They benefit our families, our parishes, and our society. excerpted from Catholic Education in the West: Roots, Reality and Revival (September 25, 2013). This is the reason why Catholic schools make a great deal of effort to make the school environment as “Gun-free zones” or “Drug-free zones” as possible. It was Ignatius’s greatest wish — like that of another famous Spaniard, Don Quixote — to be a knight and a soldier, and to perform great acts of chivalry. The Catholic School, # 80. Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977. The kids, at least a lot of them, are not all right.We are not doing enough to bring the strands of our young people’s lives — their hearts and their heads — together in an integrated manner so they feel better about themselves and optimistic about the future.At Fairfield, we are very aware of this and have a number of programs in place where we address these issues. Catholic education aims not only to communicate facts but also to transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life, in the conviction that the truths contained in that vision liberate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom. In an environment where every student is regarded has having a unique destiny in the eyes of God, there is a climate of respect, there is a climate of love, and most importantly, there is hope — the hope that so many of our young people seem to be without.So, in closing, allow me to encourage all of you to do what you can to support your Catholic schools, and be clear and outspoken in your advocacy for Catholic education. Loading ... Pope Francis: You cannot speak of Catholic education without speaking about humanity - … Catholic School Week is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. I think I can say too that I had the feeling that I was being called to something more — I was being asked to give up something comfortable for something that would be a greater challenge, a bigger stretch, one that asked for sacrifices from me in the interests of a greater good. I pursued my Ph.D. at Yale, where my area of study was Great Britain and Ireland in the 19th century. He did that rather well until 1521 when a cannon ball struck both of his legs at the battle of Pamplona. And even today there are over 200 Jesuit universities and colleges all over the world, and countless Jesuit high schools.What Ignatius had come to understand — through his own deeply personal experience — was that education was the way that God opened us up to our innate potential. At least, the journey has been in large part a coherent mystery to me. When Christ is the center of all we do, then we are enabled to redirect our focus of life towards an understanding of the world in which we live that is geared towards the promotion of human dignity and the common good. Young men and women graduating from Catholic schools and universities should have the keen understanding of being called as Christians to work for the common good and to do so through a life that is deeply rooted in Christ, combined with a vigorous desire to pursue the truth of things, to live through and with reality rather than merely being guided by constantly changing feelings and preferences. How should Catholic social teaching approach the question of public policy in education? 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? In order for Christians to be able to effectively promote the true, the good and the beautiful, there is the vital need for coherence in word and deed. Pope Paul VI brought this strikingly to the point when he observed that "(M)odern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975). Young people are especially sensitive to this for they are shaped more by the concrete experiences in their lives, and thus the lived example of their teachers, than by the best of pedagogical techniques. 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. But my story, and my perspective on Catholic education only makes sense within the greater story of the Jesuit mission in education. How to help. 133). Catholic education. That is double the average tenure of a University President these days! Later, during the 2015 Papal visit, Pope Francis showed the world exactly how he feels about Catholic education when he visited Our Lady Queen of Angels Elementary School in East Harlem, New York. In other words, education became the mission of the Society of Jesus because Ignatius understood from his own experience that educated people would be naturally inclined to serve and to improve the lives of their neighbors. One in ten said they felt depressed, the lowest overall emotional health score since the survey began.• Back in the 1980s, about half of high school seniors reported spending about 40 hours a week hanging out with friends. The Church states that promotion of human dignity does not just require freedom in education; it also implies that all have a right to education, as one of those things "necessary for leading a life truly human" (Gaudium et spes, no. Graduates of Catholic high schools are more likely to vote, than graduates of public schools.Catholic schools build community — they are communities. Christ-centred. 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. But, while the Church institutionally must have the right to establish schools, the freedom to educate children ultimately belongs to parents: "Parents who have the primary and inalienable right and duty to educate their children must enjoy true liberty in their choice of schools" (GE, no. It is to those characteristics that I now turn. Catholic Religious Education, particularly since the Second Vatican Council, is committed to teaching and learning about and from other religions, not as an option but as something intrinsic to the definition of Christian identity. Then in 1547, the town leaders of Messina in Sicily asked Ignatius if he would found a school there to educate their young men — and St. Ignatius after some thought, agreed to found and staff a school.That is how Jesuit education began, over 450-years ago. Catholic education has always been at the heart of the Catholic mission. 26). "For this reason neither his life nor the development of his thought, nor his good, nor those who are part of his personal and social activities can be subject to unjust restrictions in the exercise of their rights and freedom" (CSD, no. I think it is the role of Jesuit University to be a place where the Church is in dialogue with the broader culture; where people of all religious faiths can practice and deepen their faith openly, while engaging with the world as it is, in all its complexity. This excerpt originally appeared as an Acton Commentary. It is reprinted here with permission of the Acton Institute. What is really being proposed by secularist movements is that the pupil should replace whatever god he believes in with the secular god. Catholic education, and the students who are the product of it, have been called the “greatest work of the Church”. The Genesis creation stories make the point that everything We develop communities in our residence halls that encourage reflection and help to form real human bonds of affection and respect; we engage in difficult conversations in the classroom and in the dormitories about religious faith — and the places where faith and reason intersect. Instead, he found a deeper more satisfying and more authentic feeling of joy when he contemplated the lives of the Saints and the stories of the Gospels.So Ignatius decided he wanted to serve God, but also discovered that if he really wanted to be of any value, that he needed to be educated. The principle of human dignity also has implications for education. Firstly, because education cannot be separated from the formation of the human person and the development of his vocation â whether secular or religious â restricting basic freedom in education is a restriction on freedom of conscience, the rights of parents and the freedom of religion more generally. Unduly restricting freedom in education and imposing the state's conception of education on all families would be to subordinate the person to society. In this respect, the right to religious freedom is paramount in the Church's social teaching. People should not be forced to act contrary to their religious convictions (Dignitatis humanae, no. " However, arguably, more guidance has been given by the Church on this subject than on other controversial political matters. This is largely, of course, because of the relationship between evangelization, education and the formation of the whole human person and because of the vital role of the family â and especially the parents chosen by God â in both formation and education. I thank you for your support for Catholic schools.Thank you for listening! Catholic education recognizes the importance of the effects of the environment on a child. The result was a very painful period of convalescence. Catholic Schools Week is a time for to celebrate all that Catholic education has to offer. Our society as a whole benefits when our young people are formed within this framework of understanding. And it was while he was recovering from his wounds that Ignatius had his conversion. Sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association, schools observe the week with Masses, open houses, and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. Catholic schools are welcoming to all who seek to share their life and wish to entrust their children’s future to Catholic schools because of their explicit goals and acknowledged educational quality. This is a tremendous credit to our Catholic schools. “The Catholic school’s proper function is to create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, to help youth grow according to the new creatures they were made through baptism as they develop their own personalities, and finally to order the whole of human culture to the news of salvation so that the knowledge the students … And we know that students from less privileged backgrounds are more likely to attend college and to succeed if they attend a Catholic school. We know that academic achievement is higher. “Catholic education sees the quality of education as linked to the Christian vision of man and of the world, which it receives from the faith. Rev. They offer the pursuit of knowledge in an environment of faith, love and values. It emphasises the centrality of Jesus Christ in the Catholic school and invites schools to provide for children and young people “structured opportunities of encounter with Jesus”. In this way, Catholic schools instill students with morals, virtues, self-discipline, and knowledge, preparing them to succeed in further education, seek holiness, and live meaningful lives. All the early Jesuits needed to be educated and given religious direction so that they would be able to be of service. What a pleasure and an honor it is to have been asked to speak with you all today on a subject for which we all share a great passion and commitment — the advancement of Catholic schools and education.My own journey through Catholic education has led me into higher education and to Fairfield University — a Jesuit University of about 4000 undergraduates and 1500 graduate students in Fairfield, Connecticut where I am privileged to serve as President. And in turn, it is through education — the formation and instruction and guidance we receive in our schooling — that we discover our potential, and are thereby enabled to engage with the world as agents of positive social change, serving our fellow men and women through our gifts.Now as a University President in a Catholic and Jesuit institution I am particularly aware of my duties and obligations to carry on this mission, and so I am also therefore aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the young men and women who enroll every year, and for whom I have responsibility.They are all wonderful — truly they are. 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