Diocese of Toledo, Ohio

Browsing From the Pastor

National Catholic Schools Week Occurs this Week

   Regardless of how parents choose to provide for the faith formation of their children, we all have a common mission: 1) to celebrate the Good News of God’s redeeming love for us and for all people in Jesus Christ; 2) to appreciate that the Faith that we celebrate has implications for all facets of living in this world; 3) to invite as many persons as we can to experience with us the depth of God’s redeeming love for all persons in Christ; 4) to reach out to persons who are hurting in a variety of ways with the Lord’s loving concern. 

   Within this common setting, let’s look at what Catholic schools strive to emphasize. Catholic schools testify that the Faith we celebrate is a Way of Life. One distinctive aspect of this is the basis upon which persons are valued. Regardless of our gifts, all persons in our Catholic school communities are valued because we’ve been created by God and are redeemed by the Precious Blood of Christ.

   In the non-Catholic culture in which we live, persons are often valued on the basis of our gifts and upon our so-called usefulness. Catholic schools encourage each student to discover and to develop her/his abilities in loving response to the dignity that is already offered to all as gift.

   Catholic schools add a communal dimension as to what it means to be successful. In our culture, we have a highly individualistic notion of what it means to be successful. This has implications for how the competitive spirit often operates. Many in our society live with the notion that at the top of the good life to which all aspire, there is room for only a limited number. To get to this top, I can only get there by pushing other people down. By the same token, others can only get to the top by pushing us down.   

   In their life-style, Catholic schools seek to express that there is room at the top to which all aspire for all persons. Catholic schools are legally free to proclaim that the top for which all persons are yearning and for which all have been redeemed is to find the Lord’s rightful place for ourselves in this world. This can only happen as each student both receives and extends that kind  of support of which the Lord is the Source. Catholic schools encourage each student to develop her/his gifts and also to support their fellow students to find the Lord’s rightful place for themselves in this world.

   In expressing features that make Catholic schools distinct in transmitting the Faith of the Church as a Way of Life, the following pitfalls need to be avoided: 1) that a Catholic school can take the place of parents in transmitting the Faith of the Church to their children. The primary responsibility of raising children in our Catholic Way of Life falls to the parents/guardians. The role of a Catholic school is to support parents in this all-important mission. 2) that participating at Mass during the week as a school community excuses Catholic school children and their parents/guardians from participating at Masseach weekend and on Obligatory Holy Days. Regardless of the setting in which parents choose to provide for the education of their children, we all have a serious responsibility to participate at Mass with our parish community each weekend and on each Obligatory Holy Day.

   Let’s be grateful for the role that Catholic schools can play in supporting caring parents to transmit our Catholic Christian Way of Life to the children entrusted to them.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Nelson Beaver – Pastor  

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