This collection of official Catholic teaching on education is a rich body of work spanning almost the whole of the twentieth century, on the related themes of Catholic education and catechesis. Christian anthropology, in the eyes of the Catholic Church, refers to the study of the human person as it relates to God. Schools must seek the integration of culture with faith and faith in living. The more profound foundation for such trust is shared adherence to the person of Jesus Christ. FIVE ESSENTIAL MARKS OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS INSPIRED BY A SUPERNATURAL VISION In a secular society, education is often viewed as an instrument for the acquisition of knowledge that will help students improve their chances of success and their standard of living. In measured terms, the Congregation's document Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith describes the student-teaching relationship: A personal relationship is always a dialogue rather than a monologue, and the teacher must be convinced that the enrichment in the relationship is mutual. Elementary schools "should try to create a community school climate that reproduces, as far as possible, the warm and intimate atmosphere of family life. 3 - Five Essential Marks of Catholic Schools, An Anthology of Catholic Teaching on Education. It is he who must judge whether the children in the Catholic schools in his diocese are receiving the fullness of the Church's faith in their catechetical and religious formation. Students must have displayed successful academic growth and appropriate behavior in previous school experiences. Teachers and administrators must see their jobs as a vocation from God that requires them to participate in the evangelization of the Church. He offered the following five benchmarks of a Catholic education as the essence of Vatican teaching on education. An emphasis on the inalienable dignity of the human person – above all on his or her spiritual dimension – is especially necessary today. While Catholic schools conform to government-mandated curricula, they implement their programs with an overall religious orientation. It has to do with entering the kingdom of God. While interaction, teamwork and cooperation among individuals are easy to understand, what requires clarification is what is meant by the school’s physical environment. The Church is holy because Christ is holy. When parents choose a Catholic education for their children for all the right reasons, they want authentically Catholic schools that are places of faith, knowledge and service. The bishop must see to it that the education in his schools is based on the principles of Catholic doctrine. All instruction, therefore, must be authentically Catholic in content and methodology across the entire program of studies. Today’s Catholic offers advertising opportunities both online and in print. All these signs embody the community ethos of Catholicism. Catholic education is "intentionally directed to the growth of the whole person." ", Knowledge and understanding are far more than the accumulation of information. The Catholic school, which includes all of our parish schools, as a community of faith, is involved with the social nature of the human person. When one enters our schools, they should see visible signs, such as images, symbols, icons and other objects of worship that convey this is an authentically Catholic school. imbued with a Catholic worldview throughout its curriculum. Most importantly, the Christian life is a call to intimate communion (see Jn 17:21). 3. The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools Archbishop J. Michael Miller, C.S.B., 2005. As well as fostering a Catholic worldview across the curriculum, even in so-called secular subjects, "if students in Catholic schools are to gain a genuine experience of the Church, the example of teachers and others responsible for their formation is crucial: the witness of adults in the school community is a vital part of the school's identity.". MARK Catholic School 9972 Vale Road Telephone 703-281-9103 Vienna, VA 22181 Fax 703-766-3430 Dear Prospective ST. MARK School Parent: Thank you for your interest in our Kindergarten program. FIVE ESSENTIAL OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS As written by Archbishop J. Michael Miller, C. s.B. William Saunders: Christ sanctifies the Church, and in turn, through Him and with Him, the Church is His agent of sanctification. Unfortunately, far too many in government, business, the media, and even the educational establishment perceive education to be merely an instrument for the acquisition of information that will improve the chances of worldly success and a more comfortable standard of living. The final indicator that a school is authentically Catholic is the witness of its teachers and administrators. Nowhere is this more important than the blending of roles that parents and teachers must do to ensure our schools are places of faith. vision . As John Paul II wrote in his 1979 Message to the National Catholic Educational Association, "Catholic education is above all a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others." Its roots come from the Letter of James 5:14-15 Name the essential elements of the Anointing of the Sick Includes-- Priest laying hands in the sick person; pray for the person in the faith of the church; the anointing of the forehead and hands or other body parts with … By contrast, veteran teachers provide years of experience and understanding about how to manage their classrooms and get things done in the school… Catholic theology teaches that grace builds on nature. Assist at Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, doing no unnecessary work on those days. Five Essential Marks of Catholic Schools http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/education/catholic-contributions/fiv... 5 of 12 10/28/2014 8:53 AM Archbishop Miller is a specialist on the papacy and modern papal teaching, he has published seven books and more than 100 articles, scholarly, popular and journalistic. The Church is a holy institution made up of sinners. When parents choose a Catholic education for their children for all the right reasons, they want authentically Catholic schools that are places of faith, knowledge and service. A final indicator of a school's authentic catholicity is … Catholic families serve that goal by being schools of love where we learn how to love God and each other with our whole hearts, minds, souls and strength (see Lk 10:27; Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. Know and love children and can inspire faculty and families with their passion and sense of purpose. Know teaching, learning, and best practices. In its document The Catholic School, the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education states: The Catholic school is committed thus to the development of the whole man, since in Christ, the perfect man, all human values find their fulfillment and unity. The second has to do with ensuring that our students understand that faith, culture and life are harmonious. Catholic schools have the task of being the living and provocative memory of Christ. The witness never refers to himself but to something, or rather, to Someone greater than he, whom he has encountered and whose dependable goodness he has sampled. Catholic educators must be good examples in their Christian life. The code of canon law, canon 793, indicates that parents have the obligation and moral responsibility to educate their children, and that Catholic parents have the duty, based on local circumstances, to provide a Catholic education for their children. by a supernatural . Faith and culture are intimately related, and students should be led, in ways suitable to the level of their intellectual development, to grasp the importance of this relationship. If you donate just $5.00, or whatever you can, Catholic Online School could keep thriving for years. The Holy See's documents insist that, in order to be worthy of its name, a Catholic school must be founded on Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. They foster the proper friendship between them, since "an authentic formative process can only be initiated through a personal relationship.". Herein lies the specifically Catholic character of the school. A Catholic school should be: inspired . Four Marks of the Catholic Church. Let us now look at each of the marks that give a school a Catholic identity. Leonard Franchi, Ed. Like the marks of the Church proclaimed in the Creed – one, holy, catholic, and apostolic – so, too, does the Holy See identify the principal features of a school as Catholic: a Catholic school should be inspired by a supernatural vision, founded on Christian anthropology, animated by communion and community, imbued with a Catholic worldview throughout its curriculum, and sustained by gospel witness. Here are five marks that all the best Catholic schools share and what you should look for when you find one for your kids. In the measure in which subjects are taught by someone who knowingly and without restraint seeks the truth, they are to that extent Christian. Taught by priests and lay people from around the Diocese, Essentials seeks to: Facilitate conversion to Christ through the Church. This book is essential reading for all Catholics concerned about Catholic education. Both bishops and educators, whether singly or in associations, should avail themselves of open, sincere, and regular dialogue in their joint efforts on behalf of Catholic schools. Very simplicity, can sometimes be overlooked community, they are measurable benchmarks, forming the backbone and inspiring mission... Mark to understand the difference between communion and community doctrine and outstanding in integrity... 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