Catholic SchoolsCatholic Schools

A Contemporary Vision for A Contemporary Vision for Catholic EducationCatholic Education

What is a Contemporary Vision What is a Contemporary Vision of Catholic Education?of Catholic Education?

A clear understanding of context and A clear understanding of context and audienceaudience

The human person that we are called The human person that we are called to educateto educate

The teachings of the Catholic Church The teachings of the Catholic Church Expectations that are placed upon Expectations that are placed upon

those who serve in Catholic those who serve in Catholic educationeducation

The Context for our Work The Context for our Work TodayToday

Strengths of our contemporary world Strengths of our contemporary world flowing from technology, science, flowing from technology, science, communication and advances in communication and advances in education education

Contemporary society very often Contemporary society very often based upon individualism and the based upon individualism and the freedom of human reasonfreedom of human reason

Be your own person and make your Be your own person and make your own judgments and decisionsown judgments and decisions

The appeal to God or any higher The appeal to God or any higher authority for guidance and direction authority for guidance and direction in life becomes more remote in life becomes more remote

Appeal to human reason of every Appeal to human reason of every person as source of direction and lifeperson as source of direction and life

Imagine…Imagine…

World tells you what to “imagine” World tells you what to “imagine” and believeand believe

Leading to a fragmented humanity Leading to a fragmented humanity and societyand society

A wilderness experience A wilderness experience

““The split between the Gospel The split between the Gospel and culture is undoubtedly and culture is undoubtedly the tragedy of our time.”the tragedy of our time.”

Pope Paul VI 1975Pope Paul VI 1975

Despite the efforts of so many of us, Despite the efforts of so many of us, the faith and dedication of too many the faith and dedication of too many

Catholics does not seem to have Catholics does not seem to have reached the critical mass needed to reached the critical mass needed to sustain their Catholic faith and keep sustain their Catholic faith and keep up its practice over the course of our up its practice over the course of our

lives.lives.

Not all Depressing!Not all Depressing!

Deep in the lives of every human being Deep in the lives of every human being is desire for fulfilment and happinessis desire for fulfilment and happiness

There is a restlessness within the There is a restlessness within the human spirithuman spirit

There is a true “human Search” for There is a true “human Search” for meaning and purpose of lifemeaning and purpose of life

Recognition that what the world offers Recognition that what the world offers and the challenge of daily living is not and the challenge of daily living is not enoughenough

St. Augustine of Hippo St. Augustine of Hippo

““You have made us for You have made us for yourself and our hearts find yourself and our hearts find

no rest until they rest in you”no rest until they rest in you”

Science, technology and human Science, technology and human reason are simply not enough to reason are simply not enough to sustain the human person and bring sustain the human person and bring them to happiness them to happiness

The gift of faith opens up a new The gift of faith opens up a new world world

Imagine who we are in relation to Imagine who we are in relation to God and to one another and the God and to one another and the world around usworld around us

Catholic Education: A New Catholic Education: A New World ViewWorld View

New imagination of the human person New imagination of the human person Creating and shaping an understanding Creating and shaping an understanding

of every human person made in the of every human person made in the image and likeness of Godimage and likeness of God

““The divine imprint of God within us”The divine imprint of God within us” We only come to know the truth about We only come to know the truth about

ourselves in our relation to Godourselves in our relation to God

World of today is in danger of obscuring World of today is in danger of obscuring this vision of the human person this vision of the human person

Catholic education always presupposes Catholic education always presupposes and understanding of human person and understanding of human person made in the image and likeness of Godmade in the image and likeness of God

The discovery of looking to Christ and The discovery of looking to Christ and discovering the true meaning of every discovering the true meaning of every human person human person

Human PersonHuman Person

““The person of each individual The person of each individual human being in his or her material human being in his or her material

and spiritual needs is at the heart of and spiritual needs is at the heart of Christ’s teaching: this is why the Christ’s teaching: this is why the

promotion of the human person is promotion of the human person is the goal of the Catholic school.” the goal of the Catholic school.”

What is a Contemporary Vision What is a Contemporary Vision of Catholic Education?of Catholic Education?

A clear understanding of context and A clear understanding of context and audienceaudience

The human person that we are called The human person that we are called to educateto educate

The teachings of the Catholic Church The teachings of the Catholic Church Expectations that are placed upon Expectations that are placed upon

those who serve in Catholic those who serve in Catholic educationeducation

““Stressing our vital relationship with Stressing our vital relationship with Christ, reminds us that the fullness of Christ, reminds us that the fullness of truth about ourselves is to be found truth about ourselves is to be found

in him.”in him.”

The Catholic School on the Threshold The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium of the Third Millennium

At best Catholic education as part of At best Catholic education as part of the mission of the Church brings a the mission of the Church brings a real focus to the human personreal focus to the human person

An imagination that tells us that the An imagination that tells us that the people we are called to educate are people we are called to educate are to flourish as people in relation to to flourish as people in relation to God and the world around them God and the world around them

So what does this mean?So what does this mean?

The curriculum and every The curriculum and every educational experience we provide educational experience we provide must serve must serve this this flourishing of the flourishing of the human personhuman person

This is the This is the virtuevirtue of Catholic of Catholic educationeducation

Whatever area of the curriculum we Whatever area of the curriculum we are teaching the flourishing of the are teaching the flourishing of the human person is our aimhuman person is our aim

This is the challenge of high This is the challenge of high expectations and developing a expectations and developing a creative curriculumcreative curriculum

Demands that every member of staff Demands that every member of staff ““think and act outside of the box”think and act outside of the box”

Living with the tension of external Living with the tension of external expectations and a Catholic visionexpectations and a Catholic vision

Every member of staff lives and Every member of staff lives and contributes to this visioncontributes to this vision

True human flourishing means True human flourishing means teaching and learning forms the teaching and learning forms the intellectual, spiritual, moral, social, intellectual, spiritual, moral, social, physical dimension of our studentsphysical dimension of our students

As we help young people discover As we help young people discover their true identity we equip them their true identity we equip them with tools to shape the culture and with tools to shape the culture and world of todayworld of today

How Do We Achieve This?How Do We Achieve This?

Fostering our relationship with ChristFostering our relationship with Christ Our lives can become so full that we can Our lives can become so full that we can

loose sight of God’s love and mercy and loose sight of God’s love and mercy and our attraction to that which is holyour attraction to that which is holy

Fostering a daily pattern of prayer in our Fostering a daily pattern of prayer in our lives a relation between God and melives a relation between God and me

A relationship nourished by the A relationship nourished by the Sacraments of the Church Sacraments of the Church

If we want to come to know God and If we want to come to know God and help our children and young people help our children and young people discover the truth about themselves discover the truth about themselves we need to find that dwelling place of we need to find that dwelling place of God within usGod within us

The Sacraments are always and The Sacraments are always and “event” and action of Christ“event” and action of Christ

If we have neglected this it is time to If we have neglected this it is time to return return

In each school we need to provide In each school we need to provide opportunities for the spiritual opportunities for the spiritual formation of our staffformation of our staff

Prayer at staff meetings, retreats, Prayer at staff meetings, retreats, celebrating the Seasons of the celebrating the Seasons of the Church’s year Church’s year

Prayer as part of the rhythm of our Prayer as part of the rhythm of our daily livesdaily lives

““The most valuable gift that the Church The most valuable gift that the Church can offer to the bewildered and can offer to the bewildered and

restless world of our time is to form restless world of our time is to form within it Christians who are confirmed within it Christians who are confirmed

in what is essential and who are in what is essential and who are humbly joyful in their faith”humbly joyful in their faith”

Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II

Catholic education and vision of the Catholic education and vision of the human person is the human person is the work of the Churchwork of the Church

Educators in Catholic schools need to Educators in Catholic schools need to appreciate what the Church teaches appreciate what the Church teaches and the life that it offersand the life that it offers

Induction and on-going formation of Induction and on-going formation of staff in school must include formation staff in school must include formation into Church teaching and Catholic lifeinto Church teaching and Catholic life

Staff need to be “religiously literate” Staff need to be “religiously literate” if they are to provide opportunities if they are to provide opportunities for the human flourishing of young for the human flourishing of young people in a Catholic Schoolpeople in a Catholic School

We can never side–step the teaching We can never side–step the teaching of the Church in supporting human of the Church in supporting human flourishing flourishing

Christ continues to abide in His Christ continues to abide in His ChurchChurch

To work in a Catholic school To work in a Catholic school challenges us to be people of faith challenges us to be people of faith and at least open to the inspiration of and at least open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in our livesthe Holy Spirit in our lives

This faith is that of the Church which This faith is that of the Church which is given to us. Church is our “Mother” is given to us. Church is our “Mother” from Her our life of faith flowsfrom Her our life of faith flows

Educators with responsibility to the Educators with responsibility to the ChurchChurch

Living by the gift of faith is not Living by the gift of faith is not always easyalways easy ““In the end, faith is exactly beyond In the end, faith is exactly beyond

the bounds of what we know, a the bounds of what we know, a presence beyond the known and presence beyond the known and seen, a voice that can surprise us seen, a voice that can surprise us

and draw us beyond our self interest, and draw us beyond our self interest, even beyond what we thought was even beyond what we thought was

possible”possible”

““Faith consists in reacting before God Faith consists in reacting before God as Mary did, I don’t understand it, as Mary did, I don’t understand it,

Lord, but let it be done to me Lord, but let it be done to me according to your will.”according to your will.”

To be a real Catholic educator means To be a real Catholic educator means that you are ready to live and that you are ready to live and imagine the purpose of education in imagine the purpose of education in a new waya new way

This is the goal of the new school This is the goal of the new school yearyear

May God who begins this work in us May God who begins this work in us bring it to fulfilmentbring it to fulfilment

A Few Thoughts…A Few Thoughts…

Have I lost my spiritual mooring? If Have I lost my spiritual mooring? If the Lord is not the centre of my life the Lord is not the centre of my life what is the first step I can take to what is the first step I can take to return to this sacred space?return to this sacred space?

When was the last time you studied / When was the last time you studied / reflected upon the Catholic faith?reflected upon the Catholic faith?

Do you find it hard to embrace your Do you find it hard to embrace your faith with questions and difficulties – faith with questions and difficulties – how can you face them?how can you face them?

What is the improvements that you What is the improvements that you think your living of faith needs right think your living of faith needs right now? What is your next step?now? What is your next step?

What might you ask of your faith What might you ask of your faith here and now that you have not in here and now that you have not in the past?the past?