WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CATHOLIC?

1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CATHOLIC?

2. “We need to be reminded more often than instructed.”S.Johnson • Catholics are Christians who affirm Jesus • we are saved • Tradition is important to us • Catholics use minds and hearts • ratio et fides • We believe in sacramentality • ordinary reveals extraordinary • Catholics emphasize community • we are the Body of Christ

3. Core characteristics of Christianity: • positive anthropology; • conviction of the sacramentality of life; • emphasis on relationship; • commitment to history, tradition • appreciation of wisdom; • emphasis on: • spirituality • social justice • hospitality

4. In other words... Why did God make us? know love serve message community service

5. Problems of our Culture • Privatization of religion • separation of private from public life • Tendency to “psychologize” • “how do you feel?” • Reductive inclusivity • Seinfeld: “not that there’s anything wrong” • Relativism • it’s OK if it’s me

6. According to the Bishops’ 1972 letter “To Teach as Jesus Did”, the Catholic religious education program is characterized by: • Teaching of the message of Jesus • Creation of a faith community • The expectation of Christian service

7. Message: • We teach the Scriptures and Tradition • We study the life and teachings of Jesus • We study the teachings and doctrine of the Church • We infuse the religious dimension into all parts of the activities of the program • We train our teachers in the knowledge of the Catholic religion and methods for teaching religion

8. Message • There is an annual catechists’ retreat • There is a clear articulation of the religious mission of the parish • There is a concise plan for updating of religion curricula • There is a requirement that catechists be updated regularly on Church teaching

9. Community • We welcome all into the parish community • We regularly share our faith and take opportunities for communal prayer and worship. • We treat all persons with dignity and respect. • We relate the religious education community to the larger parish and Church community

10. Community • Students participate in meaningful liturgies and prayer opportunities • Catechists are inserviced on various forms of prayer • Parents are involved in sacramental preparation • Parents are involved in the religious formation of their children

11. Service • Service learning opportunities are an integral part of the program • Students are instructed on the integration of Gospel teaching into service • Service projects are regularly assessed with regard to the appropriateness and value • Students are instructed in the social justice teachings of the Church

12. Service • Issues such as racism, ageism, sexism are addressed by the catechists and others; • Students are challenged to live in a socially responsible way by taking example from administrators and catechists; • There is a conscious effort to meet the needs of a diverse student population • There is a sense of global responsibility

13. Elements of Catholic Identity Catholic Leadership Religious Education Worship Faith Development Witness/Service Faith Community Total Person/Student Philosophy Tradition Parental Involvement

14. Leadership: a rubric • Parish administration and staff give witness to the lived Gospel. • The director develops and promotes integration of faith and values. • Financial accountability and sharing of resources reflect Catholic social teaching. • The administrator emphasizes the Catholic nature of the program in the public forum.

15. Religious Education: a rubric • There is an articulated religion program. • The religion program articulates the teachings of the Catholic Church. • Catechists are trained in good pedagogy. • The religion curriculum is supervised and evaluated. • Teachers of religion are professionally competent.

16. Worship: a rubric • Meaningful liturgies are provided. • Students participate in preparation of liturgical celebrations. • Liturgies and paraliturgical celebrations mark important observances in the parish • Students are instructed in meaning and participation in worship services.

17. Faith Development: a rubric • Signs, symbols, rituals and traditions of the Catholic Church are evident within the environment. • The religious education program fosters and promotes the faith experience of students and staff. • The program teaches prayers and praying as part of the development of students and staff.

18. Witness/Service: a rubric • The students are given instruction on the Church’s social teaching. • Ample opportunities are provided for service to others. • The students and the catechists reflect the lived message of the Gospel

19. Faith Community • The parish seeks to aid the parents through programs of family evangelization. • The students and staff see themselves as integral parts of the parish, the diocese, the universal Church. • Opportunities for communal prayer are made available.

20. Total Person: a rubric • The religious education program provides for all aspects of human development: intellectual, social, spiritual. • The parish is known as a welcoming place. • The parish program values the gifts and talents of all its students and staff. • The building and its furnishings reflect a Catholic presence.

21. Philosophy/Mission: a rubric • The mission and philosophy reflect the integration of the Catholic faith and Gospel values with learning and life. • The mission and philosophy are consistent with the educational ministry of the Church. • The parish expresses its belief through worship, teaching of Catholic doctrine and programs for spiritual formation.

22. Tradition: a rubric • Besides Scripture, the Church’s tradition is transmitted to students. • The grace and richness of sacramental experience and history is reflected in the curriculum and the climate. • Students and staff study the “heroes” of the faith and strive to emulate their witness. • Parish traditions reflect the Catholic heritage.

23. Parental Involvement: a rubric • The rights of parents, as primary educators, are respected. • There is accountability to parents and families. • There are ample opportunities for parental involvement in the life of the religious education program and the sacramental program. • There is a conscious effort to in-service parents.

24. For Us to Ask Ourselves: • How can we use the rubric to determine the extent of presence/absence of the elements of Catholic identity? • What place does Catholic identity have in the program’s strategic plan? In its budget? • What can the parish program guarantee parents? Students? • What role does Catholic identity play in the development of teachers/ staff?

26. Creating the Catholic Classroom • the physical set-up • creating opportunities to grow and learn • creating the local community • offers to serve • the person in the front of the room

27. The Physical Set-Up • bulletin boards • prayer corner • arrangement of desks, tables • decorations • themes • sacramentals

28. Opportunities to Grow & Learn • WWJD?? • Seamless infusion of Catholic values • Time to reflect, pray • Catholic teachings

29. Creating the Local Community • the Domestic Church • “all are welcome” • Importance of forgiveness • Investigation of Learning Styles • Affective climate • Respect for individual differences • Respect for families

30. Offers to Serve • Classroom helpers • Global awareness, concern • Service Projects • Influence on public, political scene

31. The most important element...the people who work there • held to higher standards • “living logos” • “... once in awhile, use words • know when to hold ‘em

32. To Summarize:Our Commitment • to affirm students’ basic goodness, promote their dignity, develop their gifts; • to educate people to live responsibly as responsible partners; • to convince them that their lives are worthwhile and have historical significance.

33. In practical terms: • seamless integration of values; • sacramentality in academic excellence; • emphasis on the community of faith; • development of “right relationship”; • partnership with local and universal Church; • concern for the whole world.

35. Be it known to all who enter here: that Christ is the reason for this school; He is the unseen, but ever-present teacher in its classes, the model of its faculty, the inspiration of its students.