Catholic School: Implications For The Future

Superior Essays
Implications for the Future
The decline in Catholic school enrollment has some implications for the future, including a loss of community and a related rise in crime, a negative effect on faith formation and Mass attendance, and the continuation of the loss of Catholic identity. These implications are meaningful, and serve to reinvigorate the Church’s commitment to Catholic education.
Loss of Community and the Related Rise in Crime After conducting significant research into the decline of Catholic schools, two Notre Dame University law professors, Margaret Brinig and Nicole Garnett, theorized “that urban Catholic schools are uniquely suited to build and grow social capital, not just among enrolled families or parishioners, but among all residents of the neighborhoods they serve.” (Seath, 2015) Furthermore, these authors describe Catholic schools as “intentional communities” where the commonality of religious beliefs shared by the school community helps to develop good social habits that extend beyond the school building and into the larger community. Other researchers theorized “that tight social ties between teachers and parents allowed Catholic schools to control misbehavior and reinforce positive norms for children,” thereby contributing to safer communities for all. (MacGregor, 2012) Concurring with this, Garnett stated in a 2014 interview, “Catholic schools… appear to suppress crime and increase social capital. They increase trust and social cohesion. And the neighborhood that loses its Catholic school becomes more dangerous, more disorderly and less socially cohesive.” (OSV, 2014) Supporting this statement is the research conducted by Garnett and Brinig concluding that from 1999-2004, there was 30% less serious crime in Chicago neighborhoods with Catholic schools, than in neighborhoods that did not have a Catholic school. Ethnicity, poverty, unemployment and other demographics were controlled for purposes of these findings. Garnett and Brinig describe the Catholic school as “the beacon of hope” in many of urban America’s most depressed neighborhoods. Decline in Mass Attendance and Faith Formation Leading the study for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, Georgetown University, Mark Gray, Ph.D, concluded that Mass attendance and faith formation are deeply impacted by Catholic schools. “Having attended Catholic school has an effect on Mass attendance, especially among” Catholics born after 1982. In this generation, 34% of Catholics who went to Catholic school attend Mass regularly; whereas in the group of Catholics who did not attend Catholic school, only 5% attend Mass (Gray, p.3) Older Catholics have a better Mass attendance record, irrespective of schooling, and younger Catholics were not included in the study. Similarly effected is the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation, where the number of confirmandi has been on the decline since 2009; overall, 82% of
…show more content…
Carlson identified evangelization, catechesis, and social justice as the fundamental characteristics of a school’s Catholic identity, concluding that “the most important element in a school 's Catholic identity is its commitment to make Christ present to everyone who attends the school or who comes into contact with it.” He identifies a school as Catholic when it is “Alive in Christ.” (http://archstl.org/archstl/post/trinity-essential-characteristics-d) In contrast, Fr. Peter Stravinskas saw the decline in Catholic identity as a response to “awe and intimidation before the secular education establishment,” and the “professionalization” of the Catholic school. Fr. Starvinskas noted that “professionalization” grew out of an “embarrassment over the very obvious lacks of our schools when contrasted with the public option.” (http://www.cuf.org/1999/03/what-happened-to-our-catholic-schools/) Public schools, particularly suburban public schools, were seen as newer, led by certified administrators who got the best out of certified teachers. Catholic schools were seen as old buildings, filled with large classes, led by uncertified …show more content…
The principal of a Catholic school must be strategic, even entrepreneurial, in his or her approach to marketing and enrollment management. United with strong pastoral leadership, “religious and lay leaders are creating new schools, new networks of schools, new governance models for existing schools, new pipelines of talent, new philanthropic efforts, new public programs, and much more. But all of this is taking place inside the time-tested boundaries of authentic Catholic education.” (Smarick, 2015) Enrollment data is trending upward in many Catholic school districts, most noteworthy Philadelphia, Chicago and New York, as well as the Cristo Rey model of schools. These districts are reaping the benefit of business models that protect the Catholic identity of the school and meet academic needs of students and financial needs of the school. (need

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In the United States, the school serves as a primary institution in regards to the education and socialization of any given community’s children. Over the course of the nearly two-hundred-year history of public education in America, the school has come to replace other significant institutions, such as the church and family, in the daily lives of most students. Children between the ages of 7 and 18 spend a majority of their time in school learning content in addition to being socialized to fit within societal norms. Joel Spring’s Goals of Public Schooling, the introductory text to the course, provides historical insight into the development of the school’s role in society. From the era of Thomas Jefferson’s meritocracy ideology where school’s sole purpose was to enable children with basic skills to Edward Ross’ declaration of school being “a form of social control” a sense of societal liability has been bestowed upon schools.…

    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Our National History day project is based on how Madalyn Murray O'hair's Supreme Court win, removing a majority of religious teachings in the public schools has been the major contribution to the increase of juvenile delinquency and student misbehavior. Ever since we've enrolled into a private catholic school from being in a public we've both noticed how different the public school system was drastically different. The major contrast we've noticed from being enrolled in a public school was that the students would act out and rebel repeatedly and ever since we've began to wonder "how did this come to be?". The curiosity that built up in our minds was fulfilled with the knowledge of Madalyn Murray O'hair's supreme court win in 1963. Since this…

    • 393 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    Whittaker, Spencer Salend, and Hala Elhoweris, they write about the right ways to address and/ or navigate the issues surrounding religious diversity within schools without marginalizing or singling out one religion over the other. In this article, Whittaker, Salend, and Elhoweris list the different ways with which this can be done. They point out the importance of understanding “legal mandates and legislative policies” (Whittaker, Salend, and Elhoweris 306). One of the many policies they mention is that “schools cannot require students to say the Pledge of Allegiance if it violates their religious beliefs” (Whittaker, Salend, and Elhoweris 306). They also mention the importance of “incorporating content about [a variety of different] religion[s] into the curriculum” (Whittaker, Salend, and Elhoweris 307).…

    • 1350 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Before starting this project I came across an article from Huffington Post called Beyond the Conservative/Liberal Catholic Divide, written by Matthew N. Schmalz. My first time reading this article I thought that Schmalz was just writing about the different stereotypes in the catholic religion and that it is possible to be a liberal catholic, which originally sparked my interest. As a liberal I never knew that we could even participate in the Catholic Church, due to my views on Gay Marriage and abortion. Little did I know that there was so much more than just another thing that liberals and conservatives con not come to similar terms on from a local Catholic Church. As a community Saint Thomas Aquinas University Parish practices forgiveness and acceptance for some more than others.…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Our Lady of the Lake College is a Catholic institution that was created in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, who firmly believed that all of creation spoke volumes of God’s love for us. St. Francis was raised in a fairly wealthy family, and it was not until he was captured at battle for two years, that he decided to embark on the glorious journey of knowing Jesus Christ. He began preaching to word of God, and embraced others that were not of his kind. Students who attend Our Lady of the Lake College should be of the same example to others throughout their academic careers. As Franciscans, We live by five core values that are service, reverence and love for all of life, joyfulness of spirit, humility, and justice.…

    • 1261 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Killen DeBeers article talks about how experiences, feelings, thoughts and beliefs ignite images and insight as we reflect and embrace on our journey through life (1994). Being brought up in a Catholic community and school system has built my moral foundation, beliefs and values that I wish to share with others through my teaching practice. The Catholic school system is a compassionate, caring and supportive environment with the idea of a family community. The community becomes your family as the Catholic school system welcomes diversity and teaches individuals to love, respect and treat everyone and everything as you wish to be treated, as we are all brothers and sisters and children of God. I want to be able to teach and share these amazing teachings in all my classrooms.…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The essay “Dumb Kids' Class” falls under the personal essay it’s written from the author´s individual experience. It wouldn´t be able to fit under any one of the other essay categories depending on how the essay is interpreted by the reader, it could be any of the three groups of essay categories. I personally interpreted this essay as being a personal essay, the author wrote it as it spoken directly to the reader from it being his personal experience. At the beginning the author gives his opinion about how the Catholic school was not all for him, as for other kids, and it isn't as bad for others as some. “Astonishingly, was never struck by a nun or molested by a priest.”…

    • 250 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Plaid Prohibition

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages

    “Look at this place, all of you,” Schäffer said to the others, observing the architecture at the front part of the school, “And examine the wonder of this place. Splendid as it is, every one of us can safely agree that it is gleaming beacon to one of those days when the Children’s Paradise was just beginning to make its appearance in the shape as it is to this day. Someday, and I am not sure when, but when the time will come for us to see the Children’s Paradise soaring higher than it ever had, I would like to see ourselves at the forefront of this renaissance. The rebirth of American Catholic Education, its sudden ushering of the Greater American Catholic School System did not end with the beginning of the Republic; nor did it end, when the Great Leaps Westward marked the beginning of the attempts made to expand both Programs all the way to the West Coast. It continues even to this day, for there is much that…

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    It is a completely formal publication written for the purpose of explaining the history of conflicts concerning religion in school and the rights that students, parents, and teachers have regarding the issue. The writer appeals to ethos and establishes credibility prior to the audience reading the article because the Pew Research Center is a well-known and trusted source. The writer also appeals to logos by including statistical information such as the quote, “According to an August 2006 survey by the Pew Research Center, more than two-thirds of Americans (69%) agree with the notion that ‘liberals have gone too far in trying to keep religion out of the schools and the government’” (Lupu et al para. 4). The article also contains many facts relating to Supreme Court rulings, such as “In Engel v.Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court held that the Establishment Clause prohibited the recitation of a school-sponsored prayer in public schools” (para. 9).…

    • 1929 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The students in "Doing School" (Pope, 2001) were involved…

    • 1878 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Provisional Title “In God We Trust: Freedom Religion in Public Schools” This title was chosen to examine and understand the extent in which teachers and students can express their beliefs, and the extent to which schools allow religion to be tolerated. I chose the title “In God We Trust” because it is the official motto of the United States, yet it directly correlate’s with the controversy of separation of church and state. As an American citizen we have the right to freedom of religion, but the constitution is vague in what extent freedom of religion is acceptable.…

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Crystal Cove, New Hampshire, a quiet and quaint town nestled on sandy beaches with astonishing views everywhere you turn. Small in size but large in personality, drama, and uniqueness. You can walk on the beach, the boardwalk, the pier and yet a few miles down the road ride through the old covered bridges. The winters are brisk and freezing and you can count on having a good time if you enjoy snow.…

    • 1924 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sociology Labeling

    • 388 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Perhaps the reason behind the shift from positive to negative interactions that I experienced by both the Catholic community and my family proceeding my choice to follow a non-religious pathway, is because I posed a threat to their existing belief and social structure. When I attended St. Joseph’s Catholic Elementary School or unwillingly participated in church events, the normal behaviour was to blindly follow and absorb the religious knowledge that authority figures were providing. I however deviated from these norms and when given opportunities to share ideas during class, I would raise questions on the inconsistency, or contradictions present within the Catholic religion. This non-conforming response was found threatening to my parents and…

    • 388 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Catholic Identity

    • 84 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Catholic Identity is seen in our rituals and symbols, an example of a religious symbol are the Ash Wednesday ash symbol that we place on our forheads on Ash Wednesday to signify the beggining of the season Lent. Also, in the front of every classroom at Marist College North Shore is a crucifix, made to symbolise the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross to redeem humanity. It is also a sacramental instututed by the church that prepares Catholics to recieve God’s…

    • 84 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    Churches serve as important contributors to the spiritual growth of students and may serve as support systems within the school community. Students are the focus of our educational system. They are the future citizens and…

    • 1691 Words
    • 7 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited
    Great Essays