Tag: Catholic education

Future for the US Church? Stop Evangelizing Through the Courts and the Legislature.

Like many, I grew up in a Catholic family, attended Catholic grade school, CCD, youth group, Mass, etc. I even got confirmed a year earlier than I should have. No,…

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Like many, I grew up in a Catholic family, attended Catholic grade school, CCD, youth group, Mass, etc. I even got confirmed a year earlier than I should have. No, I wasn’t pious. I just wanted to be confirmed with all my friends and they happened to be older than I. (To this day, I’m convinced that the Holy Spirit used this to my good.) But I didn’t believe in most of it because I didn’t even know what there was to believe.

It wasn’t until I attended a dynamic Catholic college, that I actually began to learn what my faith was all about. In fact, I distinctly recall calling each of my parents and yelling at them because I felt so strongly that something I deserved, namely a knowledge of the faith, had been unfairly withheld from me. (Obviously, knowledge of the faith does not equate necessarily with virtue.)

Since that time, I have been gifted with many unique environments which have helped me to grow in faith and – I hope – in virtue. Sadly, not one of those experiences has taken place within the context of a parish.

Now, I am well aware that many parishes feed not only those hungry in body, but also those hungry in spirit. It’s just that my life hasn’t been shaped directly by those parishes.

Nevertheless, parishes frequently invite me to speak about the difficult teachings of the Catholic Church, particularly when there’s an election or proposed legislation that contradicts a core teaching of the Church.

Here’s the thing. It doesn’t work very well. The problem lies in the fact that, by and large, we are evangelizing through the legislature, the ballots, and the courts. An issue comes up and a small, convicted group will support local Church leadership. Maybe the initiative gets stopped, but it’s only for a while. If we are to have a vibrant future, to be more than a cultural relic, we have to find a way to evangelize that is not issue driven, but Christ centered. Someone who has been evangelized likely will take appropriate civic action. Instead, we often wait until the political issue comes up and then we try to teach what the Church proposes.

It’s backwards. The catechesis and evangelization needed to happen a long time before the ballot initiative, or whatever current catalyst. We can continue in the Church as we have and we’ll be a lovely cultural remnant. NPR will continue to air our sacred music on Sundays, some of us will go to church on occasion, and we’ll probably want the Church for those milestones moments – baptisms, First Communion, marriages, funerals, etc. Or, we can “cast out into the deep,” as St. John Paul II repeatedly encouraged us.

While all of our popes have reiterated the Church’s core teachings, our most recent popes, including Francis, have made clear that the Church is not about issues. She’s about people, their salvation, and their eternal happiness. Recently, I began a new role as Associate Dean of the Augustine Institute’s Orange County campus. This work speaks to my heart because I know that our efforts will change hearts and minds, and therefore the culture. In our Master’s program, we form future leaders and teachers. At the same time we create general faith formation programs, like Symbolon and Beloved. And while I’m partial to our programs, there are certainly other organizations offering good content.

Whatever the program, there are resources to begin faith formation outside of the context of an “issue.” Many, if not all, of these programs can be used in parishes or individually.

So instead of waiting for our hardworking clergy to do all the teaching and heavy lifting, the laity can (and should!) take the initiative, both in the formation of others and in one’s own lifelong school of faith and love in Christ. Cultural relic or dynamic reality. Take your pick. The future is yours.

::Editorial Note:: This article is part of the Patheos Public Square on the Future of Catholicism in America. Read other perspectives here.

Image is “Chartres Saint-Aignan3800” by Reinhardhauke – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Here is a more complete rendition –  508px-Chartres_Saint-Aignan3800

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Bp Vasa To Catholic Teachers: Get On Board With Your Employer’s Mission.

Bishop Vasa of the Diocese of Santa Rosa in northern California is requiring teachers in diocesan (Catholic) schools to sign a statement called “Bearing Witness” that they will live in…

Bishop Vasa of the Diocese of Santa Rosa in northern California is requiring teachers in diocesan (Catholic) schools to sign a statement called “Bearing Witness” that they will live in accord with the principles of the Catholic Church. In other words, they are being asked to agree to the mission of their employer/school and not act in ways that controvert the mission.

I haven’t seen the statement, but the press coverage implies its authenticity.

When I worked at the Vatican, there was one morning when a Vatican employee had called into a radio show, identified himself as a Vatican employee, and then went on to talk about his relations with his live-in girlfriend. He didn’t use his name; so he wasn’t tracked down. But he certainly created a lot of buzz in Vatican offices. Everyone – even if they didn’t practice their faith much – knew that he’d violated one of the agreements of working at the Vatican. It’s like any business or organization, a certain amount of loyalty to the entity’s mission and identity is expected. When it comes to religious organizations, even more can be required.

Not every teacher at a Catholic school needs to be Catholic, but they do need to be able to interact with students in a way that upholds Catholic teachings. If they cannot do that in good conscience, then that teacher is not a good fit for a Catholic school.

Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI dedicated their pontificates to reaffirming and clarifying Catholic identity. It’s good to see the effects of their work locally. I’m sure Bishop Vasa would appreciate support. You might consider contacting him by email or post.

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