Catholic Schools Week: Why Jack And Jill Need A Catholic School

By Mark Henry
2/3/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

There are alternatives to Catholic schools but there are no real substitutes.

In this age of aggressive secularization, Catholic schools play a vital role in forming strong Catholic citizens who can help reclaim our society for Christ. They are the lifeblood of the Catholic community and they deserve the support of all Catholics. There are alternatives to Catholic schools but there are no real substitutes.

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PHOENIX, AZ (Catholic Online) - During Catholic School Week, it is a good time to consider why Catholic parents should more seriously consider sending their children to Catholic schools.

It is without question that Catholic schools have historically had a singularly important impact in strengthening the Catholic community. Catholic schools were viewed in the 19th century as a primary means of fighting widespread anti-Catholic discrimination. The vital importance of Catholic schools was such that leaders of the Church in this era often espoused the view that Catholic schools were more important than the parishes themselves, an opinion echoed recently by in an article by New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, The Catholic Schools We Need, America Magazine, Sept. 13, 2010.

Studies have shown that Catholic school graduates differ from Catholic children not enrolled in parochial schools in four critical areas: 1) fidelity to Sunday Mass and a keener sense of prayer; 2) maintaining pro-life attitudes, especially on the pivotal topic of abortion; 3) willingness to consider a religious vocation, and 4) continued support for the local church and community, both financially and through service projects, for the balance of their adult lives. Mary Gautier, Does Catholic Education Make A Difference? National Catholic Reporter, Sept. 30, 2005.

In spite of the vital role Catholic schools have played in the Catholic community, enrollment in Catholic schools has dropped significantly over the last four decades. A number of Catholic educators have posited that economic factors have caused the cost of Catholic schools to be placed beyond reach of many Catholic parents. Other commentators argue that the replacement of religious sisters and priests with lay teachers who are generally less knowledgeable about Catholic teachings has made the case for Catholic schools less compelling.

While many explanations are offered for this decline, Archbishop Timothy Dolan's diagnosis of the problem and prescription for revival of Catholic schools is enlightening.

In his recent article in America Magazine, Archbishop Dolan doesn't mince words and places the blame on Catholics who have "disowned their school system, excusing themselves as in individuals, parishes or dioceses from any further involvement with a Catholic school simply because their own children are not enrolled there." Archbishop Dolan also notes the impact of the aggressive secularization of American culture that undermines the commitment Catholics used to make to Catholic schools. Dolan goes on to say that "The truth is that the entire parish, the whole diocese and the universal church benefit from Catholic schools in ways that keep communities strong. So all Catholics have a duty to support them."

In Arizona, where I live, many Catholic schools have been hurt by the increasing popularity of government funded charter schools. Over the years, increasing numbers of Catholic families have abandoned Catholic schools in favor of the free tuition offered by charter schools. A number of these charter schools do provide a good secular education. However, being government funded these schools are prohibited from providing religious instruction, including Catholic teachings, to their students.

The questions posed by this now unfortunately common anomaly - Catholic parents choosing government funded schools over Catholic schools - is whether this is best for our Catholic children?

I believe the answer to this question is a resounding no. As Catholic parents, we are the primary educators of our children. There is a big difference between entrusting our children to a secular school instead of a Catholic school.

According to the Second Vatican Council, Catholic parents have "the duty of entrusting their children to Catholic schools wherever and whenever possible and of supporting these schools to the best of their ability." Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Christian Education, Sec. 8 (Oct. 25, 1965).

More recently, the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education stated that it is the duty of Catholic parents to "arrange and even demand for their children to be able to receive a moral and religious education and advance in their Christian formation to a degree that is abreast of their development in secular subjects." Vatican Letter on Catholic Education, (Sept. 8, 2009).

As such, we Catholic parents should not take lightly our obligation to provide a Catholic education for our children.

On a personal note, I remember in my early years as a parent hearing the sermon of a local Catholic priest who, when pressed on why he stressed Catholic theology in his parish school, he proclaimed that "his job was to help get our children to Heaven not Harvard."

The good news is that Catholic children have great options to attend academically excellent Catholic schools where they are taught faith and reason, rather than just reason alone which is what government funded charter schools and public schools are limited to.

A case in point is the school my younger children attend. Ville de Marie Academy (www.vdmschool.com) is a non-Diocesan school in the Catholic tradition located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school is academically challenging, the children attend Mass weekly and they receive daily instruction in Catholic theology. Our teachers are knowledgeable about the Catholic faith and many have graduated from leading Catholic colleges like Thomas Aquinas College, Franciscan University of Steubenville and Christendom College. Our graduating seniors this year averaged over $75,000 in college scholarship awards. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. It's a great school where the children are being prepared to be successful in the important ways; spiritually, academically and socially.

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Mark Henry is a Catholic attorney, writer and speaker. He is a contributing writer for Catholic Online. He can be reached at mthenrysaz@gmail.com or http://markhenry-quovadis.blogspot.com/

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Catholic schools, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, faith and reason, Ville de Marie Academy, charter school, Mark Henry

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1 - 10 of 10 Comments

No Way
2 years ago
I think the writing's on the wall. The pricetag in this economy is not going to make it float. This resulted in co-education of a few schools in my area that were only single-sex schools. The money is no longer there and the kids are being taught the bare minimum just to pull off the catholicity. I know, my mother is a Protestant and a teacher at a catholic high school and sees this first-hand.
Rob
2 years ago
Kurt, I think you are on to something. If we spent half the money on adult education and good youth programs that we funnel to kids programs and Catholic schools, I can only imagine what our parishes would be like. I guess in today's funding model, we expect the children to teach the parents. It's not working.
Albert Mendonca
2 years ago
IMO the Parents are as responsible in providing catholic education to their children as is the Catholic school. Merely enrolling them in these schools doesn't mean they've done their job. It would amount to nothing if the kid notices behavior of parents contradicting the teachings and won't be long before he/she considers this as hypocrisy.

Yes the cost factor seems challenging, but i wouldn't be anxious since it is the lord who provides.

And if i'd feel the school has not been upto the mark, i'd might as well start getting more involved in the affairs of the school and work to make them better.

Atleast we have the choice of a far better platform.
Kurt Klement
2 years ago
I share a belief in the value of a Catholic education... however as a youth minister in the Catholic Church it is interesting to reflect upon how much incredible attention and resources are devoted to Catholic schools. In reality, only a small number of privileged Catholic children will every have the opportunity to attend a private Catholic school for financial reasons. And there are many cases where young adults graduating from Catholic schools are no more committed to the Catholic faith as adults than those that attend public schools. That has been my experience. At our parish we have had 15 young men enter seminary. Only ONE of those attended Catholic schools. The other 14 had life changing experiences through their youth ministry programs. I have talked to people in seminaries who say that a large number of seminarians had powerful experiences of faith in their parish youth ministry program that led them to discern entering seminary. All this to say I find it hard to see Catholic schools receive all of the attention and financial support while Catholic youth ministry is rarely mentioned. Youth ministers across this country are overworked and underpaid and rarely receive the necessary support to be successful. I would love to see an article every once in a while that focuses on the importance of Catholic youth ministry that is striving to evangelize all youth. Maybe we need a Catholic Youth Ministry Week to accompany Catholic Schools Week!
Josephine
2 years ago
We love our Catholic school and I encourage all our friends to attend. Academic excellence combined with daily Catholic education is a wonderful opportunity. However, the $15,000 price tag for 3 kids in elementary school is a big draw back. We believe that the daily sacrifices we make to send our kids to Catholic school are worth it, but for many this just isn't possible.
Larry
2 years ago
Catholic schools have played a great role for the Catholic Church and Catholics in the past - I am a Catholic School graduate all through. Problem is Catholics are in the secular world so much more now - ecumanism gets us in contact with other faiths; politics gets us involved with the civic worlds; charities puts us among other causes and charities with other views; Catholic universities do not hold Catholic views as they should and no one is making them; we are taught about love and acceptace of others but not much about the distinctive features of being catholic, in schools, from the pulpit, from Bishops - we are one way to God if you talk to enough people, even Catholics. Why be Catholic is what we have to answer, beyond being born Catholic or love of the ritual or because of tradition. We have a new Catechism and unless you're involved RCIA or some youth group, most people don't know it. We have not cleaned out the influence of Jansinism from male and female relationships and sex with the Theology of the Body - bet you most Catholics don't know much about this theology or the reasons against abortion and contraception. We don't teach what we have well - so why invest as much in it
Everett Mann
2 years ago
Where I send my son to school, it is one of the only "private" schools in the area. As a result there are many non-Catholics which is fine I have many friends from different faiths. The problem arises when people treat a Catholic School like a private school. It is increasingly becoming about people's last name and who gave birth to whom and not the Catholic Christian Principles it should be. It's is no longer a meritocracy but a fashion show. Worse, the purportedly Catholic parents practice this themselves and encourage it in their children.
I fully support Catholic Education. It has done wonders for my son. I hope it can rectify its course.
Val
2 years ago
I think Catholic Schools could be a great thing, but unfortunetly, I don't think many of them take seriously that their sole purpose is to evangelized. Many of the schools where I live do not teach the Catholic Faith in its fulness but water it down, or , unfortunetly, teach heresy. Academics and sports are more of a priority. I cannot support this (and maybe that is why the enrollment is shrinking...there are fewer and fewer Catholics practicing their faith because it was never taught to them.) If this changes in schools and I can afford it, I will consider sending my kids (when they come into being). Otherwise, I will most likely teach them in the home.
Manhattan
2 years ago
I agree with Rob; my parents sent their 7 children to Catholic schools when they were "free". How could they possibly do so today? They were humble people, not pulling in gobs of money like the attorney who wrote this article. Note that his kids attend an ACADEMY, not a parish school. Major difference!! For a variety of reasons, I question how "Catholic" our current parish schools are. Finally, the fact is MOST Catholic children attend public school. In my community, 500 children attend the parish school and 2,500 children are enrolled in CCD. Yet, the preponderance of dollars and time go to the 500. Money talks.
Rob
2 years ago
I think the author is really underestimating how economics plays in a parent's decision to send their kids to Catholic schools. In our diocese it's quite easy to send your kids to Catholic school through 8th grade. But our Catholic high school's tuition is ridiculous. We have a large state university in our city and the tuition for the high school is more than the college university. For many parents in a poor state such as ours, it's beyond their reach.

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