It is the Catholic faith that provides young people with the essential principles for critique and evaluation. Closely following papal teaching, the Holy See's documents on schools insist that education is about truth – in both its natural and its supernatural dimensions: The school considers human knowledge as a truth to be discovered. It is the challenge of fully understanding the educational enterprise, of properly evaluating its content, and of transmitting the full truth concerning the human person, created in God's image and called to life in Christ through the Holy Spirit. He became Archbishop of Vancouver on January 2, 2009. Vatican documents speak of an education that responds to all the needs of the human person: The integral formation of the human person, which is the purpose of education, includes the development of all the human faculties of the students, together with preparation for professional life, formation of ethical and social awareness, becoming aware of the transcendental, and religious education. 133). Trust is fostered by listening to one another, by respecting the different gifts of each, and by recognizing one another's specific responsibilities. Any form of Catholic education will ultimately fail when the student is confronted with the word being spoken not conforming to the life being lived. Preparing and inspiring students to lead meaningful lives, rooted in the teachings of Christ in our Catholic tradition. As in other areas of Catholic teaching on matters to do with political economy, there is no "correct" Catholic answer to the question, "To what extent should the state be involved with education?" This excerpt originally appeared as an Acton Commentary. Mindful of redemption in Christ, the Catholic school aims to form in its pupils those particular virtues that will enable them to live a new life in Christ and help them to play their part in serving society and the Church. Clearly, such a right would not be fulfilled if a secular education were provided free by the government and the less-well-off lacked the means to obtain a Christian education. In the Council texts, the community dimension is primarily a theological concept rather than a sociological category. They foster the proper friendship between them, since "an authentic formative process can only be initiated through a personal relationship.". "We must always remember that, while faith is not to be identified with any one culture and is independent of all cultures, it must inspire every culture.". . Familiarity will make a personal relationship easier, but a certain distance is also needed. chap. In The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, the Congregation for Catholic Education commented: From the nature of the Catholic school also stems one of the most significant elements of its educational project: the synthesis between culture and faith. Firstly, because education cannot be separated from the formation of the human person and the development of his vocation — whether secular or religious — restricting basic freedom in education is a restriction on freedom of conscience, the rights of parents and the freedom of religion more generally. First, the bishop must integrate schools into his diocese's pastoral program; and, second, he must oversee the teaching within them. Unfortunately, far too many in government, business, the media, and even the educational establishment perceive education to be merely an instrument for the acquisition of information that will improve the chances of worldly success and a more comfortable standard of living. The inspiration of Jesus must be translated from the ideal into the real. Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of individuals and … Since the school is rightly considered an extension of the home, it ought to have "some of the amenities which can create a pleasant and family atmosphere." The relationship between Catholic education and the state has taken a variety of forms in different countries and at different times in history. The educational philosophy that guides Catholic schools also seeks to ensure that they are places where "faith, culture, and life are brought into harmony." . If Catholic schools are to be true to their identity, they will suffuse their environment with a delight in the sacramental. Catholic education is "intentionally directed to the growth of the whole person." Because of the dignity of each human person from the moment of conception "the social order and its development must invariably work to the benefit of the human person, since the order of things is to be subordinate to the order of persons and not the other way round" (Gaudium et spes, no. Christ is not an afterthought or an add-on to Catholic educational philosophy; he is the center and fulcrum of the entire enterprise, the light enlightening every boy and girl who comes into a Catholic school (cf. What is really being proposed by secularist movements is that the pupil should replace whatever god he believes in with the secular god. Such a partnership is directed not just toward dealing with academic problems but also toward planning and evaluating the effectiveness of the school's mission. All these signs embody the community ethos of Catholicism. and Philip Booth. The Holy See's documents insist that, in order to be worthy of its name, a Catholic school must be founded on Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. . be the object of your special attention as shepherds of the People of God." [and] the ability to make judgments about what is true and what is false." The catholicity of American schools also depends largely on the bonds of ecclesial communion between bishops and Catholic educators. Catholic educators and leaders: embrace the person and vision of Jesus. It is precisely because of its Catholic identity, which is anything but sectarian, that a school derives the originality that enables it to be a genuine instrument of the Church's evangelizing mission. The Church believes that freedom in education should be available to all parents. First, trust. This collection of official Catholic teaching on education is a rich body of work spanning almost the whole of the twentieth century, on the related themes of Catholic education and catechesis. Traditional Catholic devotions should also have their place: praying the Rosary, decorating May altars, singing hymns, reading from the Bible, recounting the lives of the saints, and celebrating the Church's liturgical year. As John Paul II straightforwardly affirmed, "Bishops need to support and enhance the work of Catholic schools.". The Catholic Church, in the authentic promotion of her teaching, does not wish to defend such arrangements as privileges. This is how the Church evangelizes. The sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation in particular should mark the rhythm of a Catholic school's life. "The more completely an educator can give concrete witness to the model of the ideal person [Christ] that is being presented to the students, the more this ideal will be believed and imitated.". ", Knowledge and understanding are far more than the accumulation of information. All too many Catholic schools fall into the trap of a secular academic success culture, putting their Christological focus and its accompanying understanding of the human person in second place. Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore nurture and sustain the God-given gifts of every person, especially students, to be used in service to the Mission of Jesus. A spirituality of communion should be the guiding principle of Catholic education. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone summed up … He was a Catholic school governor for 20 years. The Incarnation, which emphasizes the bodily coming of God's Son into the world, leaves its seal on every aspect of Christian life. Even though consecrated men and women are now few in the schools, the witness of their collaboration with the laity enriches the ecclesial value of educational communities. A primary way to foster a school's catholicity is by carefully hiring men and women who enthusiastically endorse its distinctive ethos, for Catholic education is strengthened by witnesses to the gospel. Archbishop Miller is a specialist on the papacy and modern papal teaching, he has published seven books and more than 100 articles, scholarly, popular and journalistic. He is "the foundation of the whole educational enterprise in a Catholic school," and the principles of his gospel are its guiding educational norms: In a Catholic school, everyone should be aware of the living presence of Jesus the "Master" who, today as always, is with us in our journey through life as the one genuine "Teacher," the perfect Man in whom all human values find their fullest perfection. Thus, every educator and witness finds an unequaled model in Jesus Christ, the Father's great witness, who said nothing about himself but spoke as the Father had taught him [cf. This concern ensures that the student is seen as a person whose intellectual growth is harmonized with spiritual, religious, emotional, and social growth. . The sacramental vitality of the Catholic faith is expressed in these and similar acts of religion that belong to everyday ecclesial life and should be evident in every school. The Holy See is, moreover, ever mindful of ensuring the appropriate involvement of parents in Catholic schools: Close cooperation with the family is especially important when treating sensitive issues such as religious, moral, or sexual education, orientation toward a profession, or a choice of one's vocation in life. 8). It is especially important that this "school-home" be immediately recognizable as Catholic: From the first moment that a student sets foot in a Catholic school, he or she ought to have the impression of entering a new environment, one illumined by the light of faith, and having its own unique characteristics. Christ is the Teacher in Catholic schools. In the light of her mission of salvation, the Church considers that the Catholic school provides a privileged environment for the complete formation of her members, and that it also provides a highly important … Philip Booth is Editorial and Programme Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. A fourth distinctive characteristic of … Catholicism is a "comprehensive way of life" that should animate every aspect of its activities and its curriculum. MISSION STATEMENT Immaculate Conception Catholic School exists to provide a Christ-centered academic environment designed to promote the total development of the child by serving the mission … is specifically the form of witness. Our schools are committed to the evangelizing mission of the church to educate and form witnesses who transform the world. MISSION OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOR EVANGELIZATION TODAY. In order to bring these rights to fruition, the Church must have the space to pursue her mission by establishing schools to serve the faithful. However, the "signs of the times" in which we need to think about the application of Catholic social teaching to public policy in education include as perhaps their most prominent feature a major decline in religious practice and a general indifference towards religion, especially in the upper echelons of Western political systems. Our Mission. "The nobility of the task to which teachers are called demands that, in imitation of Christ, the only Teacher, they reveal the Christian message not only by word but also by every gesture of their behavior.". If you’ve appreciated, Christian Perspectives on the Financial Crash, Catholic Social Teaching and the Market Economy, CHRISTIAAN ALTING VON GEUSAU & PHILIP BOOTH. What is human and visible can bear the divine. A Catholic school is a parochial school or education ministry of the Catholic Church.As of 2011, the Catholic Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system. It is he who, through his Incarnation, is united with each student. The endeavor to interweave reason and faith, which has become the heart of individual subjects, makes for unity, articulation, and coordination, bringing forth within what is learned in a school a Christian vision of the world, of life, of culture, and of history. Teachers, both religious and lay, together with parents and school-board members, are to work as a team for the school's common good. 6). This includes an adequate physical plant and adequate equipment. The Church regards the dignity of the human person as the foundation of all the other principles and content of the Church's social doctrine (Compendium of the Social Doctrine [CSD], no. They are to help one another in carrying out the task to which they are mutually committed. As an educational mission of the local church, Catholic schools share in the vision and priorities of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. Ensuring their genuinely Catholic identity is the Church's greatest educational challenge. Such a perspective includes criteria such as "confidence in our ability to attain truth, at least in a limited way – a confidence based not on feeling but on faith . Alting von Geusau lectures and publishes extensively in the areas of law, philosophy and education with a special interest in Christian identity and human dignity. Mass should be celebrated regularly, with the students and teachers participating appropriately. The Church refers to the common function of Catholic education, which it shares with all genuine education, and the proper function of Catholic education. 2 - Shared Responsibilitiesch. Schools prepare students to relate the Catholic faith to their particular culture and to live that faith in practice. Nor is it for "clients" and "consumers" in a competitive marketplace that values academic achievement. As we have seen, the Catholic school would betray its purpose if it failed to found itself on the person of Christ and his teaching: "It derives all the energy necessary for its educational work from him.". Communion fosters appreciation of the Church believes that freedom in education and imposing the.! 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