Identity

What does it mean to be Catholic? 

From a personal standpoint, does it require parishioner-ship at a Catholic Church? Reception of the Sacraments? Attendance at Mass on Sundays? Beliefs in the Trinity, Incarnation, Eucharist, and the Paschal Mystery? Performing spiritual and corporal works of mercy? Not eating meat on Fridays during Lent? Devotion to Mary? All of the above? Something else? 

What about from an organizational standpoint? What makes a group worthy of the title "Catholic"?

This forms the main topic of the Congregation for Catholic Education's (CCE) newest document, Instruction of the Congregation for Catholic Education, "The identity of the Catholic school for a culture of dialogue": "the need for a clearer awareness and consistency of the Catholic identity of the Church’s educational institutions all over the world" (CCE, 2022, #1). 

At a deeper level, the Congregation attempts to reignite the Church's raison d'être, or main purpose, for its educational ministry (#5). Representing "an essential part of her (the Church's) identity and mission" (#10), the Church's efforts in education stem from Christ's great commission, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:19-20). 

Catholic schools have the blessings of both breadth and depth in regard to forming students into disciples of Christ. Not only do Catholic schools enjoy the gift of time with students, they also have countless avenues to synthesize faith, culture and life (CCE, 2022, #29). Some of our students attend Catholic schools 5 days a week for 13 years. Additionally, non-religious subjects such as math, language arts, history and science offer fertile soil to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty. 

This integral formation attempts to make pupils both smarter and better. Knowledge and values (#23). Reason and faith (#95). In Catholic schools, "reason enters into dialogue with faith, which also allows access to truths that transcend the mere data of the empirical and rational sciences, in order to open up to the whole of truth so as to respond to the deepest questions of the human soul that do not only concern immanent reality" (#20). 

These objectives of Catholic education must serve "the good of earthly society and the building of a world that is more human" (Second Vatican Council [SVC], 1965, #3; CCE, 2022, #13). Christ acts as the model, guide, and goal of Catholic education: "the principles of the Gospel in this manner become the education norms since the school then has them as its internal motivation and final goal" (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, #34; CCE, 2022, #20).  

Catholics' belief in the inherent dignity of all people demands that everyone has a universal right to education (SVC, 1965, #1). Because of this right, the Church has a responsibility to provide and make available to all an education that considers and honors human's religious dimension (CCE, 2022, #13). 

Mutual cooperation between and among families, educators, and students marks the operations of Catholic schools (#15). Educators play a key role in this work and their ministry in Catholic education necessitates permanent formation (#14), knowledge and promotion of Church teaching and theology (#47), and a "concrete pedagogy – based on bearing witness, knowledge and dialogue – is a starting point for personal, social and environmental change" (#34). 

Catholic educational organizations must also be appropriately vetted by the local bishop (#54 - 59). This oversight entails that the bishop and/or his delegates have familiarity with the particulars of Catholic schools and offers the appropriate support and guidance to live up to this honorable distinction. 

Instead of passing hard-fast rules and regulations that must be followed blindly, the Congregation seems to encourage "in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity" (Pope John XXIII, 1959, Part III; CCE, 2022, #85). 

In a sense, this cadence suggests that deeming an organization as "Catholic" has less to do with an outside evaluation and more to do with an interior journey, effort, and ascent to autonomously claim and own this title as a part of one's identity. The Congregation states, "Even in the most serious conflicts, the unity of lived faith based on the Gospel remains the guiding compass. In this framework, doors are open to a true culture of dialogue" (CCE, 2022, #87).

"Compass Study" by Calsidyrose is marked with CC BY 2.0.

This metaphor of a compass resounds powerfully. 

We could see the principles outlined above as the checkpoints ushering us in the general direction of the "Catholic" designation-destination. Additionally, we could see our identities as Catholics - both individually and organizationally - as the compass. 

Just as Jesus never performed the same miracles in the same ways, there is no one way to be Catholic. The more that we strive to claim our own Catholic identities through "inclusive and permanent communication" (#87) and "profound discernment" (#90), the more that we will come to recognize Christ's personal invitation to each of us to move forward - in our uniquely messy and beautiful situations - in faith.       

References:

Congregation for Catholic Education. (2022, March 29). Instruction of the Congregation for Catholic Education, "The identity of the Catholic school for a culture of dialogue". https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2022/03/29/220329c.html# 

Pope John XXIII. (1959, June 29). Ad Petri Cathedram. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_29061959_ad-petri.html

Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education. (1977, March 19). The Catholic School. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_19770319_catholic-school_en.html

Second Vatican Council. (1965, October 28). Gravissimum Educationis. https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_gravissimum-educationis_en.html 

  

To the Heights

In his book, The Hope Quotient, Ray Johnston retells a story of an early 20th Century pilot's attempt to fly around the world (2014, p. 78). While refueling in a field before a four-hour flight over water, a rat climbed into the plane. About half-way through this leg of the trip, the pilot heard a "scratching, gnawing sound inside the plane" (Johnston, 2014, p. 78). 

An uninvited passenger was chewing on the plane's steering cable. 

Two hours from land in either direction, the pilot realized that rats weren't meant to fly. He began increasing the plane's altitude until the sound ceased. After safely landing on the other side of the ocean, the pilot opened up the plane's mechanical parts and threw out the dead rat. 

Johnston's point: the next time a rat - doubt, disappointment, despair, downtrodden-ness, doom, death, the devil - is gnawing at you, ascend to the heights. 

Discouragement drops; hope rises. 

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati expressed a similar sentiment through one of his most famous phrases: 

Verso l'alto.

Photo from: https://frassatiusa.org/verso-lalto  

Translation: "toward the top" or "to the heights".

Frassati embraced life and lived it fully throughout his 24 years on earth. An avid adventurer, Bl. Pier Giorgio climbed mountains, skied, road horses, and played countless sports. His joyful, loyal, humble, and grateful spirit infected friends and family alike and encouraged fellowship and faith sharing among them. As a committed Catholic, Frassati attended Mass daily, held a devotion to the Mother Mary and the Rosary, and performed innumerable works of mercy for those suffering from poverty and sickness.

Whereas Frassati never declared "verso l'alto" as a life-motto while alive, his life witnessed a constant pursuit of the best things - truth, goodness, beauty and life - for himself and others.   

In a world bent on deconstruction and tearing down, may we ascend to the heights focusing instead on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8). This doesn't mean ignoring injustice or denying the existence of darkness. Instead, it requires that we inject light and life into situations void of hope: God works in all things and "(h)ope would have us recognize that there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems" (Pope Francis, 2015, #61).

To the heights.

In a time when society quickly cancels, turns failures into viral viruses, and dismisses dialogue and discourse, staying on the shore's safe sands and/or passively following the masses becomes attractive. Jesus calls us to "put out into the deep" - duc in altum - so that we can rise to the heights for which He created us. 

In relationship with Christ, may we courageously dance in the darkness and sing from the shadows. As we do, we can liberate others to do the same. When we do, the world may try to silence our song or disrupt the dance - "this is silly", "no one will join in", "it won't work", "it won't make a difference", "it's too hard", "who do you think you are?", "it's all about you". 

In these moments, remember Bl. Pier Giorgio's response to someone who told him that he sung out of tune, "But the important thing is to sing" (https://totheheights.com/2609/bl-pier-giorgio-frassati-quotes/).  

To the heights. 

For God. 

With others. 

In faith.

Forever. 

Verso l'alto! 

References:

Johnston, R. (2014). The Hope Quotient: Measure it. Raise it. You'll never be the same. W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. 

Pope Francis. (2015, May 24). Laudato Si'. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html  

Missionary Thrust

The days of Catholics automatically sending their children to Catholic schools have disappeared. Catholic leaders can no longer depend on baptismal records to adequately predict attendance at Catholic schools. Additionally, Catholic schools have scrambled to shift from a workforce composed of religious sisters to one dominated by the laity. Not only has this created challenges for Catholic schools to balance affordable tuition rates with needing to provide their employees with a just salary, competitive health care, and retirement benefits, it has also forced leaders to intentionally focus on enhancing the school’s Catholicity and its ongoing ability to accomplish its mission.   

Thankfully, in response to these trends, various roles within Catholic schools have evolved. Instead of focusing on development as raising money for the school, Catholic schools must now focus on advancement to include annual funds, capital projects, planned giving, alumni relations, communications, special events, and prospect research. Similarly, instead of considering admissions as merely approving or denying admission to students interested in the school, Catholic schools need enrollment management approaches that encompasses recruitment, marketing, financial aid, demographic research, admission, and retention. 

These evolutions acknowledge the increase in complexity in these efforts. They also transform the posture of the school from one of passive receptivity to one of active mission pursuit: 

And so, now as in the past, the Catholic school must be able to speak for itself effectively and convincingly. It is not merely a question of adaptation, but of missionary thrust, the fundamental duty to evangelize, to go towards men and women wherever they are, so that they may receive the gift of salvation. (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1997, #3)

Instead of a hierarchical model, these changes to advancement and enrollment management encourage a spirit of collaboration. By thinking innovatively about who to involve in aspects of this work like constructing and analyzing data, more members of the school community - data gurus, number crunchers, and/or people interested in behind the scenes work - can have a greater hand in advancing and accomplishing the school’s mission. Indeed, “(c)ommunion and mission are profoundly connected with each other…communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished in communion” (St. John Paul II, 1988, #32). 

"Pope John Paul II during the General Audience (790100)" by Belpaese.nl is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

These stances also imply a belief that excellence happens on purpose. In order to adequately create a budget, systems must be established to ensure financial responsibility. In addition to faithfully following a budgeting calendar, schools must be realistic about increasing costs associated with health care, the net tuition revenue actually collected, and concerning enrollment trends such as the matriculation of a large class. All of these situations require strong administrative oversight as well as honesty and humility. A strong budgeting process will help to anticipate upcoming dips in revenue and potentially indicate the need for restructuring. 

Responding to these situations also necessitates innovation. Catholic school leaders should consider moving from step-in-lane pay scales to band range approaches to reward teachers for performance in addition to their years of service. Furthermore, Catholic school leaders should explore ways to transparently and simply communicate an employee’s total compensation package to include salary, benefits, and other amenities such as tuition remission, helping to pay for advanced degrees, or other school-based perks. Leaders should do something similar for tuition information, clearly outlining the true cost of educating a student. These purposeful practices not only ensure excellence, they also uphold the dignity of the school’s families, students, teachers and staff members.

As we faithfully forge forward in the ministry of Catholic education, may we continue to "(put) the person at the centre of education, in a framework of relationships that make up a living community, which is interdependent and bound to a common destiny" (Congregation for Catholic Education, 2017, #8). 

While this work requires that we evolve, collaborate, and innovate, it also requires that we hold fast to Christ's model of discipleship through relationship one individual encounter, moment, and person at a time.              

References:

Congregation for Catholic Education. (1997, December 28). The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_27041998_school2000_en.html  

Congregation for Catholic Education. (2017, April 16). Educating to Fraternal Humanism - Building a "civilization of love" 50 years after Populorum Progressio. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20170416_educare-umanesimo-solidale_en.html 

Pope John Paul II. (1988, December 30). Christifideles Laici. 

https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici.html