Why Catholic Schools Don't Matter

[dUSt]

After reading this article, I realized that most Churches are not doing nearly enough to educate the adults in their parishes--focusing only on the kids...

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[BullnaChinaShop]

That is a very interesting article.

[Jake Huether]

Makes total sense.

[M.SIGGA]

I don't think this article is fair. I think my parents did a beaver dam good job raising their kids in the faith, and the Church via the Catholic school system filled in some of the gaps they missed because parents are only human. This is why Catholic schools and Catholic education for kids is so important, plus almost all western education began with the Church.

The root of the problem stems up to the heirarchy, because we have too many CEO bishops and priests today instead of the fiery clergy from years ago who were quick and willing to stand up and preach and witness like the Apostles whenver something contrary to the faith was going on. This article blaims underpaid Catholic school teachers but says nothing about the bishop's responsibility to ensure his 'flock' isn't being threatened by wolves. American Catholicism has watered down from the top and the effects stem down to the lifestyles of the laity, into the parishes, and into the school systems.

[cimlog]

Hmm.... Good points made.

[thicke]

American Catholicism has watered down from the top and the effects stem down to the lifestyles of the laity, into the parishes, and into the school systems.

Well, that was not really the subject of the article. The article was not lamenting the lukewarmness of the Church in America, it was lamenting the lack of adult religious education in the US and how it is vital to the success of juvenile religious education.

I think the article points out a fundamental problem with Americans as a whole. We have somewhere lost the responsibility we have for our children. It's is no long the parent's responsibility to raise them, it is the school's or "somebody else's" responsibility. That is wrong! We have to give our children the fundamentals, the "foundation" if you will. If we don't give that to our children, anything the schools try to give them will crumble. The same can be said for religious education.

Edited February 12, 2004 by thicke

[BullnaChinaShop]

We have somewhere lost the responsibility we have for our children. It's is no long the parent's responsibility to raise them, it is the school's or "somebody else's" responsibility. That is wrong! We have to give our children the fundamentals, the "foundation" if you will. If we don't give that to our children, anything the schools try to give them will crumble. The same can be said for religious education.

I couldn't agree more. It doesn't matter what you teach the kids at school if they do not see the faith lived at home they more than likely won't live it themselves.

[dUSt]

After I read the article, I didn't think it was blaming the schools system, I think it was blaming the churches for not placing more focus on adult education.

I took from the article that we need more adult education in the Church, and I totally agree with that.

[BullnaChinaShop]

After I read the article, I didn't think it was blaming the schools system, I think it was blaming the churches for not placing more focus on adult education.

I took from the article that we need more adult education in the Church, and I totally agree with that.

That is how I read it as well.

[Jake Huether]

I don't think this article is fair. I think my parents did a beaver dam good job raising their kids in the faith, and the Church via the Catholic school system filled in some of the gaps they missed because parents are only human. This is why Catholic schools and Catholic education for kids is so important, plus almost all western education began with the Church.

The root of the problem stems up to the heirarchy, because we have too many CEO bishops and priests today instead of the fiery clergy from years ago who were quick and willing to stand up and preach and witness like the Apostles whenver something contrary to the faith was going on. This article blaims underpaid Catholic school teachers but says nothing about the bishop's responsibility to ensure his 'flock' isn't being threatened by wolves. American Catholicism has watered down from the top and the effects stem down to the lifestyles of the laity, into the parishes, and into the school systems.

I don't think they're saying to get rid of the School system all together.

But from my experience in Catholic schools, ineed, something is sorely missing.

It makes sense to me, because I totally see the kids getting all messed up because even the Catholic school teachers aren't teaching the kids the right stuff.

In fact, true story, at my Parish school, my moms friend took her son to "orientation" because he was about to start the first grade in Catholic school. Well, to her dissbelief, at the end of the orientation they said a prayer ending in, "...we ask this through God our Mother/Father".

Then, my moms friend went around and actually asked a couple of the teachers if they were Catholic, and one of them declined to say!

We need to cover ALL bases. Yes, the kids need Catholic schooling. But so too do our adults.

[Jake Huether]

That is how I read it as well.

double ditto...

[M.SIGGA]

Well, that was not really the subject of the article. The article was not lamenting the lukewarmness of the Church in America, it was lamenting the lack of adult religious education in the US and how it is vital to the success of juvenile religious education.

I think the article points out a fundamental problem with Americans as a whole. We have somewhere lost the responsibility we have for our children. It's is no long the parent's responsibility to raise them, it is the school's or "somebody else's" responsibility. That is wrong! We have to give our children the fundamentals, the "foundation" if you will. If we don't give that to our children, anything the schools try to give them will crumble. The same can be said for religious education.

My point is this is where is starts. If it's ever going to happen I think it's going to take a couple generations to fix this problem because there doesn't seem to be a real way to control it anymore.

[Kilroy the Ninja]

I think the article was a little off base in it's approach to the subject.

Yes there needs to be adult education.

Maybe if the adults had been in a Catholic school they'd be better equipped to teach their own children.

My parents had parochial educations and I had a secular one. They raised me steeped in the tradition of the Church and even when I personally decided to turn away from the Church I knew enough to know I was wrong (way deep down).

And that part about the the "lay" teachers being mostly non-Catholic - garbage.

I think you would find the percentage of non-Catholic teacher incredibly low.

[dUSt]

Well, all I know is that I know many people who were brought up in Catholic schools who don't know a thing about being Catholic. Pre-school, middle school, high school, adult education--doesn't matter. But something has to be done about teaching Catholics the faith better.

If we put as much effort into teaching the faith as we put into "forming communities", I think we'd be a lot better off.

[Kilroy the Ninja]

If we put as much effort into teaching the faith as we put into "forming communities", I think we'd be a lot better off.

Amen to that!