In the words of T.S. His works include The Shepherd and the Rock: Origins, Development, and Mission of the Papacy (1995) and the Encyclicals of John Paul II (2nd ed., 2001). Catholicism has a particular "take" on reality that should animate its schools. As we know, grace builds on nature. To provide students with an integral education … It is "intentionally directed to the growth of the whole person. The very fact of the Incarnation tells us that the created world is the means chosen by God through which he communicates his life to us. Certainly the Church was involved in education before she established schools. J. Michael Miller has published seven books on topics ranging from the Holy See’s teaching on Catholic schools, to the development of the papacy and the encyclicals of Pope John Paul II. Faculty and Staff Handbook ", Intrinsically related to the search for wisdom is another idea frequently repeated in Vatican teaching: the confidence expressed that the human, however limited its powers, has the capacity to come to the knowledge of truth. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. ", II. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Schools form students within their own culture for which they teach an appreciation of its positive elements and strive to help them foster the further inculturation of the Gospel in their own situation. "Unfortunately, there are instances in which the Catholic school is not perceived as an integral part of organic pastoral work, at times it is considered alien, or very nearly so, to the community. As well as fostering a Catholic view across throughout the curriculum, even in so-called secular subjects, "if students in Catholic schools are to gain a genuine experience of the Church, the example of teachers and others responsible for their formation is crucial: the witness of adults in the school community is a vital part of the school's identity." He spoke to Legatus magazine staff writer Brian Fraga. Even so, I will try to introduce into the conversation the major concerns that can be found in the Vatican documents published since Vatican II's landmark Decree on Christian education Gravissimum Educationis. Below is an excerpt. “Papal Interventions and Roman documents repeatedly emphasize that certain characteristics must be present for a school to be considered authentically Catholic. Our six elementary schools, junior high and high school exemplify Gospel values, strong student achievement and community service. The Gospel of Christ and his very person are, therefore, to inspire and guide the Catholic school in its every dimension: its philosophy of education, its curriculum, community life, its selection of teachers, and even its physical environment. Most Catholic schools are part of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), which serves as the collective voice of U.S. Catholic higher education. [and] the ability to make judgments about what is true and what is false." Those responsible for these schools will, therefore, do everything they can to promote a common spirit of trust and spontaneity." Archbishop Miller is a member of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses and of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People as well as a consultor to the Congregation for Bishops. It is urgent, therefore, to sensitize parochial and diocesan communities to the necessity of their devoting special care to education and schools. Those of us who are, or have been, teachers know all about that. "The Holy Sees Teaching On Catholic Schools." This conviction about the nature of truth is too important to be confused about in Catholic schooling. The Vatican documents speak of "an integral education, an education which responds to all the needs of the human person." Again and again the Holy See's documents repeat the need for an educational philosophy built on the solid foundation of sound Christian anthropology. Explained by the Vatican's Secretary to the Congregation for Catholic Education, Archbishop J. Michael Miller . Parents have the original, primary and inalienable right to educate them in conformity with the family's moral and religious convictions. Ensuring their genuinely Catholic identity is the Church's greatest challenge. Convictions about truth are at home in authentically Catholic schools. So well received were his remarks and so important that Solidarity Association, which sponsored the conference, asked Archbishop Miller to expand his themes into this small book. 835 North Rush Street Chicago, IL 60611-2030 . Sunday Masses from Holy Name Cathedral are available starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday in English, Polish and Spanish. He is the one who ennobles man, gives meaning to human life, and is the model which the Catholic school offers to its pupils. Thank you very much for your kind invitation, extended through Frank Hanna and Alejandro Bermudez, to address you this afternoon on a subject of such vital importance to the future of the Church and the nation. In the measure in which subjects are taught by someone who knowingly and without restraint seeks the truth, they are to that extent Christian. Catholic he had a “very productive” phone call with Health Minister Adrian Dix this week to discuss the goal of re-opening Catholic churches to public worship while keeping British Columbians safe during the pandemic. Helpful Resources . 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. Now let's turn to a discussion of the question to which the Holy See addresses its most serious attention. Nonetheless, today the principal, but not only, help which the Church offers families is by establishing Catholic schools which ensure the integral formation of children. The result was disastrous. FIVE ESSENTIAL OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS As written by Archbishop J. Michael Miller, C. s.B. The Catholic school system in Ontario, Canada, where I was raised, when pressured by public authorities for what they regarded as reasonable accommodations, relaxed this requirement for a time. The Holy See's Teaching On Catholic Schools ARCHBISHOP J. MICHAEL MILLER, C.S.B The Holy See, through its documents and interventions, whether of the Pope or of other Vatican offices, sees in Catholic schools an enormous heritage and an indispensable instrument in carrying out the Church's mission in the third Christian millennium. It strives to develop virtue "by the integration of culture with faith and of faith with living." Catholic schools have a straightforward goal: to foster the growth of good Catholic human beings who love God and neighbor and thus fulfill their destiny of becoming saints. Ever more Vatican statements emphasize that the school is a community of persons and, even more to the point, "a genuine community of faith.". Nothing is further from the position of the Holy See. So well received were his remarks and so important that Solidarity Association, which sponsored the conference, asked Archbishop Miller to expand his themes into this small book. List of 4 items. A learning atmosphere which encourages the befriending of students is far removed from the caricature of the remote disciplinarian so cherished by the media. They are educators precisely because they are parents. Because of the Gospel's vital and guiding role in a Catholic school, we might be tempted to think that the identity and distinctiveness of Catholic education lies in the quality of its religious instruction, catechesis and pastoral activities. Core Values . Schools prepare students to relate the Catholic faith to their particular culture and to live that faith in practice. Here’s a comprehensive guide to loneliness that affords ... Banish loneliness today – the Catholic way! Contact Us . 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Direct and personal contact between teachers and students is a hallmark of Catholic schools. This book takes you beyond the nature-lover of popular In an ad limina address to a group of American bishops, Pope John Paul II pinpointed the importance of a correct grasp of truth if the Church's educational efforts are to bear fruit: The greatest challenge to Catholic education in the United States today, and the greatest contribution that authentically Catholic education can make to American culture, is to restore to that culture the conviction that human beings can grasp the truth of things, and in grasping that truth can know their duties to God, to themselves and their neighbors. Chicago Católico . Moreover, "the public power, which has the obligation to protect and defend the rights of citizens, must see to it, in its concern for distributive justice, that public subsidies are paid out in such a way that parents are truly free to choose according to their conscience the schools they want for their children." In summary fashion the recently published Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (2005) states laconically that "the refusal to provide public economic support to non-public schools that need assistance and that render a service to civil society is to be considered an injustice. Yet they must also, when appropriate according to the students' age, be critical and evaluative. "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." Indeed, that would be like expecting a microscope to reveal the square root of sixteen! Diocesan Priesthood . The reason for such concern about teachers is straightforward. The Holy See, through its documents and interventions, whether of the Pope or of other Vatican offices, sees in Catholic schools an enormous heritage and an indispensable instrument in carrying out the Church's mission in the third Christian millennium. In an article titled, “Five Essential Marks of Catholic Schools,” Archbishop J. Michael Miller quotes Michael J. Guerra, former president of the National Catholic Educational Association, who once remarked, "The first and most important task for Catholic schools is to maintain and continually strengthen their Catholic identity" (2006). Vocations . That's how the Church evangelizes. While their demands are high, perhaps sometimes even unreasonably so, there is no avoiding the fact that if teachers fail to model fidelity to the truth and virtuous behavior, then even the best of curricula cannot successfully embody a Catholic school's distinctive ethos. Faith and culture are intimately related, and students should be led, in ways suitable to their level of intellectual development, to grasp the importance of this relationship. The Incarnation, which emphasizes the bodily coming of God's Son into the world, leaves its seal on every aspect of Christian life. The Holy See, through its documents and interventions, whether of the Pope or of other Vatican offices, sees in Catholic schools an enormous heritage and an indispensable instrument in carrying out the Church's mission in the third Christian millennium. Find a School . Central to the Catholic school is its mission of holiness, of saint making. Still, we must always take special care to avoid thinking that a Catholic school's distinctiveness rests solely on the shoulders of its religious education program. Renew My Church . Defining Characteristics of Catholic Schools T he Defining Characteristics flow directly from the Holy See’s teaching on Catholic schools as compiled by Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB (The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools, 2006), and from statements by Pope … Archbishop J. Michael Miller, C.S.B. He became Archbishop of Vancouver on January 2, 2009. The Most Reverend J. Michael Miller, CSB, was born in Ottawa, Canada, on July 9, 1946. It is the clear teaching of the Church, constantly reiterated by the Holy See, that parents are the first educators of their children. I would also like to commend your interest in promoting authentically Catholic schools, especially for those of limited economic means. A chapel, classroom crucifixes and statues, signage, celebrations and other sacramental reminders of Catholic ecclesial life, including good art which is not explicitly religious in its subject matter, should be evident. ", On the other hand, knowledge and understanding are far more than the accumulation of information. Gen 1:26-27). 2. Indeed, most countries with substantial Christian majorities provide such assistance: Australia, Canada, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, just to name a few. Like the "marks" of the Church proclaimed in the Creed, so, too, does it identity the principal features of a school qua Catholic. Note, however, that parents do not surrender their children to the Church but share a common undertaking. What is human and visible can bear the divine. A final indicator of a school's authentic catholicity is the vital witness … A third important teaching on Catholic schools that has emerged in the Holy See's documents in recent years is its emphasis on the community aspect of the Catholic school, a dimension rooted both in the social nature of the human person and the reality the Church as a "the home and the school of communion." The Holy See is ever careful to foster the appropriate involvement of parents in Catholic schools. With them lies the primary responsibility for creating a unique Christian school climate, as individuals and as a community. Formally known as Indifferentism, this view has in ... Meet the Holy Spirit - who dwells within you, loving you, sanctifying you, guarding you, ... Meet the Holy Spirit - who dwells within you, loving you, sanctifying you, guarding you, myth to the real St. Francis of Assisi, model of holiness and Christian courage. On June 29, 1975, Pope Paul VI ordained him a priest, and on November 23, 2003 Pope John Paul II appointed him titular Archbishop of Vertara, Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education and Vice President of the Pontifical Work of Priestly Vocations. First I will say something about parental and government rights, followed by some remarks on the school as an instrument of evangelization, and then describe the five components which must be present if a school is to have a genuinely Catholic identity. When Catholic schools are animated by communion and community, they are places of faith. Indeed, "it depends chiefly on them whether the Catholic school achieves its purpose." For young Catholics, such instruction embraces both knowledge of the faith and fostering its practice. 1. On the other hand, the Holy See does provide certain principles and guidelines which inspire the content of the curriculum if it is to deliver on its promise of offering students an integral education. At a conference at Catholic University in the Fall of 2005, Archbishop J. Michael Miller, the man responsible for Catholic education around the world, distilled for his audience the Church's teachings on Catholic education. Taking the risk of being blunt, the Congregation for Catholic Education has written that "the Catholic school tries to create within its walls a climate in which the pupil's faith will gradually mature and enable him to assume the responsibility placed on him by Baptism.". Chicago Catholic . ", III. This obligation of the State to provide public subsidies also arises because of the contribution which Catholic schools make to society. In meeting that challenge, the Catholic educator will hear an echo of Christ's words: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (Jn 8:32). ", Precisely because of this evangelizing mission, our schools, if they are to be genuinely ecclesial – and they must be that if they are to be authentically Catholic – must be integrated within the organic pastoral activity of the parish, diocesan and universal Church. A primary, but hardly only, way of guiding students to becoming committed Catholics, as we have discussed in emphasizing the importance of an integrated curriculum, is providing solid religious instruction. Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago will pivot to remote learning for two weeks at the start of 2021. In an age of information overload, Catholic schools must be especially attentive to the delicate balance between human experience and understanding. The fourth essential mark of a Catholic school is to instill a Catholic worldview throughout its curriculum. Archbishop Miller’s brief explanation of this is that Catholic schooling must be inspired and guided by the Gospel. In a word, those involved in Catholic schools, with very few exceptions, should be practising Catholics committed to the Church and living her sacramental life. As we have seen, the Catholic school would betray its purpose if it failed to take as its touchstone the person of Christ and his Gospel: "It derives all the energy necessary for its educational work from him.". The principle of subsidiarity must always govern relations between families and the Church and State in this regard. Hypocrisy particularly turns off today's students. Catholic education is strengthened by its "martyrs." Children will pick up far more by example than by masterful pedagogical techniques, especially in the practice of Christian virtues. Submit your email address to receive Barnes & Noble offers & updates. Let's look at two of these: the principle of truth and the integration of faith, culture and life. John MacLaughlin here considers the It is a pleasure to be with a group so dedicated to the cause of Catholic education, and, especially in making Catholic schools available to those whose economic means might otherwise deprive them of one of the Church's most valuable resources for building up the Body of Christ. A second principle governing all Catholic education from the apostolic age down to the present is the notion that the faithful should be engaged in transforming culture in light of the Gospel. Principals, pastors, trustees and parents share, therefore, in the serious duty of hiring teachers who meet the standards of doctrine and integrity of life essential to maintaining and advancing a school's Catholic identity. and leading you in the ways of prayer and virtue.In these pages, Fr. Catholicism should permeate not just the class period of catechism or religious education, or the school's pastoral activities, but the entire curriculum. 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