The Catholic Identity of Catholic Schools. Catholic Schools for The

DOCUNENT RESUIE

ED 345 970 SO 021 647

AUTHOR Heft, James; Reck, Carleen TITLE The Catholic Identity of Catholic Schools. Catbolic Schools for the 21st Century. Volume II. INSTITUTION National Catholic Educational Association, Washington, D.C. REPORT NO I3BN-1-55833-066-6 PUB DATE 91 NOTE 49p.; For related documents, see SO 021 646-651. Papers presented at the Convention of the National Congress on Catholic Schools for the 21st Century (November 6-10, 1991). AVAILABLE FROMNational Catholic Education Association, Publications Sales Office, Suite 100, 1077 30th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20007-3852 ($2.50). PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) -- Reports - Descriptive (141)

EDRS PRICE NFOl/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Catholic Educators; *Catholic Schools; Church Role; Educational History; *Educational Needs; Educational Philosophy; Educational Planning; *Educational Trends; Elementary Secondary Education; Futures (of Society); *Religious Education; School Community Relationship; *Social Change

ABSTRACT Part of a six volume series of theme papers commissioned for the National Congress on Catholic schools for the 21st century, November 6-10, 1991, this document contains two of the theme papers. In "Catholic Identity and the Future of Catholic Schools" James Heft considers several ways to think about Catholic identity, describes the historical development of Catholic schools in the United States, and outlines four possible scenarios for the future of Catholic education. The second paper, "Catholic Identity" by Carleen Reck, discusses how the Catholic school needs to understand its identity before it can clarify its relationship with the church and society. This relationship can then suggest some possible directions for the future. The document concludes with a study and discussion guide and biographical information about the authors. (KM)

*********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** OSRUITMINIT Of VOCATION Mice al Edo:shwa/ Reattach rat ontorcrament EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI SiMvddoocomem Ws been reproOwed as bun thePIPEOri Oforgerittshon cnotnettnia E' Minor cbanges have been modeto improve repnoduction Queas)

Points of view or oonttonoOWNS MINACoco- meta do not necessarily representOMAN OEM position of Poky

Ler --alk "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS MATERIAI HAS SEEN GRANTEDBY "4 * ,40A * 14k ovaim*4,41,40, 'V THE EDUCATIONALRESOURCES ORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Pr" G

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS For the 21" Century

THEME: THECATHOLIC IDENTITY OF CATHOLIC 5 SCHOOLS 0 1111111111111111 0 BEST COPY AVAILABLE vP THE CATHOLIC IDENTITY OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 1111111111

CATHOLIC IDENTITY AND THE FUTURE OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Ames Heft, SM, Ph.D., Provost, University of Dayton

CATHOLIC IDENITIT Corleen Reck, SSND, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri

INTRODUCTION "., . .,1 CATHOLIC IDENTTIT AND THE FUTUREOF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 5 James Heft, SM, Ph.D., Provost, Universityof Dayton Introduction 5 Catholic Identity 5 Dogmatic Teachings 6 Traditions and Emphases 7 Institutional Qualities 9 Integrated Learning 10 A Historical Sense 1.1 Art, Speech, and Drama 12 Service 12 Catholic Schools: A Brief History 13 Four Scenarios for the Future 17 Status Quo 17 Radical Reaffirmation 17 School/CCD Model 18 University/School Model 18 Conclusion 19 Bibliography 20

CATHOLIC IDENTITY 21 Car leen Reck, SSND, Ph.D., Superintendentof Schools, Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri Introduction 21 Elements of Catholic School Identity 21 Mission of the ChurchThe Call 22 Mission of the ChurchThe Research 22 Religious FormationThe Call 23 Religious FormationThe Research 23 Gospel ValuesThe Call 24 Gospel ValuesThe Research 25 CommunityThe Call 25 CommunityThe Research 26 ClimateThe Call 27 ClimateThe Research 27 ServiceThe Call 27 ServiceThe Research 28 Global ConcernThe Call. 28 Global ConceraThe Research 28 Summary 28 Possible Futures 29 Linkage with the ChurchCommunication 29 Linkage with the ChurchAction 31 Identity with the NationCommunication 34 Identity with the NationAction 36 37 Conclusion Basic References 37 Other References 38 Study and Discussion Guide .39 About the Authors 41 lite Series 42 Order Form 43

E INTRODUCTION

This six volume series contains the theme paperscommissioned for the National Congress on Catholic Schools for the 21stCentuiy, to be convened on November 6 - 10, 1991. The National Congress is a jointly planned ventureof the three departments of the National Cat }wile Educational Association(NCEA) directly associated with Catholic schools. With the enthusiastic en- dorsements of the executive committees and directors ofthe Depart- ment of Elementary Schools, Departmentof Secondary Schools and the Chief Administrators of Catholic Education(CACE), this unprece- dented project is intended to revitalize and renew theclimate of opinion and commitment to the future of Catholicschooling in the United States. The purpose of the Congress can be described in termsof three broad goals. To communicate the story of academicand religious effectiveness of Catholic schools to a national audience thatincludes the whole Catholic community, as well as thebroader social and political community. To celebrate the success of Catholicschools in the United States and broaden support forthe continuation and expansion of Catholic schooling in the future. To convene an assem- bly of key leaders in Catholic schooling aswell as appropriate representatives of researchers, business and publicofficials in order to create strategies for the futureof the schools.These strategies address five themes: The Catholic Identity of Catholic Schools; Leadershipof and on Behalf of Catholic Schools; The Catholic School and Society;Catholic School Governance and Finance; and Political Action, PublicPolicy and Catholic Schoob. The eleven commissioned papers contained in these sixvolumes represent a common starting point for thediscussion at the Congress itself and in the national, regional and local dialogue prior tothe Congress. Since the American bishops published To Teach AsJesus Did, their pastoral letter on Catholic education, in 1972, the numberof Catholic schools ip the United States has decreased by 19%and the number ot students served by those schoolshas decreased by 38%. Simul- taneously. a growing body of research on Catholicschools indicates that these schools are extremely effectiveand are a gift to the church and the nation. Thi; dilemma of shrinking numbers of schools andestablished effectiveness indicates a need to refocus efforts.reinvigorate commit-

7 ment and revitalizeleadership at the national and locallevels. Thus the idea of a national forum wasconceived. These_ papers will be useful infostering a national dialogue, aimed at clarifying the current statusof Catholic schools in theUnited States, and developing a setof strategies for the futurein order to strengthen and expatA the networkof Catholic schools throughout the country. A number of regional meetingswill be held throughout the country prior to the Naiional Congress.These meetings will have a purpose similar to the Congress and becommitted to the same three broad goals. They provide opportunitiesfor large numbers of persons involved in and committed toCatholic education to read thetheme papers, discuss theidentified major issues, anddevelop written summaries of these discussions,using the study videsincluded in this series. These meetings willinsure the broadest msiblepartici- pation and strengthen thelinkage between national strategiesand local action on behalf of Catholicschools. Delegates to the National Congresswill be present at each ofthe regionW meetings. NCEA staffand Congress PlanningCommittee members will be available to serve as resourcesand presenters. The results and recommendationsfrom all regional meetingswill be included as agenda for the NationalCongress. This input from the regionalmeetings will allow theNational Congress to be more representativeof the total Catholic community. Consequently, the Congress will be moreeffective in representing the needs of Catholic schools andthus more able to developeffective and realistic strategies ontheir behalf.Regional meetings will be held after the Cc Igress as anadditional means of strengtheningthe linkage between national andlocal, strategy and action. As Father Andrew Greeleyhas observed in his researchand commentators are so fondof repeating, Catholic schools aremost needed and most effective duringtimes of crisis and stress.In the world of the 21st centurywithits increasing population,dwindling of already scarce resources,and persistent growth in the gapbetween rich and poor - collaboration maynot come easily.The present conflict in the Middle Eastbeing the mcst visible example.At the same time, rapidand largely unexpectedchanges in Eastern Europe remind us that the humanspirit cannot be kept permanently imprisoned by those who denythe persistent presence and power of the Spirit.Catholic schools which are true totheir mission can provide powerful and influential awareness,gentleness and collaboration. They can serve asmodels for schooling in the nextmillenium. The six volumes in this series are: Volume I: An Overview, containingsummaries of all eleven papers. Volume II: The Catholic Identity of CatholicSchools, with papers by James Heft, SM andCarleen Reck, SSND. Volume III: Leadership of and on Behalf ofCatholic Schools, with papers by KarenRistau and Joseph Rogus.

9 Volume IV: The Catholic School and Society, with papersby Frederick Brigham. John Convey and BishopJohn Cummins. Volume V: Catholic School Governance and Finance, with papers by Rosemary Hocevar, OSU, and Lourdes SheeMn, RSM. Volume VI: Political Action, Public Policy and the Catholic School, with papers t y John Coons and Frank Monahan.' A number of acknowlek'sements must bemade. Without the commitment, energy and f13xibility of the authors ofthese papers, there would be no books. They were alwayswilling to be of assistance. Ms Eileen Torpey, general editor of the series,brought an expertise and sense ofhumor to the process. Ms Tia Gray, NCEA staff, took the finished manuscripts and put them into aneminently readable design format. Special acknowledgement must go to the LillyFoundation, without whose funding this project would not have beenpossible. Catherine McNamee, CST, president of NCEA. who allowedthe human and financial resources of NCEA to be utilized forthis undertaking, expressed continuing interest in the Congress andprovided personal encouragement to those working onthe project.Michael Guerra, Robed Keeley ard J. Stephen O'Brien, the executivedirectors of the three sponsoring NCEA departments whoconceived the project, have continued to work tirelessly for the suolcess ofthis planned inter- vention on behalf of Catholic schools.They would be the first to acknowledge that there are many more whose presentleadership is an essential element inexplaining the current success of Catholic schools and whose future leadership will shape theschools in the next century. A special note ofthanks is clue those who issued the call to bring us together.They are eloquent role models for any who wish to be a part of this unprecedentedeffort on behalf of Catholic schools. Paul Seedier Project Coordinator National Congress on Catholic Schools for the 21stCentury January. 1991

9 3 CATHOLICIDENTITY AND THEFUTURE OF CATHOLICSCHOOLS

6111111111111111 James Heft,SM, Ph.D. Provost, Universityof Dayton

Introduction To treat the complextopics of Catholic identityand the future of Catholic schools, what it meansto be Catholic shouldbe clarified first. Moreover, before trying toimagine what the future ofCatholic schools might be, one should reviewwhat role these schoolshave played in the past, and what their currentsituation is. This paper is,therefore, divided into three parts: (1) aconsideration of several ways tothink about Catholic identity; (2) adescription of the historicaldevelopment of Catholic schools in theUnited States, concentrating onthe Third Council of Baltimore, on theimpact of the SecondVatican Council and finally on the presentsituation; and (3) a sketchof four possible scenarios for the future ofCatholic education. Catholic Identity identity itself can beapproached in at least The matter of Catholic teachings unique to the three different ways.First, the dogmatic Catholic Church can bedescribed.(Though the phrase"Catholic Church" is used differently byvarious people, it isused here to denote Church.) Second, theoloc;caland philosophical the Roman Catholic Church can be traditions and emphasescharacteristic of the Catholic identified. And third, the waysthat certain institutionalqualities are characteristically Catholic canbe discussed. Thefoci of thlie three

0 I w approachesThe dogmatic teachings,the traditions and emphases, and the institutional qualitiesarecomplementary. Dogmatic Teachings Within the Catholic tradition, adogma is a statement in wordsthat points to what is true aboutthe Christian event. Throughdogmas. the church attempts to clarify,defend, and express fundamentallyimpor- tantthat is, savingtruths, inlanguage, despite the many limitations inherent in the verbal medium.What is true in a dogmatic statement will never be denied by thechurch. The words the church usesto express the dogma,however, may change, just aslanguage changes and just as our understandingof a reality may change. The mostordinary and widely-used dogmaticexpressions of the core truthsof Christianity are found inthe creeds of antiquity; forexample, the creeds of the Apostles, of the Councils ofNiece and of Constantinople.Though never perfect, thearticulation of saving truths,which more fundamen- tally are saving events, is a necessaryand irrepressible activity ofthe church. Dogmas constitute anaccepted articulation of non-negotiable truths. the affirmation of whichidentifies a person as a Catholic. The recent controversybetween the Congregation for theDoctrine of Faith and Father CharlesCumin has centered on thelegitimacy of public dissent from certainteachings not infallibly taught(Heft 116- 118).The Curran controversy hasmade much of the distinction between infaliible andnon-infallible teachings.It is important to distinguish between them, sinceonly those teachings which are infallible must a person affirmif he or she is to beidentified as a Catholic. If no distinction is madebetween infallible and non- infallible teachings, then ordinaryCatholics run the risk of givingthe same importance to ateaching on the resurrection asthey would to the :eaching on the permissibilityof tubal ligations, to theteaching on abortion as to that oncontraception, and to the doctrineof the real presence as to that onguardian angels. Most Catholicsinstinctively realize that each of theformer teachings is moreimportant than the latter. Yet, as important as thedistinction between infallibleand non- infallible teaching is, it is neither exact norhelpful in all cases.In discussing this distinctionwith Lollege students, teachershave often been asked how manydoctrines have been infalliblydefined. Many students mistakenly think thatonly the Marian dogmashave been infallibly defined. What these studentsand many Catholics should realize is that there is more to livingthe Christian and Catholiclife than enumerating and affirminginfallibly-defined truths. Studentsbecome exasperated when they are notprovided with a definitive list,though teachers can confidentlyidentify most of the infallibleteachingsand certainly those most importantfor Catholic identitybeginningwith those affirmed in the creed. Toparaphrase scripture, the wiseCatholic Christian does not live byinfallibly-defined doctrines alone. In fact, many importantChristian truths have neverbeen infallibly defined, such as the greatcommandment of Jesus to love Godwith our 6 whole hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Frequently, dogmas have been defined only because the truth affirmed bad been denied or seriously distorted, leaving many in the church confused as to the meaning of a truth of salvation. But many truths of Christian faith are so obvious and central they have never needed even to be formally defined, to say nothing of infallibly defined. What infallible teachings, for example, do we have about the importance of personal prayer, about the liturgy, and about the sacramental life? Consideralso the many important insights of spiritual writers such as Dorothy Day, Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton. There are clearly more infallible truths than there are infallibly-defined truths.In other words, all infallibly-defined truths are true but not all Christian truths are infallibly defined, including some of the most important truths that contribute directly to our becoming Christians. Given the fact that the distinction between infallible and uon-infallible teachings is neither always clear nor often helpful, what are the benefits and limitations of the Jogmatic approach in describing Catholic identity?In one sense, the dogmatic approach is helpful, indeed indisxmsable, in that it identifies many of the most fundamental theological teachings of Catholicism. Moreover, in identifying those truths which are fundamental, this approach also alerts us not only that there are still other teachings which are not fundamental, but also that not all teachings are taught at the same level of authority, and therefore not all call for the same level of adherence. In another sense, hewr.wer, the dogmatic approach, like any approach, suffers from certain limitations. There is much more to Christianity than infallible truths. Moreover, it is not always possible to know exactly what has been infallibly defined. Finally, there are many important dimensions to the Catholic faiththe livedexample of the saints and martyrs, the experience of God's grace in the practice of Christian ministry, and the knowledge and hope derived through loving Cod and others as oneselfthat are not only not defined, but also are very difficult to verbalize at all. Traditions and Emphases A second way to describe Catholic identity is to concentrate not only on infallible teachings, but to also describe certain traditionsand emphases chanr:teristic of Catholicism. In the introduction to his recent book The Catholicity of the Church, Avery Dulles summarizes the conclusions of seve..,I authors who attempt to describe these traditions and emphases. Dulles turns first to Richard McBrien's Catholicism, the last chapter of which offers a "synthesis" of Catholicism. There, McBrien states that Catholicism "is characterized by a radical openness to all truth and to every value.It is comprehensive and all- embracing toward the totality of Christian experience and tradition" (1173). McBrien stresses that Catholicism typically affirms a bath/and rather than an either/or approach. Thus, Catholicism characteristically speaks not of "nature or grace, but graced nature; not reason orfaith, but reason illumined 712 by faith: not law os Impel, butlaw inspired by the Gospel . . ."(1174). Finally, McBrien describes threefundamental theological dimensions of Wholicism: sacramentality(the acceptance of tangible and finite re- alities as actual or potential carriersof divine presence), mediation(a corollary of sacramentalitywhich means for the Catholic that grace comes through Christ,the church, and other signsand instruments), and communion (a furthercorollary which means that all grace comes to us in and throughcommunity and communionwith others and nature) (1181). Dulles also cites an articleby Robert Imbelli who writesof Catholicism's identifiable "depthstructure." which he describes as "sacramental conscicusness."Imbelli believes that such consciousness can be expressedin various cultural forms, allof whith, however, must be marked with the same"foundational sensitivities," whichhe groups under five headings: (1) the corporeal, inasmuch asbody sacramentalizes spirit (2) the communal, for thecommunity is the matrix of sacramental consciousness (3) the universal, inasmuch asthe Catholic sacramental consciousness addresses theprivate and the public, the naturaland the cultural, the personal and the institutional (4) the cosmic, since thewhole of creation is involved inGod's redemptive work in Christ (5) the transformational,because of the Catholic convictionthat the human is capable of being gracedand glorified in Christ (Dunes' summary, 4-5) Instead of following the leadof Paul Tillich, who writesof the Catholic substance (the beliefthat the holy inheres in peopleand in things) and the Protestant principle(a warning against identifyingholy people and things with the holy),Dulles himself writes of the Catholic rrbstance and of two principles: The Protestant principle, as acritical norm, prevents one from blurring the distinctionbetween God and creature and from attributing divine status tothat which is finite and de, .tible. The Catholic principle,conversely, criticizes the critics.It warns them not tobanish God from his creation and not to minimize the gifts ofGod in Christ and in the Holy Spirit. (6-7) Like the other authors he cites,Dulles also asserts that characteristic of Catholicism is the acceptanceof mediation, which assumesthat "God ordinarily comes to usthrough the structures that aregiven, especially those to which hisgracious promises are attached,such as incarnation, scripture, sacrament,and apostolic ministry" (7). Similar descriptions can be foundin the works of otherCatholic authors (e.g., Henri de Lubec,Catholicism; Friederich von Hugel,The Mystical Element of Religion asStudied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and Her Friends; Yves Congas,Tradition and Traditions; Rosemary Haughton, The Catholic Thing;Greeley and Durkin, How To Savethe Catholic Church; and Walter'Casper, An Introduction toChristian Fnith). Typically, these authors stress the importanceof community, the dynamic interplay between faith and reason,scripture and tradition, the centrality of word and sacrament,and the unique way in which authority functions within the tradition,especially thmugh the &misty of bishops and the pope. This approach to Catholic identity has thebenefit of being somewhat more descriptive of theidentifiable characteristics of Catholicism than an approach that would concentrateonly on dogmatic teachings. The traditions and emphases approach actually constitutesthe theological framework within which most dogmaticteachings can be fruitfully interpreted. For example, in the absence of a graspof the central role mediation plays within Catholicism, one eitherends up worshipping saints (what most Protestants suspectCatholics in fact do) or ends up assuming all devotion is superstitious(what most secularists think of Catholic devotion). It might be said that the dogmatic teachingsapproach provides the non-negotiable content of Catholic identity, in theinevitably limited form of definitions while the traditions andemphases approach provides a sense, a framework, and a broadlysketched background of the characteristic theological qualities ofCatholic identity. Dogmas are crystalizations of truth that make day-to-day senseonly within the broader context of living traditions anddisenctive emphases. Institutional Qualities A third approach to Catholic identity, onethat is least developed by contemporary theologians, may in fact prove tobe the most fruitful for those who wish to find ways to maketheir schools more truly Catholic. For over a decade, Catholic universitieshave attempted, with some success, to strengthentheir Catholic identity by isolating characteristically Catholic traditions and emphasesand asking what ways they should shape the university. In otherwords, instead of thinking about traditions and emphases ingeneral, this third approach constantly asks how such traditions andemphases will mold a specific institution. What are some of the institutional qualitiesthat mark an educational institution Catholic? Surely, any Catholicinstitution should affirm Catholic dogmas. But more than the affirmationof dogmatic teachings is called for if an institution is to beCatholic. Some years ago, the Catholic bishops of the United States issued apastoral letter on Catholic education, entitled To Teach as Jesus Did.The letter emphasizes t:iree distinctive dimeneons of Catholic educationalinstitutions: teAching, community, and service.Teaching all subjects well, and mpecially teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ: formingcommunity through which the presence of God is experienced inthe midst of a faith-filled people: and serving others after the exampleof jesusthese three constitute the essential institutional qualities ofCatholic schools. If a Catholic school is one in which the purposeof education is clear, then it already enjoys a distinct advantr3e over manyother schools.

L 14 Many studies (most recently onepublished by the Rand Corporation, entitled High Schools withatoracter: Alternatives to Bureaucracy) have shown that an effectiveschool requires both a visionof educdion that is held in common bystudents, faculty, and parentsand the freedom to incarnate that vision.Cat} alic schools envisionachieving excellence in academics withinthe context of a communityof faith. The degree nf parental supportfor the purpose of the schooldetermines in large part the degree ofeffectivene:4 within the classroom. Colic schools should be open toall who apply. Although afew Catholic high schools areselective, the vast majority are open to any student who wishes to enterand embrace the vision ofeducation that animates the institution.Open to all students, Catholicschools nonetheless demand discipline sothat order and civility supportthe common good. sothat no excuse is tolerded formediocrity in academic work. Just as excellence isexpected of students in theirschool work, dedication and competence inthe classroom are expected ofteachers. Catholic schools have madeconsiderable progress in recent yearsin the matter of just compensationto teachers. One ofthe immediate challenges facing Catholicschools is to balance the demandfor just salaries against the cost of tuition.Not only must teachers receive a just wage, but our schoolsalso must remain accessible to morethan the rich. Every educational communityshould be caring. The specialquality of caring in a Catholic schoolaffirms that every student is achild of God, a person who is caredfor when hurting and challengedwhen driftingcared for and challengedultimately because the membersof the community, students aswell as teachers and parents, arethe body of Christ. Such descriptions of institutionalqualities can be found scattered throughout the text of To Teach asJesus Did, as well as inthe texts of other episcopal andpapal statements on Catholicschools. In our own day, fourinstitutional qualities, that is,four characteristic emphases in theeducational philosophy andpractice, should be especially emphasized in Catholic schools:integrated learning; the development of a sense of history; art,speech and drama; and finally,service. In stressing these four areas ofemphasis, one presumes that everyCatholic school will continue to teachreligion courses well and frequently,work to strengthen therelationships that exist betweenthe school and the parishes from which its students come,and cultivate in the students and faculty a deep senseof the richness of the Catholictradition. Integrated Learning. Contemporaryobservers of hitiher education have noted repeatedlythat rarely is the knowledge weteach integrated. On the one hand,college students frequently select courses as if they werewalking through a cafeteria line.On the other hand, professors restrict s'aarplytheir diets, keeping themselveswithin their departments and typically selecting asingle entree as the sole focus of their research. Most of ourgrade school and high schoolteachers, having passed through suchuniversities, found their major areaof

1 0 study segregated from other areas ofknowledge. As a consequence, the curricula of most of the gradeschools and high schools orer which these teachers have control reflect the verylack of integration that characterized their own college education. The term "integrated education" does notrefer to some form of "Catholic chemistry" or of mathematics with a"ministerial dimension" nor to the obvious pointsof collaboration between the biologyteacher and the religion teacher when it comes to sexeducation. Rather, it means science teachersand humanities teachers, for example,thinking through their courses to find ways inwhich they might together bring to light issues that are veryimportant but usually never treated, falling instead through the cracks that exist betweenthe disciplines. To offer but one example, think of theilluminating insights that could be generated by considering ecological themesfrom the perspectives of the history of industrialization, by studyingnovels of Charles Dickens or Upton Sinclair, by drawing onbiological insights into the balance of nature and theological insightsinto creation and stewardship. Anyone who has ever attempted the extensivecollaboration that such synthesis of knowledge requires knows that ittakes tremendous amounts of time and energy on the part of willingteachers who in turn depend upon the support of principals. Catholiceducation should, therefore, not only build communities of faith, butalso support teachers in their efforts to create syntheses of knowledge. A Historical Sense. One ofthe most important characteristics of Catholicism is that it draws deeply uponhistorical awareness. As a people, Americansuntil very recently typically havemoved west, have looked to the future ratherthan to the past, and have placed immense confidence in science, which,in the minds of some, can solve all of our problems. However, just as on apersonal level a sense of one's past secures a sense of one'spersonal identity, so on the level of a religious tradition an appreciationof the history of the characteristic themes and emphases of theCatholic Church over the centuries secures our sense ofCatholic identity.John Henry Newman once wrote, in an uncharacteristic momentof exaggeration, that to be deeply immersed in history is to cease to be aProtestant. Expressed with more ecumenical sensitivity, Newman's epigramunderscores the fact that anyone who hasdeveloped a deep historical sense notonly will appreciate diverse insights of differentpeople from different historical periods, but also will identify morequickly the blind spots of the present age. Too many of ourteachers know only their own subject matter, and then only its most recentcodification, rather than the history of its variouc codifications.Catholic identity rests more securely within people who havedeveloped a sense of history. Catholics without this historical sense mayidentify with the church's current institutional practices,but they often have little understanding of the meaning of those practices,and even less capacity to explain where these practices have come fromand why they are important for Catholics.

lu 16 excel in art, Art, Speech, and Drama.Catholic schools should speech, and drama. We growspiritually within a traditionof word and sacrament. Besides ourunderstanding of history, weCatholics should develop more fully our senseof ritual and symbol,those ways of that rely on intuitionand wonder, on the knowing and understanding will power of storyand on the beauty of thefine arts. Otherwise, we reduce knowing to the merelycognitive, and then further toonly clear and distinct ideas. Moreover, wetend to reduce knowledge towhat can be provenempirically, a process typicalin a culture mesmerized by science andtechnology that results in evengreater narrowness. A that which is clear and trustsonly that which people who seeks only They can be provenbecomes incapable ofsymbolic understanding. deprive themselves of a rich wayof knowing one of the mostprecious Nietzsche once fruits of the sacramentalsensibility referred to earlier. wrote that "the tricktoday is not to arrange afestival, but to find people capable of enjoying one."Catholic schools shouldbe filled with persons who arrangefestivals, precisely becauseby their very tradition. rich in ritual and symbol,they become capable ofentering into such festivals with their sacramentalimagination and enjoyingthem as a celebration of their deepestidentity. Service. Fourth and finally.Catholic schools shouldemphasize servias. One step in thisdirection is the realizationthat "cooperation is a more basiccomprehensive category ofhuman relationship than competition" (Hellwig 92).Service constitutes a stepbeyond cooperation, for service places theneeds of others first.Ultimately, after the emptying oneself, layingdown one's life example of Christ, service is their for others.Students should see thislevel of dedication in teachers, both inside andoutside the classroom.Indispensable are teachers who lead and mentorstudents in service.Obviously, any ways in which the parents ofstudents can be drawn intothis gospel-inspired activity will strengthenthe distinctive identityof schools. Catholic schools focus, as thepastoral letter To Teach asJesus Did explains, on teaching, community,and service. Theseemphases shape in a distinctive way.Public schools have the educational institution characteristics, but have greater difficultyspecifying their distinctive made some valuable attempts todefine the qualities thatshould characterize their institutions.For example, on theuniversity level. The Carnegie Foundationfor the Advancement ofTeaching recently Campus Life: In Searchof Community, in published a special report, formula for which the authors proposesix principles thatsratgre a community building; (1) academic goals; decision making and and civility; (3) (2) an openness markedby freedom of expression justice through which verydifferent persons are allhonored; (4) individuals as students and bythe community discipline practiced by and as a whole;(5) care for all membersof the campus community; (6) celebration of theheritage of the educationalinstitution (7-8). These six principles shouldinform Catholic educationalinstitutions also. As important asshared vision, openness,justice, discipline, care. and celebration are for anyeducational community,Catholic educe- i 7 12 tional communities require, as their animating force, a deep sense of the gospel, a sense of the rich interplay of faith and reason, an acceptance of the sort of pluralism that sfrengthens the community, and a commitment to service. The great advantage Catholic schools have over public schools on an organized, al level derives from the freedomthey enjoy as private institutions tu organize themselves as they wish. On a more pmfound level, the advantage of Catholic schools derives from the depth and richness of the tradition from which they can draw as they define what it means to be an educational community of faith and service that teaches as Jesus did. The identity of Catholic schools, then, depends on how well they institutionalize characteristicallyCatholic traditions and emphases. Catholic Schools: A Brief History A brief review of the history of Catholic schools in this country will help us understand better why we now need to strengthen their Catholic identity in the ways described. A little over 100 years ago, the bishops of the United States made decisions that marked in a clear way the shape of Catholic educationattheir meeting in 1884 in Baltimore, the bishops decided to establish an extensive parochial school system. The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore decided to establish the Catholic University of America (founded five years later in 1889) to commission the writing of the Baltimore Catechism, to develop a series of important regulations for national seminaries, and, most important for the purposes of this topic, to require that every wish build its own grade school. The bishops at that time saw a fundamental split between the Catholic view of education and the secular view that dominated what were referred to then as the "common schools." A subchapter of the maindmument of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, dealing with the topic of the "absolute necessity for parochial schools," -:;ns: "If ever in any age, then surely in this our age, the Church of and the Spirit of the world are in a certain wondrous and bitter conflict over the education of youth." Under the influence of those 'most ruinous movements of indifferentism, natu- ralism and materialism," the world had drifted away from reliftious truth and adopted a purely secular outlook on the meaning and purpose of life (Gleason 119). The bishops were convinced of what they were about. The preservation of the faith was the key issue, and schools the most important means. Living in the midst of a Protestant America. the American bishops believed they were faced with danger greater than any previously encountered. The public schools had intimate links with the evangelical Protestantism which suffused their atmosphere. Many of them required daily bible reading from the King James Version. The only point on which the bishops had trouble agreeing was whether or not to require Catholic parents tosend their children to Cathr.lic schools under the explicit threat of refusing themabsolution

13 ,18 in the sacrament of reconciliation.The sanction failed to carryby a vote of 37 to 32 (Gleason132)! Even though there was somedivision among the bishops in the 1890's about the absolute needfor Catholic schools as the best means to form Catholics, theAmericanist zrisis at the turn of the centuryand suuent episcopal appointmentssolidified sup ..rt for the schools until the 1950's, when Catholicsfor the first time to move into the "mainstream" of Americanculture. A 1955 issue of theJournal Thought carried John Tracy Ellis' essay,"American Catholics and the Intellectual Life," a 37-page article that,in the opinion of one promi- nent American churchhistorian "provoked a greater reactionthan any other piece of comparable lengthin the history of AmericanCatholl- cism" (72). It was during the 1950'sthat liberal Catholics began towrite about the necessity of leavingthe "Catholic ghetto," of droppingthe "siege mentality," and ofbecoming active participants inthe culture. Vatican II, of course, favored ecumenism:it called for collaboration with Protestants, underscoredcertain values of pluralism,developed a more positiveview of the world, and put a greateremphasis on the individual. It could be said that VaticanIl generated a prevalent feeling that the older institutional formsof the preconciliar churchneeded root and branch reform. Thecatechetical movement, whichgained great momentum in this country inthe 1950's, began to explore waysof handing on the faith outside ofthe school context. In 1964, Mary Perkins Ryanbrought the issue of the qualityof Catholic schools to a new level of urgencyby arguing in her book Are Parochial Schools the Answer? that,aside from their other drawbacks, parochial schools were not eventhe best means of providingreligious education, which, of course, she says tobe their fundamental reason for existence.As an active member ofthe preconciliar liturgical movement, she argues thatCatholics should be formed bythe liturgy and not by classroom teaching.Incidentally, in a 1972 book, entitled We're All in This Together, sheadmits that her 1964 reliance onliturgy alone was "astonishingly naive." Since the late 1960's, however,considerable empirical research has demonstrated the effectiveness of theCatholic schools, and the results have been a source of newconfidence. Catholic schools operate, on average, at lessthan half the per-pupil costs ofpublic education; have, with only a few exceptions, openadmissions policies; have Fvwseased minority enrollment from 11 percentin 1970 to 23 percent in 1989; and maintain dropout ratesone-four:h of those in public schools. Research has demonstrated thatCatholic schools produce significantly higher achievement scoresthan public schools withstudents of comparable backgrounds. AndrewGreeley and others have measured a positivecorrelation between attendance atCatholic schools for more than eight years and attendance atSunday Mass, activity in the parish, belief in life after death andopposition to abortion (for the mostrecent summary ofGreeley's research and conclusions, seeThe Catholic Myth: The Behavior and Beliefs ofAmerican Catholics, MacmillanPublish- ing, 1990, Chapter 9, "TheTouchstone: Catholic Schools").

14 Despite such evidence, the majority ofCatholics today send their children to public schools. hoping that CCD claaseswill provide the necessary religious education. Athorough articulation of some of the reasons for this choice maybe found in a recent article, "A Catholic Choice for Public School" by Michael McCauley,who explains why he and his wife decided to send their fivechildren to public schools. He attributes the decision ultiwately to a"changing concept of what being a Catholic meant." He mentions howVatican ll's document on "The Church in the Modern World" helpedthem to realize that to be a follower of Christ was not tobe a separatist but "a leaven in the world made holy by creation." Such realizationsbrought him and his wife to wonder why it had neveroccurred to them, who, between them, could count 33 years of Catholic education, toconsider anything but a Catholic school. Theyrealized "that at least part of it had something to do with being safe andcomfortable." He writes: The Catholic schools I attended had bothnurtured the spirituality and reinforced the cultural fabric.The cultural benefits were a supportive community and afirm stance from which to view the world as it opened up to me.The costs were a limited experienceof diverse cultures, values and viewpoints, a certain defensivenessagainst an unknown and perhaps hostile world, a tendency towardjudgment and triumphalism. He relates his experience of learningthat the Catholic school received financial support from theparishes, as well as from the Archdiocese, while the majority of the Catholicchildren outside the school (78 percent in 1987) received no resourcesfor religious education and had no organized programfor faith development. He was especially incensed when, at the time ofConfirmation, parents of the Catholic-school children requested that thechildren receive the sacrament together because they hadbuilt up a community during their years of preparation.This meant CCD students would sit on theother side of the aisle. He notes that "onesometimes gets the impression that they (Catholic children who are not inCatholic schoolslare more on the peripheryof institutional concern than those inCatholic schools." McCauley concludes his article inthis way: These are the many factors that led to andconfirmed our choice of public schools. Strangely enough, we amnot sure we have made theright decision.The supplementary education we had planned to do at homehas come to very little in the rush of events. I fear the power ofsecular culture may overwhelm aChristian counter- culture that is weak from lack of nourishment. I wonder what ishappening when my son is assignedthe "pro" side of an abortion debate and he wants to do it so he will "learn all sidesof the issue." Ironically, I wonder if I would have caredabout the CCD program if I had not gone toCatholic schools (221). This article expresses, in an unusuallyarticulate way. the ambivalent feelings many Catholic parents have regardingthe value of Catholic

15 2U schools. Except for Hispanics andAfrican-Americans, who for obvious and cogent reasons strongly supportCatholic schools, significant numbers of Catholic parents share thisambivalence about Catholic schools.The legacy of Mary Perkins Ryan despitethe extensive empirical data on the superiority ofCatholicsC..hools,seems to persist. Not only parents have doubts todayabout the value of Catholic schools. A pastor of an East Coast parishexplained recently that his wish has not maintained a school,but has chosen instead to establish a Faith Formalion Center thatincludes a school for 380 children and a program for 650 children attendingpublic schools. The p irish recently hired a layman full-time to serve asits youth and your% adult minister. When asked about the situation,the priest explained ft,t his Rrishioners had growing doubts aboutthe wisdom of devoting nearly half the $500,000 in non-tuition revenueeach year to subsidize the school. "The question is whether youshould bankrupt the church to bankroll the school," he is quoted as saying."At some point you have to say enough is enough" (qtd.in New York Times 8). This pastoris not the only one who thinksthis way.Since the Second Vatican Council, more than 1,000 new parisheshave opened, but very few new Catholic schools were started during the sameperiod (McManus 12). Andrew Greeley thinks that overthe last 25 years, pastors and bishops have simply decided to give up onthe schools, and in fact to adopt the proposal of Mary PerkinsRyanreligious education through CCD and liturgydespite thefindings of the researchers, which, according to Greeley, have demonstratedthat CCD has no measurable religious impact. Greeley's assessmentof the future of Catholic schools is bleak: I have no illusion that thesedata will reverse the decline of Catholic schools. Bishops will continue tothink that they can't afford to build new ones.Suburban pastors will continue to believe that life is a lotsimpler without a school to worry about. Thoselaity who imagine themselves to be independent-minded and sophisticated becausethey do not send their children to Catholic schoolswill continue to congratulate themselves on their ownwisdom. The CCD "movement" will continue to claimsuperior virtue for itself although none of the effects discussed inthis chapter can be found for their programs. Catholiceducators will continue to feel apologetic and perhaps even sorryfor themselves. The implacable critics of Catholiceducation will ignore these findings as they have ignoredall previous findings (178). It is clear that the bishops ofthe United States had, in 1884. little doubt about the absolute importanceof parochial schools.It also is clear that since Vatican II, suchunanimity on the value of schools no longer exists among the hierarchy, pastorsof local parishes. and many Catholics. Catholics and pastors haveraised questions about how best to use the already strained resourcesto reach all Catholics whoneed religious formation, most of whom are notin Catholic schools.

16 2 1 Four Scenariosfor the Future There are four possible scenarios for thefuture of Catholic schools in the United States. Status Quo The first is the status quo, which wasdescribed in the second part of this paper: few schools, many withhigh academic quality, but most, however, with little support from the majorityof Catholics, laity as well as clergy. If ourschools are permitted to continue todrift, as most have for the past 25 years, the mere financialrealities will turn them into institutions mainly for the well-off Fewerand fewer schools will remain in urban settings, accessible tominorities. Instead of staffing schools for the poor, religious orders,already fewer in numbers and older in the average age of theirmem'vrs, will continue to choose apostolates rather than schools.Specifically Catholic emphases and traditions will characterize only thosefew schools in which an informed leadership grasps the uniquetraditions and emphases of Catholic schools in the ways described,and finds ways to institutionalize them. In this status quo scenario, the CCD programswill continue to limp along, usually staffed as they are byvolunteers with little formal training in theology or pedagogy. Only 50 percentof Catholic children of grade-school age who go to publicschools and less than 15 percent of those of high-school age will attendCCD. Other ministries in the churchadult education, ministry to theseparated and divorced, bible study groups, and parish councilswill varyin strength according to local parish leadership. Radical Reaffirmation The second scenario envisions a radicalreaffirmation of schools. In this scenario, the radicality of thereaffirmation is indicated by the firm commitment of bishops to develop an economicinfrastructure that will support Catholic schools at alevel that allows them to be accessible to students from families ofdiverse incomes, and to pay teachers at a fair salary. In thisscenario, every school will establish anendowment large enough to accomplish accessibilityand fair wages, and all Catholics in parishes, whether or not theyhave school-age children, will tithe in support of this commitment.At best, in 10 years, this scenario will make it possible for thechildren of all Catholics who wish to attend Catholic schools todo so. In essence, a CCD programwill no longer be necessary. or,if necessary, will serve only asmall percentage of students not inCatholic schools. In this scenario, the bishops andleaders in Catholic schools will be motivated, not by an effort to prevent contactwith Protestant influences that dominate the public schools, forProtestant influence no longer dominates either the public schools orthe general culture, but rather by a clear understanding thatCatholic schools offer a critically important alternative to the public sector,dominated today by the ethos 17 22 of North American culture, with itsunderlying themes of materialism, consumerism, and relativism.In chocsing radically to reaffirmthe centrality of Catholic schools, the leadersof Catholic education realize the importance of reeducating thefaculty so that they understand more clearly the history and significance of theCatholic tradition, grasp more fully the need to integrate the knowledgethey share with studems. and commit themselves more fully to theideals of educating both the head and the heart. School/CCD Model The third scenario, the school/CCDmodel, resembles the first scenario, the status quo, but differs inthat it is characterized by a more vigorous commitment both toschools and to the upgrading of CCD programs through theprofessionalization of those who teach inthose programs, through acloser linkage with the parents of thestudents who attend them, and through a greaterdegree of cooperation between the schools and the CCD programs. Theunderlying assumption is that the church must meet the needs of peoplewhere they are, and a very high percentage are not in Catholic primaryand secondary schools. In this scenario, there :s little need to increasethe number of Catholic schools: their quality, both religiously andacademically, however, remains an important issue.This scenar:J does not ignorethe data on the effectiveness of Catholic schools, butbelieves that those advocates of the schools who constantly point toit exaggerate the actual effectiveness of schools,minimize the importance of propheticministries in modern society, and concentrate far too many resourcesin a ministry that touches only a small portionof Catholics, and then only atthe beginning of their lives. Theadvocates of this scenario believethat CCD can be made much moreeffective with enlightened leadershipthat will emphasize better training ofteachers, call for fuller involvement and support from parents, theparish, and even from the Catholic schools, which will give releawd time totheir best religion teachers to train CCD teachers. University/School Model The final scenario is theuniversity/school model. In this model, university faculties of educationand theology will work closelywith both grade school and high schoolfaculty and principals to strengthen teaching, facilitate the integrationof learning and improve the governance of Catholicschools. University faculties of science,mathematics, social sciences, and humanities willoffer affordable workshops during the summer for teachers of Catholicelementary and secondary schools. The purpose of these workshopsis twofold:e.;posure to the most recent developments in thevarious disciplines and explorationof how such subjects can be taught in anintegrated way appropriate to Catholic elementary and high schools. Since there are many fewerCatholic universities and collegesthan Catholic grade schools and highschools, money for travel and room 2318 and board will be provided for gradeschool aud high school faculties on the condition thatthey promise to work for at least five years shaping their respective institutions hi thebest educational and Colic traditions of their respective schools.

Conclusion Obviously, it is impossible to embrace at onoand the same time. the status quo scenario and the radicalreaffirmation scenario. Also, if the radical reaffirmation scenario materializes, therewill be little need for the school/CCD scenario. On the other hand,it would be possible to combine the radical reaffirmation scenariowith the university/school scenario, using the resources of Catholicuniversities as one of the primary means of strengthening Catholicgrade schools and high schools. If the Catholic community, led by itsbishops, can muster the vision and the will to radically reaffirm Catholicschools, and provide not only the economic support but also the uniquevision of an excellent education that is truly Catholic, we willhave entered into a new era of resolve even more far-reaching than thatinitiated by the bishops at the Third Council of Baltimore. Instead ofreacting to the threats of Protestantism's domination of the publicschool system, a situation which clearly no longer remains, Catholics todaywill be reacting to those negative elements of modern culturethat threaten Catholic, and for that matter, Protestant, identity at thefoundai.ons: materialism. consumerism, individualism, and thefragmentation of knowledge. Even more than this, though, Catholicswill be led by a deeper sense of the Catholic tradition, by itshistorical depth and sacramental sensibility, by its emphasis on communityand its ritual and symbolic celebrations, and will seek to fashioneducational institutions that effectively hand on that tradition. Further,Catholics also will seek to build upon the great tradition of universaleducation characteristic of the United States and extend especially tothe poor an opportunity for an education focusedreligiously in its teaching. community,and service. Currently, a higher percentage of Catholics areattending universities than any other religious group.Catholics also are more affluent than any other religious group in theUnited States. No longer can anyone point to alack of financial resources to achievewhatever educational goals we rhoose. We Catholics nolonger lack, as a national community, the finaruial means toradically reaffirm Catholic schools. What we must discover now, in anunprecedented way, is the vision that will allow us to see the unique treasurethat we have in our Catholic tradition, the will to incarnatethat vision in educational institutions, and the generosity to makethose institutions accessible to all who wish to attendthem.

19 24 Bibliography Cam us Life: In Search of Community. Aspecial report by The e Foundation for theAdvancement of Teaching.Princeton University Press, 1990. Dulles, Avery, S.J. The Catholicity of the Church.Oxford: Clarendon ...rms. 1985. Ellis, John Tracy. "American Catholics and theIntellectual Life." Thought 1955. Glea.lum, Philip. "The School Question; A CentennialRetrospect." Kueping the FaX,. University of Notre Dame Press,1987. Grey. Anclre.v M. The Catholic Myth: TheBehavior and Beliefs of American Cath.,lics. New York: MacmillanPublishing, 1990. Heft, James L., S.M. "The Response Catholics Owe toNon-Infallible Teachings." liaising the Torch of Good News. Ed.Bernard P. Prusak. Volume 32 of the Annuai Publication of the CollegeTheology Society. University Press of America, 1988. Hellwig, Monika. "Reciprocity with Vision, Valuesand Commu- nity." The Catholic Church and AmericanCulture. Ed. by Cassian Yuhaus. New York: Paulist Press, 1990. Imbelli, Robert B. "Vatican II: Twenty Years Later."Commonweal. 8 October, 1982, pp. 522-528. McBrien, Richard P.Catholicism. Minneapolis: Winston Press, 1980. McCauley, Michael. "A Catholic Choice for PublicSchool." Amer- ica.18 October, 1988. McManus, Bishop William. "Building Supportfor Catholic Schools and Their Teachers." Origins.May 19. 1988, p. 12. New York Times. May 28, 1988, p. 8.

20 CATHOLIC IDENTITY 1111110111me

Car leen Reck, SSND, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools, Dioceseof Jefferson City, Missouri

Introduction Basic to the Catholic identity of a school is anunderstanding of the term -Catholic." In past years, Catholicsoften were identified in terms of fish on Fridays, fasting during Lent. and Latinin the Mass. These identifiers became obsolete when Vatican II urged thevoluntary practice of external penance and wider use ofthe vernacular. In a post-conciliar church, which calls for personalformation and community support more than for simple rulesand external observances, Catholic identity andthe identity of the Catholic school become increasingly important. The Catholic school shouldunderstand its identity before it can clarify its relationship withthe church and society. This relationship can then suggest somepossible directions for the future. Elements of Catholic School Identity Catholics are identified today in varied ways: by parishregistration. by regular use of envelopes, by baptismal records, byregular attendance at Sunday Mass. Rarely applied,however, are the more difficult norms of living according to the gospel and the calls ofthe church. In terms of Catholic school identity, most ofthese measures are not applicable. Moreover, over 12 percent of Catholicschool students do 21 on 4,00 not even claim to be baptizedCatholics.Obviously, the "Catholic" identity of a school needs a different basis. Canon Law, in defining a Catholicschool, affirms the need for Catholic doctrine. as well as the needfor teachers who live with integrity. Canon 803 moves quickly,however, to this clear conclusion: ...no school may bearthe title Clic school without the consentof the competent ecclesiastical authority." Granted, this legal approval is necessary. The canonitself, however, does not help a school to strengthenits Catholic identity. Nor does it aid the bishop in determiningwhether a school is entitled to be called Catholic. For such practical purposes, itis helpful to examine the church's calls to the Catholic school, aswell as their realization, as measured by researt h. Mission of the ChurchTheCall Canon 803 focuses on the bishop'sacceptance of each "Catholic" school. Such a relationship, however, cannotbe one-way. The school which wishes to be "Catholic" alsoshould identify itsel: with the Catholic Church and its mission. The recent document from Rome."The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School,"clearly states, "The Catholic school finds its true justification in the missionof the Church. . . ." (RD, #34). It specifies, "It is a place ofevangelization, of authentic apostolate and of pastoral action not through complementary orparallel or extra- curricular activity, but of its very nature:its work of educating the Christian person (RD, #33). The educational gods of the school are toreflect a concern for the life and problems of th.; church,both local and universal (RD. #44). In keeping with the school's mission,religious instruction appears in the weekly schedule, has its ownsyllabus, and has appropriate integlisciptinary links with other coursematerial (RD, #70). In brief, the school should act upon its role inthe mission of the church. Mission of the ChurchTheResearch The sociological evidenm indicatesthat the mission is effective: "People who have had two or more yearsof Catholic education are the 'cornerstones' in most pa.ishes"(McCready, 223)."They show a grepter sense of affiliation tothe Chnrch which is over andabove whatever closeness to the Churchmight be accounted fur by either spouse or family oforigin" (Grueiey, 257). Moreover, aNotre Dame study on parish life found that a senseof loyalty to parish is greatest among parents offormer parochial students, nexthighest among parents of current students,and least among non-parochialschool parents and non-parents(Kealey, 284). Even when graduates leave thechurch, the effects remain: "The correlation between Catholic schoolattendance and return to the church in one's late twenties is .35, a verypowerful correlation" (Greeley, 25,4. The Catholic schoolclearly assists the church in its mission. 4ric t 22 Religious FormationThe Call The Church has always loved its schools, ". .,because this is where its children receive their formation" (R,044). To be more specific, a Catholic school guidesstudents so they not only can developtheir own personalities,but also can understand and livefully the new creation which they became by baptism (RD.#98). To put it suainctly, "A wbool hes asits purpon the students' integral formation" (RD, #70). Part of theformation process occurs in all schools through classes and activities.One unique dimension presented as an ideal for the Catholicschoolis for each student to have an opportunity for spiritual guidance(RD, #95). Every school allows some "horizontal"interaction among teachers and students. In addition, Catholicschools offer "vertical" interaction throngh prayer, "the fullest and mostcomplete expression of the religious dimension" (RI), #111). Studentslearn not only personal. but liturgical prayer, especially Eucharistand the Sacrament of Reconcili- ation (RD, #83). Religious FormationTheResearch Study has demonstrated that Catholicschooling significantly im- pacts the religious behaviorof young people.In terms of Mass attendance, communion reception beliefin life after death, activity in parish organizations, thought ofreligious/priestly vocation, Catholic periodical reading and TV watching, participationin home liturgy and study groups, opposition to abortion,and racial attitude Catholic schools make a difference (Greeley, 247,250-51). Persons with eight or more years ofCatholic schooling are more likely to picture a gentle God and tobe more tolerant of other people (Greeley, 262). Catholic seniors in Catholicschools score higher in both church attendance and rate religion moreimportant than their Catholic peers in publicschools (Heart of Matter, 22). Catholic schools do affect their graduates'attitudes and behaviors and the effect is becoming greater(Greeley. 253). As a matter of fact, the influence of Catholic schooling onthe religious behavior of young Catholics is now stronger than that of thefamily of origin. "The old explanation of the success of Catholicschools, that they were merely duplicating the work of the Catholicfamily, is simply not valid" (Greeley, 251). Sociologist Andrew Greeley describeshis contrasting data: "I could find no correlation between attendance atCCD programs and adult attitudes and behavior. On the other hand, the measuresof relationship between Catholic education and adultbehavior..were now quite strong indeed" (Greeley, 247), True, Catholic schools do not turn outexemplary Catholics without exception.Yet, "en the difficulty ofaffecting human religious behavior at il, the effect is worth the costuntil an alternate system, techni;ide, or method can be devisedthat does as well" (Greeley, 252). oei

Gospel ValuesThe Call Although the Catholic school is similar toother schools in many ways, the Congregationtr Catholic Education names"one essential difference: it draws its inspiration and itsstrength from the Gospel in which it is rooted" (RD, #47). The gospel appearsagain in the discussion of educational goals: ". . .theGospel values which are its inspiration must be explicitly mentioned"(RD, #100). Obviously, the identity of a Catholic school is rooted inthe gospeL Integrating the gospel with learninghas been promoted since Vatican IL In the Catholic school, theworlds of human culture and of religion "...are not like two parallellines that never meet; points of contact are established within thehuman person," All teachers, while effectively teaching their own subject areas,help students "to see beyond the limited horizon of humanreality" (RD. #51). Teachers in the Catholic school havethe opportunity to present a complete picture of the human personwith both a physical and a spiritual nature (RD, #55). This means, forexample. that social studies classes treat traditional civic values and events,but students also look critically at issues and events in thelight of the gospel (RD, #45). Science and technology are presented as partsof God's universe which show the Creator's wisdom and power (RD,#54). In literature and art, the students'Christian perspective "goes beyond the merely human" and canbetter understand the human struggle and the mysteries of the humanspirit (RD, #61). Religious themes are allowed to arise naturallywhen classes are dealing with topics such as the human person,the family, society, or history (RD, #64). "The special character of theCatholic school and the underly- ing reason for its existence...isprecisely the quality of the religious instruction integrated into the overalleducalion of the students" (Catechesis in Our Time, #69). Promotingthe integration of faith and life models the belief that faith cannotbe considered something that is only rrsonal or unimportant. Gospel values will be as evident in theschool as they are in the lives of the faculty. The staffs challenge is great:"They are teachers of the faith; however, like Christ, they mustalso be teachers of what it means to be human. This includes...suchthings as affection, tact, understanding, serenity of spirit, a balancedjudgment, patience in listening to others and prudence in the way theyrespond, and, finally, availabil- ity for personal meetings andconversations with the students" (RD, #96). Ideally, they will pursue, model,and encourage self-formation (RD, #63). The lives of both teachers and studentsin the Catholic school are not divided into time for thehuman and time for the divine; theirlives can integrategospel values and be whole. Gospel ValuesThe Research Gospel values are indeed evident amongthe students. Studies show

2 9 24 that those who attend Catholic schml: for eight years or more are happier, more tolerant of other peop..3, nine benign in their imagesof God, and more likely to see sfx as 3ammental. Moreover, Catholic school students are more likely tq strziss the importance of their own conscience, to reject the notion that right and wrong are usually a simple matter of black and whitewithout shades of grayonlyhalf as likely to have drifted awayfrom the church, and less prejudiced (Greeley, 259, 251-52). Catholic seniors in Catholic high schools rate higher in terms of peace/justice, pro-marriage and pro-family views (Heart of Matter, 34). On the school level, too, justice is evident. In public schools,the achievement gap between black and white students growsbetween sophomore and senior years. In Catholic schools, this achievement gap narrows over the two-year period.Black and Hispanic students have a better chance of getting aneducation equal to their white peers within a Catholic school (Coleman, 240).Catholic school individuals and institutions show evidence of lived gospel values. CommunityThe Call Before Vatican II, a Catholic school was considered an institution; after the Council, a community. The sense of community hasfar- reaching effects. First, it includes everyone in school goalsteachers, students, and families alike (RD, #39). To make the parents more conscious of their role, every school initiates meetings andother programs which will build the partnership(RD, #43). Although the school cannot replace the local church community, it can forge a unity with thatcommunity. Liturgy planning, for example, should be especially careful to bring the school communityand the local church together (RD, #30). The sense of community promotes a love that excludes no one and suggests a preferential optionfor the less fortunate, the sick, the poor, the handicapped, the lonely (RD, #87). At a time when youngsters are only names in largeconsolidated schools, the Catholic school tends to be much smallerand more community oriented. Students know their teachers and are knownby them. Teachers can establish rapport with students simply by talking with them. Schools are called to the following conditions which hui:d community and a supportive climate: everyone agrees with theeducational goals; all cooperate in achieving the educational goals; interpersonal relationships are based on love and Christian freedom; families are welcomed; the local church is an active participant; civil societylocal, national, and internationalis included (RD. #103). CommunityThe Research "Catholic schools seem to have their effect on those whoattend 25 30 them, not so much through formalreligious instruction class, but 41ther through the closeness to the Catholiccommunity which the experience of attending Catholic schoolspnerates" (Greeley, 251). The secretof the religious success of the Uholic schools is their ability to integrate young people intothe parish community (Greeley,248). Research results say that the churchcommunity which connects families and school and church is animportant resource todayand a particularlyimportant resource for children and youngpeople as they move towardadulthood (Coleman, 240). Across awide r.inge of socioeconomic backgrounds, Catholicschools had a strikingly low dropout rate, compared with publicschoolsless than a fourth of that inthe public schools and less than athird of that in the other privateschools (Coleman, 233, 235). The state prior to dropout is one ofisolation, of feeling alone, of being without social support (Coleman,233). A Catholic scnool has more "social capital," which means it hassocial supports or social resources on which achild can draw in time of need;that is, people who are . attentive to the problems a student isexperiencing and attentive to the growth of those p vblems (Coleman,233-34). With these resources of Catholic schooling, children fromsingle-parent families are much less likely to drop out (Coleman, 236). The U. S. Department of Education,in "A Profile of the American Eighth-Grader." reports that a higher percentageof Catholic school eighth graders say that "studentsand teachers get along" and "teachers are interested" inthem.Catholic school students also reportthat teachers often work with them outsideof class time (CBS: Their Impact, 194). A sign of the greater senseof parental participation is thehigher percentage of Catholic school parentswho do volunteer work in the school and who attend parent-teacherconferences and parents' association meetings.Catholic school parents, contrastedwith public school parents, show dramatically moreinterest in students' progress and in school matters. Onthe other hand, a comparativelylower percentage of principals inCatholic schools say they experienceverbal confrontations between parents andteachers or between teachers and administrators (Heart of Matter, 8). It seems true that the parishschool is "an archaic survival, aresidue of the curious notion that youngpeople can best be educated, not by outside educational bureaucracieswhich care nothing for local communities, but by an interactionnetwork of Church, neighborhood, and school" (Greeley, 263). ClimateThe Call Elementary schools especially arecalled to create a school climate that reproduces, as far aspossible, the warm atmosphere offamily life (RD, e40). Vatican II documentsdescribe the Catholic school climate like this: "From the first momentthat a student sets foot in aCatholic school, he or she ought tohave the impression of entering a new environment, one illumined bythe light of faith, and having its own 26 :31ri unique characteristics, an environmentpermeated with the Gospel spirit of love and freedom" (ChristianEducation, e8). In this setting, the pupils experience their dignity as personsbefore they know the meaning of the word "dignity" ( oMach, 055). Education is one of the mostimportant ways by which the church fulfills its commitment to the dignityof the person (To Teach, #9, 13). Although collaboration is vital to meetthis commitment, the prime responsibility for creating tb's uniqueChristian school climate rests wit'. the teachers. as indivfluals and as acommunity (RD, *26). Students, however, are not spectators asthe school climate is developed; they help to determine thequality of this climate The more that students can be helped torealize that a school, with all its activity, has only one purposeto helpthem in their growth toward maturity the more those students will bewilling to become actively involvvd (RD, #106). ClimateThe Research The strongest motivator attracti..g teachers tothe Catholic school is the desire to teach in its educationalenvironment. Second strongest is their view of teaching as ministry,and, third, their love of teaching (CHS: Their Impact, 194). Teachers in Catholic schoolsdespitelower payhave high morale, a factor in positiveschool climate.Even teachers in Catholic high schools, where many students'familitare below the povertylevel, claim high (85 percent) job satisfaction(Heart of Matter, 9). Students, from their vantage point, reportthat teachers "overwhelm- ingly express respect and appreciationfor their school colleagues" (CHS: Their Impact, 194). ServizeThe Call Values are esselitial. but "every trueeducator knows that a further step is necessary: values mustlead to action; they are the motivation for action" (RD, *107). After studying aChristian social ethic, with its focus on the dignity of the human person, onjustice, honesty, and freedom, students ought to be ready toreach out to those who are in need (RD. 89-90). ServiceThe Research Research.ows that Catholichigh school students rate higher than their public school peers in communityinvolvement, contributing money to the poor,and concern for others (Heart of M.. 22). After graduation, Catholic-school-educatedparishioners are ..he people who "do more of the volunteer work"(McCready, 224). In fact, "more than 20 years of solid researchhas shown that the schools are animportant source of adultCatholic resources in terms ofcontributions and volunteerism" (McCready, 230).

27 ;2 Global ConcernThe Call A school is not fully "Catholic"unless it reaches beyond itself. In fact, it should see all humanity as onelargi family, divided perhaps by historical and political events, butalways one in God the Creator. "Therefore," the latest document says, "a Catholicschool should be sensitive to and help to promulgateChurch appeals for peace, justice, freedom, progress for all peoples and assistancefor countries in need. And it should not ignore similar appealscoining from recognized international organizations sucb as UNESa)and the United Nations" (RD, #45). Global ConcernThe Research Studies about Catholic school studentsfind in them a vision of a just social world (Heart of Matter, 32).Catholic school students are more likely to express concern for others, andthey are less supportive of militarism (Heart of Matter, 20). At the institutional level, Catholicschools are reaching out to black and Hispanic students: "In 140 ofChicago's 242 Catholic schools, for example, black and Hispanic studentsmake up more than 80 percent of the esuollment. In most of theseschools, Protestants far outnumber Catholics" (Forbes, Dec. 12, 1988). Catholic schools not only are reaching out,but also are teaching black and Hispanic students veryeffectively. Holding constant their background variables and sophomore scores,seniors in Catholic schoolsHispanic, black, and whiteperformsubstantially higher in standardized achievement tests than doseniors in public schools (Greeley, 154). In addition,black and Hispanic graduates of Catholic high mhools are far more likely to haveearned a baccalaureate defgee in four years than their publicschool peers (Heart of Matter, 4). Students who are disadvantaged inmultiple waysby poverty, by low levels of parental education, bylow personal self-esteem, by disciplinary problems, by being on thefringes of the school community, by low academic scoresarethe ones most likely to benefit between sophomore and senior yearsin Catholic schools. The presence of these studentsin Catholic schools and their successstories show the broad concern of theschools. SUMIllary Since To Teach as Jesus Did, theeducational mission of the church has been described with threedimensions: the message revealed by God which the church proclaims;fellowship in the Hfe of the Holy Spirit; and service to the Christiancommunity and the entire human community (To Teach, #14). The seven elements of Catholic schoolidentity basically mirror the three dimensions:

28 Message Community Service Mission of Church Community Service Religious Formation Climate Global Concern Gospel Values These three dimensions of the educational missionof the church are so basic that theyparallel the answers to the Baltimore Catechism question, "Why did God make you?" To know To love To serve To the extent that Catholic schools reflectthe seven elements and these three basic dimensions, they effectivelyfulfill the purpose for their existence. As times chanr, however, the mannerof living the school's identity in the most effedive manneralso can change. The next section suggests some possiblefutures that can correlate with the Catholic school identity. Possible Futures The mission of the church and the religiousformation of the students is central to the identity of the Catholicschool. Any future vision which attempts to break this connection wouldviolate the school's basic identity. Important to the future of theCatholic school, however, is that typical Catholics clearly perceive thatthe Catholic school strengthens and serves the church. On the other hand, the basic values whichthe Catholic school teaches and models reflect many of the foundingprinciples of the United States. When the American Archbishops metwith members of the Roman Curia, Cardinal Bernardinexplained, "As United States bishops, we value highly the founding principles of our countryand its democratic traditions" (Evangelization inCulture/Society of U.S., 9).The civic community should see how much moreclosely the Catholic school reflects the founding ideals of thenation than does the present government-supported school.Catholic educeforswhen addressing possible futures related to both church andnationshould plan communication, as well as action. Linkage with the ChurchCommunication Bishop James Malone, reflecting on the apparent freeze onbuilding Catholic schools, concludes: What is different today, is that we finally havebecome aware of this unconscious decision. The results are tooevident to avoid. This means that we are in a new situation. Fromthis time forward, we are responsible for our actionsand decisions. And I believe that it is time for us to stopand ask ourselves: Do we really want to eliminateCatholic schools as an essentialingredient of the life of the Church of the United States? (Malone, 275) The irony is thatdespite the close of city schoolsand a construe-

29 34 tion freeze in many areas of new population growth most bishops and priests still believe that Catholic schools are moreeffective than other methods of educating for the faith. The three top concernsof the clew, who have negative attitudes toward Catholicschools, all relate to finances: they cost too much, they take too many resources for the numbers served, and they require a disproportionate amount of parish income (Keeley, 284). The futurebeginning nowshould clearly communicate tothe church members and leaders two points: one about finances, theother about comparative effectiveness. 1. Catholic schools are sound financial investments. William McCready (221) estimates that the Catholic population, on average, gives about two-tenthsof one percent of the yearly wages to the local parish churchnot two percent, but two-tenths of one percent.If regular weekly church attenders gave even ahalf-hour's wages a week in the collection, theparish contributions would increase by a factor of four or five. Related to this is thefact that the mean income of Catholics has risen dramatically since earlyimmigration days, proportionately more than other Christian groups.Andrew Greeley credits this socioeconomic growth in great part tothe Catholic school system. Not only do the current parents of Catholic schoolstudents contribute significantly more than their fellowparishioners, but Catholic school graduates also will continue over theirlifetimes to give substan- tially more to the church than other Catholics.In a 1988 study, parishioners with eight or more years of Catholicschooling each gave $347 a year to the church, as opposed to$222 by those with less or no Catholic schooling. The additional contributions of those who attendedCatholic schools, over and above the averagedonation, amounts to $750 million a year (Greeley, 261). Added to the actual financial contribution is the fact thatCatholic- school-educated parishioners do more of the volunteerwork than their peers (McCready, 224). The value of these contributions becomes even moreimpressive when considering the comparative economy of Catholicschooling. For about one-third the cost, Catholic schools produce studentswho score higher than public school students in readingcomprehension, written composition, mathematics, and science (NationalAssessment of Educational Progress). Increased awareness of theireffectiveness, as well as of their comparative economy can diminish the concernthat Catholic schools "cost too much." Given a clear understanding of the Catholicschools as sound financial investments, parishes can look anew at theCatholic school as an important, productive partof the church mission which ultimately supports itself and the future church.This view should replace any existing image of "aprivate school for children of some parishioners."

30 2. Catholics should be accur informed about the comparative effedivenass of church edu The 1964 presentation of Mary Peñdns Ryan, AreCatholic Schools the Answer? (with her answer, "No"), wasbased solely on the author's opinion. All substantive objective studies showthat Catholic schools are the only effective meansfor building identity with the church and for significant, lasting religious formation. Thelittle-known research results about the effectiveness of CCD(religious education for public school students) should be communicated;CCD has no measurable positive religious effect on youth and evenshows a negative effect on young people's future relationshipwith the church (Greeley, 247). Moreover, parishes should assess the backgroundof their current CCD teachers and consider their resources fortheir future teaching staffs. Many parishes are now using Catholic schoolgraduates to teach CCD.It is ironic that often these graduates do notrealize that their very ability to teach others aboutthe faith relies heavily on their teem daily Catholic school experiences. The productsof yesterday's Catho- lic schwling will last for a generation. When aparish finds, however, that it lacks Catholics who have experienceddaily religious education and a lived sense of faith community, the concernfor the following generation will be apparent, but too late. In addition to these considerations, achurch with fewer clergy in the future will have to rely more and more on awell-educated and religiously-formed laity.It cannot afford to force its schools toclose or to become privatesecular institutions for wealthy users. Linkage with the ChurchAction After these points are communicated andunderstood, parishes should take action related to both areas, financesand effectiveness. 1. Parish leaders should form someviable financial plans. These could include, for example, a parish tithing plan,which will support all parish services, including the school; diocesan and/or parish foundations, which approachall who have received or will benefit from the school. Those who want to continue raising tuitions so thatstudents "pay their own way" should rethink their actions. Why arepublic schcols not supported solely by public schoolparents?Because the effects of the schools touch the total civic community.In the same manner, support of Catholic schools cannot beborne solely by students and their parents, not with the existing evidencethat the schools positively affect the total church. Some parishes havefrozen the level of parish support and continue to increase tuition. In lightof the above advantages to the church, it is more appropriate to increaseparish or other forms of support and to freeze parent tuition. Some direct their financial concerns to theschools, saying that the schools take too many resources for the numbersserved and so their cost is disproportionate. To refutethat argument, each school should find practical ways to reach out to a broad groupof parishioners. 31 36 In this area. Catholiceducators can learn from someof their public school counterparts. Recent yearshave shown diminishing support from taxpayersmany ofwhom have no school-agechildren. Some schools have continued"business as usual" and havecontinued to lose bond issues. Others havereached out to their local communities offering programs with broadappeal. extending utm of theirfacilities and increased their base of support.In the same manner, theCatholic school should extend itsbase of support in someeffective and appropriate manner. Thefollowing action point addressesthis need. 2. Qiholic schoolleaders suM find ways tobroaden the school's poteidial for comnlludty andservice, thereby strengthening Itsidentity with the parish. These ways can include, forexample, providing some added services tothe parish; expanding the school into aparish education center. Both examples may use the sameelements of community andservice outreach. They can be offeredsingly on a limited basis, orcombined, until the school graduallydevelops into a parish educationcenter. How might this work? Someschools already have elements inplace. Obviously, the setting of aschoolrural, small town,suburban, large metropolitan area, innercityand the needs of theparishioners, beginning with the students' parents,will guide the gradual emergence of a parish education center.A few possibleelementswhich build on the Catholicschool identity and resourcesaresuggested here. Religious Education. Do anyparishioners still not understandthe "new" theology? Some of thebest sessions on veryfundamental levels are alreadypresented to parents as theylearn the content of their children's religion course. As the parentsexperience what the children to new ideas and are learning,they themselves often become more open attitudes. With only slightchanges, these sessions couldbe offered to other parishioners. Computer Use. Although"computer" has become ahousehold term. many parishionershave had limited or no personalexperience using one. The averageschool has at least one teacher, someparents, and many studentswho are computer "addicts"and who love to try new software and to teach others.Software already owned by theschool important letters or who want can assistparishioners who need to write to make bannersfor family celebrations.Co-.Iputer shareware available for literally a fewdollarscan help those who want tomake simple wills, improve theirSpanish vocabulary, or evenrecord the league's bowling scores. Once atthe computer, they can beintroduced to other software, such as a programto help them learn moreabout the Bible. Reference Library. Even the poorestCatholic school has a set of encyclopedias, an atlas, and otherbasic reference materialsaluxury for many homes in city or country.On-site usage would requireonly modest adaptations in theschool's routines and couldoffer new opportunities for youngsters to servethe needs of others. Research Service. Students canbe motivated to developreference 37 32 skills if parishioners are invited toask for needed information. Depending on the complexity of each request,the program coordinator can offer either practicalmotivation for an underachievingstudent or a challenge for astudent who is very adapt in referencework. Students who participate regularly inplanning class and school liturgies haveskills which are not shared by all parishioners. The school may wish tooffer help to parishioners in planning special liturgies for familycelebrations or even for funerals if no other parish help Is provided. Intergenerational Service. At a timewhen few homes encourage older persons to interact withchildren on a regular basis, the school can serve as a center toattract senior parishioners tothe support of an ongoing community.The typical school's availablefacilities and services can offer a variety of options: daily lunch; an opportunity to read to orlisten to reading of young children; simple volunteer service, such as sorting orcollating; time to play basic number or word gameswith senior/child ter -15; a chance tohave younger. nimbler hands writeletters; an acquaintancewith youngsters whowith parentalpermis- sioncan help the older persons attheir homes with leaf raking, garden work, or other errands. Service Center. If Catholic schools arealready reaching out to lonely and ill parishioners, as well as toothers in need, the next logical step is for them to help parishioners toassist one another. A teamof students can both develop skills and serveby setting up a computer database for "parish helpers," aswell as by communicating needs to appropriate volunteers. Book/Audio-Visual Loan.As many parishioners increasetheir commitments to work and otherresponsibilities, few parish programs can entice large groupsto meetings. Some parishes areshifting to small home sessionsled by parishionerswith the support of a cassette (audio and/or visual). Theschoolalready a place that systematizes resources for students.faculty. and parentscan become achannel for loan and even delivery/pickup service. These and similar elements for graduallydeveloping the school into a parish education centercost little, when comparedwith the increased number who can share "ownership" inthe center. Such a program effectively responds to argumentsthat "the school takes too many resources for thefamilies and students served."In addition, the community and service opportunitiesfurther link the school with the mission of the church, strengthenthe students' religious formation. and help develop in the participatingyoungsters two qualitieswhich are part of totaleducation: increased responsibilityand self-esteem. In brief, the school's identitywith the church can be strengthened by communicating the Catholicschool's cast-effectiveness to the church and by developing ways toextend ownership of the school within the parish.

3 3 3 Identity with theNationCommunication The Catholic school's relationshipwith the civic community also requires clear communicationand diens new possibilitiesfor the future. The basic values whichthe Catholic school teachesand models, clearly reflect the values of thenation's founders and many keyleaden. While faith cannot be identifiedwith only one culture, it caninspire any culture andcall it to the basic valueswhich are implicit in its ideals. Unfortunately, many U.S. citizensdo not know the moral values expressed by the nation's foundersand are unaware that similarvalues are promotedwithin the Catholic school.The civic community should be educated on how much moreclosely the Catholic schoolreflects the founding ideals of the nationthan does the typical government- supported school. Many people alsoshould receive clarification about some related areas.Some points to becommunicated are these: 1. The founders andleaders of the United Statesexpressed the need for religion and morality. In his farewell address tothe nation, George Washingtonempha- sized, "Let us with caution indulgein the supposition thatmorality can be maintained without religion."Theodore Roosevelt, in 1904,under- scored the importance of totaleducation: "It is a fine thing tobe clever, to be able, to be smart. Butit is a better thing to havethe qualities that find their expression inthe Decalogue and the GoldenRule. We must have education inthe broadest sense...educationof the soul as well as of the mind...." CalvinCoolidge, in 1925, also promotedthe moral dimension: "Anintellectual growth will onlyadd to our confusion unless it is accompaniedby a moral growth. I do not know of any source of moral powerother than which comes fromreligion." Many other such statementsshould be contrasted with the present- day avoiding of any morality orreligion in government-supported schooling. 2. The interpretationof the Constitution's"establishment" clause has changed from the intentof its writers. Every member of theConstitutional Convention camefrom a state that, before and after theadoption of the Constitution, gave taxesto churches to run schools forthe education of childrenwho chose to attend them. These members wrotethe First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting anestablishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."Through this amendment, they were accommodating the presenceof many religions andguaranteeing freedom to all religions, ratherthan attempting to excludereligion (Buctow, 14). One needs only to look atcoins or note the earlyestablishment of chaplaincies within the armedservices to become convincedthat interpretations of the"establishment" clause have variedfrom the intent of its writers.Through the years. their statementhas become the basis for excluding allreligion,rather than for avoiding the establishment of any one religion.

3 34 of the U. S. Constitution's"establishment Because the interpretation about 95 percent of clause," as applied toschools, has constituted important to informthe broader commu- church-state issues, it seems founders. nity about thebackground and intentof the nation's States has been theonly major bee nationthat, in 3. The United and limits gov- practice, excludesreligious elementsfrom education ernment educationto the secular. in America are themost thoroughlysecularized The public schools U.S.S.R. Ordinarily, in the Westernworld, exceptingonly those of the educators are given morefreedom to refer to Satan U.S. public school values, they cannotground than to God. Moreover,when they refer to them in any religious sourceor principle. nations have foundit possible both toinclude Other Western and to providepublic religious observances instate school programs church-related schools.Why not in the U.S.?Many financial aid to the influence of theCommon of today's U.S.policies can be traced to the 19th century.The leaders of thatmovement, School Movement of retain religious iastruc- predominantly Protestantclergymen, wished to "non-sectarian" (that is,Protestant) nature inthe public tion of a the use of public schools. Their efforts to securelegislation prohibiting related schools weresuccessful. But their attempts funds for church- practices on all schoolchildren led to impose theirbrand of religious to a reaction. and legislatures began to In the late 19th century,the state courts from the publicschools (Jorgenson, remove allreligious observations of the The State and theNon-Public School,1825-1925). Members rejected theProtestant-oriented public Catholic minority, of course, accept a totally schooling of the 19th century.Moreover, they could not of education. secular public system nor theschools were The fact is thatneither the federal government exclude religiouselements. The nationis .ot originally intended to interpretation of government- required to maintain atotally secular and funded schooling. A taxarrangement thatwould treat all schools giving parents a genuinechoice among all families neutrallymerely violate schools, public andprivate, religiousand secularwould not the original principleof church and stateseparation. asked to reflect onthe fact that only theU.S. The public should be religion from their government- and the U.S.S.R.have chosen to outlaw funded schools. equal opportu- 4. Catholicschools are moreeffective in offering nities to minority groupsthan the governmentschools. exclusive or elitist.The children who Parochial schools are not research attend them tend to be asmixed as theirgeolicraphic areas. The Coleman leads him toconclude that of Sociologist James practiced in The strict separationof Church and State as harmful to the leastadvantaged. This America has been making use of the separation hasprevented the school's surrounding the Church tosupport the goals social capital communities, the most of the school.In many minority powerful communityinstitution is the Church;but schools cannot aid churchesin aiding children,through, for example, joint after-school programsand youth organizations. Thus the disadvantaged areharmed and the minoritydisad- vantaged are especiallyharmed, by making impossiblethe use of socialcapital that does exist, in asetting where this capital is not abundant.(Coleman, 237) evidence that Catholicschools are bette at Citizens should hear which are supporting disadvantagedstudents than are the schools receiving their tax dollars. Identity with theNationAction action is needed in As understanding ofthe above points increases, the directions of publicrecognition and parentalchoice. These steps could include, for example, earning public recognitionthat Catholic schools promotethe founding ideals of the nation; giving to parents the rightof choosing religious,tax-supported schools. The action to achieve thesegoals should focus on fivekey areas that American law and tradition. are rooted in the Parental Right.In American law andby American tradition, primary right of educationdoes not belong to government,but to parents. No 'Normal" Schools.Bishop Francis Quinn hasexplained that, because of parental rights,the government school systemdoes not the police or fire de ent. After all, belong in the same category as school he reasons, governmentschools are not the only orttuljr1rmal" system. Private andparochial schools existedfirst. Tax-Supported CompulsoryEducation.The requirements of compulsory education are alreadymet by attendingschools other than distribu- those which are government-supported. A more equitable tion of tax revenueswould include all schoolsthat offer students the means to meetthe requirements ofcompulsory education. Needed Quality. Neededquality can be guaranteedby requiring that order to receive tax support.Many school schools be accredited in the U.S. Depart- accreditation associationshave been established, and ment of Educationrecognizes their existence.These groups ordinarily require much more thanstates require of theirpublic schools and assure qualityeducation. Freedom of Religion. Somepeople fear that churchschools would have to drop their religiousidentity to secure parentalchoice within tax-supported education. Onthe contrary, the choiceof religious schooling would matchclosely the ideal of the nation'sfounders and leaders for moral and totaleducation. The elements of parentalright, varied tax-supportedschools, and

41 36 freedom of religion eroded slowly from thenation's practice. Similarly, the elements should be reintroducedgradually, through a process of education and action. Such action will againrequire the kind of moral vision and perseverance modeled by thenation's founders. Conclusion The challenges for the future are these; toproject the image of Catholic schools as productive andcost-effective investments? to increase the sense of ownership and the tiesbetween the parish and Catholic school; to raise broad consciousnessof the fact that the Catholic school fits well the moral ideal ofthe nation's founders; and to give parents the right ofchoosing among religious tax-supported schools. Identity of the Catholic school becomesincreasingly important in a post-conciliarchurch, which needs personal formationand community support more than simple rules.Catholic school identity also is increasingly important in a nation whichhas lost track of the moral ideals of its founders and has movedsimultaneously to amoral government education and to recordlevels of violent crime. just as Catholics may have been identifiedby such external observances as fish on Fridayand the Latin Mass, some people maystill identify Catholic schools by the mere fact thatthey are on the bishop's list of approved schools. More essential tothe identity of the Catholic school is its involvement in the mission ofthe church, the religious formation of students, the inclusion of gospelvalues, the building of faith community, its distinctive climate, itscommitment to service, and its global concern. Basic References Chicago Studies. (November 1989) 28, pp. 209-358: Coleman, J. S."Schools and Communities," pp. 232-44. Greeley, A. "My Research on Catholic Schools," pp.245-63. Kealey, R.J. "Collision Course:Clergy and Laity on Catholic Schools," pp. 277-91. McCready, W. C. "Catholic Schools and CatholicIdentity: 'Stretch- ing the Vital Connection'," pp. 217-31. Malone, J. "The Religious Dimension efCatholic Education," pp. 264-76. IA concise summary of research onthe Catholic school.) Congregation for Catholic Education.The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School: Guidelinesfor Reflection and Renewal. Rome: Vatican Polyglot Press, 1988.IThe most recent church document on the Catholic school.] Guerra, M.J., Donahue, M.J., Bensori, P.L. TheHeart of the Matter: Effects of Catholic High Schools on SfrdentValues, Reliefs and 37 42 Behaviors. Washington, D.C.:National Catholic EducationalAssocia- tion, 1990. (The most recentresearch on the Catholic highschool with a summary ofprior findings.) Other References Benson, P.L, et al.Catholic High Schools: Their Impact onLow- Income Students. Washington,MC: National CatholicEducational Association, 1986. Buetow, H.A. A History ofUnited States CatholicSchooling. Washington. D.C.: National CatholicEducational Associa lion, 1985. John Paul II. "Catechesis inOur Time." In Flannery, A.(ed.)Vatican Counca II: The Conciliar andPost-Conciliar Documents. Volume 2, 1979, pp. 762-814. Jorgensoo. LP. The State andthe Non-Public School, 1825-1925. Columbia: University of MissouriPress, 1987. National Conference of CatholicBishops. Evangelization in the Culture and Society of theUnited States and the Bishop asTeocher of the Faith. Washington,D.C.: United States CatholicConference, 1989. National Conference of CatholicBishops. To Teach as Jesus Did. Washington. D.C.: United StatesCatholic Qnference, 1972. Vatican II."Declaration on Christian Education."In Flannery, _ Med.) Vatican Council TI:The Conciliar and Post-ConciliarDocu- ments. Volume 1. 1965, pp.725-37.

38 IDENTITY OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

I.Background Papers Catholic Identity and the Future of CatholicSchools Rev. James Fieft, SM, Ph.D., Provost,University of Dayton

Catholic Identity Sr. Carleen Reck, SSND, Ph.D.,Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Jefferson City, Missouri IL Some Basic Questions What are the essential, timeless,non-negotiable aspects which identify a school as Catholic? What aspects can be defined as circumstantial,contemporary and adaptable? To what extent is Catholic identitychallenged and/or strengthened by the expectations of bishops, priests, parentsand the Catholic corn- munity? By government, the profession,prophets? M. Discussion 1. To what extent do the BackgroundPapers address the basic questions? 2. What questions are not addressedby the papers? 3. What new questions areraised by the authors of the B ackground Papers? 4. What is the group'sreaction/ev6uation of the current status oftLis issue? Do not confine your analysis to thematerials in the White Papers. 5. What is the group'sjudgment about desirable directions for Catholic schools in regard to this issue, andappropriate strategies for moving in those directions?

39 44 IV. Summary 1. Corification of the Issue(a summation of responses to question 4: the current status of the Issue.)

2. Strategy for the future(A summation of responses toquestion 5: appropriate future directions.)

Discussion Leader Location Date 40 4 jamas Heft is a member of theSociety of Mary (Marianists)and was ordained a priest in 1973. He earned his PH.D in historical theologyfrom the University of Toronto in 1977. Since 1970 he has been associated -'l with the University of Dayton,serving as a Trustee,professo7 and later 1 ; department head in the department of 7 religious studies, and as Provost since , 1989.Prior to this, he worked for a (c, number of years as a highschool teacher and in youth ministry. In 1986, he published the bookJohn 1t. II(1316-1334) and Papal Teaching AXXuthority.He has published a large number of articles on Religious education, theology and youth ministry, the most recent in 1990 being:"Mary of Nazareth. Feminism andthe Tradi- tion*, in the June issut. of Thought.He has also written many book reviews.

Car leen Reck, a school sister ofNotre Dame, has been involvedin Catholic education as teacher,admin- istrator, religious community education coordinator and diocesan superintendent.She has worked in both elementary and secondary schools. She has earned a Master's degreein English from the University of Notre Dame and a PH.D in Education instruction and curriculumat Saint Louis University. For nine years she directed the De- partment of Elementaryeducation at the National Catholic EducationalAs- sociation (NCEA). Now she is superintendent of Catholic Schools inthe Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri. She hu edited and authored scores of articles and books related toCatho- lic education, including the recent NCEA publications, The SmallCatho- lic Elementary School: Advantagesand Opportunities and AIDS: a Catholic Educational Approach.

41 THE SERIES:

Volume I An Overview Volume LI The Catholic Identity of Catholic Schools 1.Catholk Identity and the Future of Catholic Schouls James fbft, SM, Ph.D.. Office of the Provost,University of Dayton, OH 2.Catholic Identity Carleen Reck, SSND, Ph.D., Superintendent ofCatholic Schools, Jefferson City, MO Volume III Leadership of and on Behalf of CatholicSchools I.The Challenge: To Provide Leadership WithinCatholic Schools Karen M. Ristau, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Schoolof Education, University of Saint Thomas, MN 2.Strengthening Preparation and Support forLeadership in Catho- lic Schools Joseph Rogus, Ph.D., Kuntz Professor of Education,University of Dayton, OH Volume IV The Catholic School and Society 1.Catholic Education: Statistical Profile and Trends Frederick H. Brigham, Jr., executive assistant tothe president and director of research, NCEA, Washington, DC 2.Catholic Schools in a Changing Society: PastAccomplishments and Future Challenges John Convey, Ph.D., Msociate Professor,Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton chair in education, CatholicUniversity of America, Wash- ington, DC 3.Education: The Unfinished Agenda Most Rev. John S. Cummins, D.D., Bishopof Oakland, CA volume V Catholic School Governance andFinance 1.Catholic School Governance Rosemary Hocevar, OSU, Ph.D., Associateprofessor and director of Master's program, Ursuline College,Pepper Pike. OH 2.Governance Lourdes Sheehan, RSM, Ed.D., Secretary foreducation, United States Catholic Conference, Washington, DC Volume VI Political Action. Public Policyand Catholic Schools 1.The Catholic School and the Common Good John E. Coons, J.D., Professor, BoaltSchool of Law, University of California, Berkeley, CA 2.Non-Public Schools and Public Policy: The Past,The Present and Perhaps the Future Frank Monahan, Director, Office of GovernmentLiaison, United States Catholic Conference, Washington,DC

4742 ORDER FORM National Congress on Catholic SchoolsPublications Cost: $ 2.50 for one book $ 1.75 for six or more books $ 1.50 for 50 or more books $ 1.30 for 200 or more books On the line indicate the number of booksdesired for each title: Governance and Finance Catholic Identity Political Action, Public Policy School and Society Leadership Overview CI Check here if you would like one cooy ofeach title for a total cost of $10.00. Total amount of order

Name Institution Address City State Zip Prepaid orders (no charge Billed orders (postage billed) to: for postage) to: NCEA Publication Sates Office NCEA Publication Sales Office Suite 100, 1077 30th Street, N.W. P.O. Box 0227 Washington, D.C. 20007-3852 Washington, DC 20055 Tele: (202) 337-6232 FAX: (202) 333-67C6

I s 43 aNational Catholic Educational Association 1077 30th Street, NW, Suite 100 lirWashington, DC 20007-3852 (202) 337-0232

4 9