Catholic Education

I have never attended or worked in a Catholic parochial school, so my only experience is what I have heard from others. Yet, I can say that what I have heard is almost unanimous: Catholic parochial schools are in trouble. I have heard multiple reports of schools hiring non-catholics to teach (sometimes, even to teach theology!), and some even hiring non-christians. I know a number of people who absolutely refuse to send their children to a Catholic school because they are afraid their children will lose their faith. What in the world happened?

I am not about to imagine that I have the solution to all the problems that Catholic schools have to deal with, but I do not think that just pumping more money into them and doing the same things that have caused all the problems is a wise solution. Many parents today have turned to homeschool as one possible solution (very many!), and I support them one hundred percent in what they are doing. My wife and I homeschooled all five of our children, and we know the sacrifices that it takes to accomplish it.

Sadly, not all think the same way. There is a Bishop, who shall remain nameless (but he is not local to me), that has apparently kicked back at the parents in his diocese who have chosen to school their children themselves. He has said that non-catholics can use their facilities, but Catholic homeschool parents cannot. Personally, I would much rather that parents do an "ok" job at education and have the children keep their faith, if the only alternative is for the children to be well "educated" but end up denying Christ.

The structure of Catholic schools one hundred years ago is now lost, and it would be very difficult to return to it (at least in the near future). What is being done now by most parochial schools is not working very well in the majority. Just because children graduate with a good GPA and are not in trouble with the law does not mean that the school has been successful in its responsibility before God. There is much more to education than that.

At St. George, we will support parents as the "first educators" of their children (as the Catechism says so clearly) and be available to help each of them in whatever manner that they choose to accomplish that (presuming that it is not contrary to the faith). These are difficult times that we live in, and it is not wise for us to imagine that we, on our own, have the one and only way out of this mess; Christ is the One Way, and leading our children to Him is the only real solution. May God have mercy on us.