Current Events
Catholic Schools Week—2008
Catholic Schools Light the Way
Catholic Schools Week 2008 celebrates the theme “Lighting the Way.” To proclaim as a mission to “light the way” offers a tremendous challenge to Catholic schools and communities. Finding the course of the way of Jesus demands a deep knowledge of the Gospel and tireless effort to bring it to life in the everyday of classroom learning and activity. The challenge to “light the way” must engage administrators, teachers, parents and students. A first step to lighting the way is knowing the way, a matter of the head – reading, study and questioning. Living the way is the contentious challenge of Catholic communities and schools. The challenge is comprehensive, calling into question all dimensions of life and society. The challenge is unceasing, woven with successes and short falls. Still, each day we begin again on the quest to know and live the way of Jesus. Catholic Schools have as their mission to light the way and have done so with great success.
Lighting the Way—A Bright Beginning
The Catholic Church has a history of responding to people’s attempting to find their way in a new land. Initially Catholic schools started during the late 1800’s due to the prejudice Catholics were experiencing in the public school system. The Catholic Church saw a need to protect believers from intolerance and foster growth in the faith. The arrival of an immigrant population expanded the need for Catholic schools with a further mission to welcome and support those seeking a new way of life. Immigrants to the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century moved to an unknown land filled with hope for a bright future. Choosing a new way of life presented obstacles of language, culture, and economics. The Catholic Church and its schools led the way in facilitating the adjustment process for new Catholic immigrants, helping them find comfort and acceptance.Lighting the Way—A Faithful Constant
In today’s world Catholic Schools have a strong presence in suburban areas and are making a strong come back in urban areas where an immigrant and poor population is settling with the usual adjustments of language, culture and economics.While it may appear that the suburban Catholic communities and schools are humming along with few bumps in the road, the challenges our culture presents to following the way of Jesus can be covert, quietly deceiving and lead to complaisance. Constant vigilance to the Gospel message is essential in Catholic communities and schools who may comfortably adjust to the cultural climate surrounding them, losing the way while thinking all is well. Diligent attention to the Christ’s teachings and the social teaching of the Catholic Church is necessary to stay the course outlined in the Gospel. This is the challenge of the suburban Catholic communities and schools.
Concurrently, the revived Catholic schools in urban communities face the same challenges as the educators and leaders who started the Catholic Schools movement generations ago: meeting the educational needs of a population striving for a better life while battling language, economic and cultural differences.
Lighting the Way—A Beacon Leading
Catholic parishes and schools have reason to delight in the success of their work for children, youth and adults. Millions of American Catholics are benefiting from the Church’s education efforts in universities, colleges, high schools and elementary schools.
A hope filled future, sees men and women with values firmly founded in the Gospel way of Jesus in the world, lighting the way for family, friends and co-workers. Success is measured in the living out of the principles. Renewing and revitalizing our understanding of the Way and deepening our relationship with Jesus will brighten our hope and ground our faith. Catholic Schools have been a blessing and will be a grace for generations to come.
What difference does it make?
1. Beyond an exceptional education in secular subject, how do Catholic Schools guide young people in living as Catholic Christians? What more needs to happen for Catholic Schools to have an even greater influence?2. How do Catholic schools affect youth who live in the midst of a culture that denigrates Gospel values? What supports are needed to make it possible for young people to challenge their culture?
3. As you look ahead, what ways do you see Catholic Schools changing to meet the ever increasing challenges of society? What could Catholic Schools do to help incorporate new immigrants to our country?
4. ‘Knowing the way of Jesus’ as presented in the Gospels is essential to Catholic Education. Are we empowering our children and youth to live what they learn, to question injustice and work to uproot it? Where do we see today’s Catholic youth striving for societal change?
5. In the future, how do you see Catholic school graduates leading in their churches, communities and families?
6. How and where do you see Catholic school students and their family’s light the way to Jesus? Do you see their good words and works affecting the broader society? If so, how do you see this happening?
7. What values does a Catholic school education instill making the investments of time, energy and money worthwhile, enduring and vital for a lifetime?
