WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CATHOLIC?

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CATHOLIC?
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We need to be reminded more often than
instructed.S.Johnson

• Catholics are Christians who affirm Jesus
• we are saved
• Tradition is important to us
• Catholics use minds and hearts
• ratio et fides
• We believe in sacramentality
• ordinary reveals extraordinary
• Catholics emphasize community
• we are the Body of Christ

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Core characteristics of Christianity

• positive anthropology
• conviction of the sacramentality of life
• emphasis on relationship
• commitment to history, tradition
• appreciation of wisdom
• emphasis on
• spirituality
• social justice
• hospitality

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In other words...
Why did God make us? know love serve message
community service
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Problems of our Culture

• Privatization of religion
• separation of private from public life
• Tendency to psychologize
• how do you feel?
• Reductive inclusivity
• Seinfeld not that theres anything wrong
• Relativism
• its OK if its me

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Religious Dimension of the Catholic School
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.
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the impression of a new environment

• Creating the Catholic culture
• What is money spent on?
• What is talked about on the PA?
• Who/what is honored?
• What is time spent on?
• How are problems solved?
• What are the rituals and rites of passage?
• How are important matters communicated?
• How are things done around here?

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What Makes the School Catholic?
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Elements of Catholic Identity
Catholic Leadership Religious Education Worship Fa
ith Development Witness/Service Faith
Community Total Person/Student Philosophy Traditio
n Parental Involvement
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Catholic Leadership

• the leader of the Catholic school is a Catholic
  who is knowledgeable in the Faith and steeped in
  the Tradition.

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Leadership a rubric

• School administration and staff give witness to
  the lived Gospel.
• The principal develops and promotes integration
  of faith and values.
• Financial accountability and sharing of resources
  reflect Catholic social teaching.
• The administrator emphasizes the Catholic nature
  of the school in the public forum.

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Religious Education

• religious instruction is based on the doctrine
  and tradition of the Catholic Church...

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Religious Education a rubric

• There is an articulated religion program.
• Priority is given to the teaching of religion.
• Values are added to the curriculum.
• The religion program articulates the teachings of
  the Catholic Church.
• The religion curriculum is supervised and
  evaluated.
• Teachers of religion are professionally competent.

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Worship

• liturgical celebrations are integrated into the
  experiences of students...

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Worship a rubric

• Meaningful liturgies are provided.
• Students participate in preparation of liturgical
  celebrations.
• Liturgies and paraliturgical celebrations mark
  important observances in the school.
• Students are instructed in meaning and
  participation in worship services.

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Faith Development

• the achievement of faith community within the
  school is clearly articulated...

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Faith Development a rubric

• Signs, symbols, rituals and traditions of the
  Catholic Church are evident within the
  environment.
• The school fosters and promotes the faith
  experience of students and staff.
• The school teaches prayers and praying as part of
  the development of students and staff.

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Witness and Service

• the counter-cultural aspects of the Catholic
  Faith, e.g. reflection, social justice, peace,
  non-consumerism, etc. are integral to the
  schools curriculum...

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Witness/Service a rubric

• The students are given instruction on the
  Churchs social teaching.
• Ample opportunities are provided for service to
  others.
• The students and the teachers reflect the lived
  message of the Gospel

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Faith Community

• the achievement of a faith community within the
  school is a clearly articulated and constantly
  pursued goal.

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Faith Community

• The school seeks to aid the parents through
  programs of family evangelization.
• The students and staff see themselves as integral
  parts of the parish, the diocese, the universal
  Church.
• Opportunities for communal prayer are made
  available.

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Total Person

• Church teachings and Gospel values form the
  basis of person to person interactions and of
  organizational practices within the school...

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Total Person a rubric

• The school provides for all aspects of human
  development intellectual, social, spiritual.
• The school is known as a welcoming place.
• The school values the gifts and talents of all
  its students and staff.
• The building and its furnishings reflect a
  Catholic presence.

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Philosophy

• the characteristics of Catholic education
  enunciated by the National Conference of Catholic
  Bishops, i.e.word, worship, community, service,
  are visible in the mission and practice of the
  school...

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Philosophy/Mission a rubric

• The mission and philosophy reflect the
  integration of the Catholic faith and Gospel
  values with learning and life.
• The mission and philosophy are consistent with
  the educational ministry of the Church.
• The school expresses its belief through worship,
  teaching of Catholic doctrine and programs for
  spiritual formation.

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Tradition

• the presence of sacred imagery, saints, pious
  practices, etc. are integrated into the
  experiences provided to the students...

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Tradition a rubric

• Besides Scripture, the Churchs tradition is
  transmitted to students.
• The grace and richness of sacramental experience
  and history is reflected in the curriculum and
  the climate.
• Students and staff study the heroes of the
  faith and strive to emulate their witness.
• School traditions reflect the Catholic heritage.

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Parental Involvement

• the parents are the primary educators of their
  children and must be involved in their education,
  including their education in the faith...

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Parental Involvement a rubric

• The rights of parents, as primary educators, are
  respected.
• There is accountability to parents and families.
• There are ample opportunities for parental
  involvement in the life of the school.

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For Us to Ask Ourselves

• How can we use the rubric to determine the extent
  of presence/absence of the elements of Catholic
  identity?
• What place does Catholic identity have in the
  schools strategic plan? In its budget?
• What can the school guarantee parents? Students?
• What role does Catholic identity play in the
  development of teachers/ staff?

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(No Transcript)
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According to the Bishops 1972 letter To Teach
as Jesus Did, the Catholic school is
characterized by

• Teaching of the message of Jesus
• Creation of a faith community
• The expectation of Christian service

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Message

• We teach the Scriptures and Tradition
• We study the life and teachings of Jesus
• We study the teachings and doctrine of the Church
• We infuse the religious dimension into all parts
  of the curriculum
• We train our teachers in the knowledge of the
  Catholic religion and methods for teaching
  religion

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Message

• There is an annual faculty retreat
• There is a clear articulation of the religious
  mission of the school
• There is a concise plan for updating of religion
  curricula
• There is a requirement that teachers be updated
  regularly on Church teaching

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Community

• We welcome all into the school community
• We regularly share our faith and take
  opportunities for communal prayer and worship.
• We treat all persons with dignity and respect.
• We relate the school community to the larger
  parish and Church community

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Community

• Students participate in meaningful liturgies and
  prayer opportunities
• Teachers are inserviced on various forms of
  prayer
• Parents are involved in sacramental preparation
• Parents are involved in the religious formation
  of their children

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Service

• Service learning opportunities are an integral
  part of the curriculum
• Students are instructed on the integration of
  Gospel teaching into service
• Service projects are regularly assessed with
  regard to the appropriateness and value
• Students are instructed in the social justice
  teachings of the Church

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Service

• Issues such as racism, ageism, sexism are
  addressed by the school and by teachers
• Students are challenged to live in a socially
  responsible way by taking example from
  administrators and teachers
• There is a conscious effort to recruit a diverse
  student population
• There is a sense of global responsibility

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Creating the Catholic Classroom

• the physical set-up
• creating opportunities to grow and learn
• creating the local community
• offers to serve
• the person in the front of the room

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The Physical Set-Up

• bulletin boards
• prayer corner
• arrangement of desks, tables
• decorations
• themes
• sacramentals

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Opportunities to Grow Learn

• WWJD??
• Seamless infusion of Catholic values
• Time to reflect, pray
• Catholic teachings

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Creating the Local Community

• the Domestic Church
• all are welcome
• Importance of forgiveness
• Investigation of Learning Styles
• Affective climate
• Respect for individual differences
• Respect for families

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Offers to Serve

• Classroom helpers
• Global awareness, concern
• Service Projects
• Influence on public, political scene

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The most important element...the people who work
there

• held to higher standards
• living logos
• ... once in awhile, use words
• know when to hold em

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To SummarizeOur Commitment

• to affirm students basic goodness, promote their
  dignity, develop their gifts
• to educate people to live responsibly as
  responsible partners
• to convince them that their lives are worthwhile
  and have historical significance.

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In practical terms

• seamless integration of values
• sacramentality in academic excellence
• emphasis on the community of faith
• development of right relationship
• partnership with local and universal Church
• concern for the whole world.

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Be it known to all who enter here that Christ is
the reason for this school He is the unseen, but
ever-present teacher in its classes, the model of
its faculty, the inspiration of its students.