who attended Catholic Schools I can proudly say that they are a part of those who have succeeded in the various walks of life as you said. Also as an employee of Catholic Schools for the last twenty years I have witnessed the love, dedication and spirituality of those who dedicate their life to this mission. I encourage parents not only to look into Catholic education but to make it a priority in their lives as we did. In doing so, both their children and their families will be enriched as they live together the wonderful experience of learning to live the Gospel and to be close to God.

Antonio Cejas - 02/01/2010 09:24 AM: Dr. Morales:
Well said!
Catholic schools have made invaluable contributions to the spiritual and material well-being of our country. As Catholics, we have so much to be thankful for, including our schools, students and their families. We can never thank our teachers enough for their hard work and commitment to excellence in Catholic education.
Peace,
Antonio R. Cejas, Principal
St. Hugh Catholic School