Winter 2017
Cover photo mural by LMS third graders
No Crisis of Faith:
How Sacred Heart Fares in the National Catholic School Trend
26
In an age when the perception of Catholicity—that clear articulation of religious affiliation and spiritual conscience—has become blurred, it becomes even more difficult to plainly define what a Catholic school or Catholic education is, and should be.
It’s no wonder that according to the National Catholic Education Association, Catholic schools around the country have been in slow-but-steady decline, as their mission is devalued in favor of competitive education and career preparation, and financial value is questioned.
Layered on top of that, the delineations between archdiocesan and apostolate schools (those sponsored by religious institutes), their governance and guidelines, are further muddled, as media, critics, and other pop culturalists continue to portray Catholic schools and faith-based education in soundbytes and stereotypes.
On the hunt for some clarity about SHS’ own Catholic identity and what that looks like in its classrooms and programs, Sacred Heart Magazine goes one-on-one with Dr. James Everitt, new director of Mission Initiatives & Institutional Planning, to help navigate this tricky topic and bring it all into focus.
“From the first moment a student sets foot in a Catholic school, he or she ought to have the impression of entering a new environment, one illumined by the light of faith and having its own unique characteristics…an environment permeated with the Gospel spirit of love and freedom. ” —The Congregation for Catholic Education, Rome
Order, as well as subject to Rome’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life giving each school a unique spirit and implementation of “Catholicity.” No two Catholic schools are identical. SHM: So what is the relationship between a school sponsored by a religious congregation and the diocese in which it is located? JE: All Catholic schools must work to maintain a positive relationship with the diocese and with the local bishop. The primary functions of a Catholic school are shared by all, diocesan or private; to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, to provide young people with the opportunity to practice their faith in the service of others, to live in community and to worship God. This will look different in each school, based on the priorities of the sponsoring congregation.
Sacred Heart Magazine (SHM): Just as starting point, what IS the basic difference between the many Catholic schools in our area? James Everitt (JE): The practicalities of Catholic schools around the globe are mostly universal. In each there will be some degree of prayer and worship, religious instruction as part of core subjects, an emphasis on Christian service and justice activities, on the centrality of relationships within the community, and signs of Catholic imagination (Crucifixes, religious statues and artwork, places of prayer, etc.). In the San Francisco Bay Area, there are about 111 total Catholic schools, ranging from preschool through high school programs. About 40% of these are diocesan or parish schools, governed by the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome and locally by the bishops. The remaining 60% are apostolate schools, founded to carry out the work and charism—or guiding principles—of a particular religious Order, be it Dominican, Jesuit, Sisters of Mercy, Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), etc. These schools are under the auspices and governance of the individual
SHM: What’s the relationship between the goals of an apostolate school and those of the diocesan school? Are the expected outcomes relatively the same? JE: I’d say it varies; there are some commonalities, but many differences based on respective interests or historic emphasis. For example, many diocesan schools focus on cultivation of strong parish membership, devotion to marriage and family, service to those in
Participating in an all-school contest, students submited photos and reflections on what they see as SHS’ Catholicity. Kylie Aboukhalil’s (LMS ’19) representation of the SHS community showcased the collective hearts it takes to bring kindness and joy to others.
27
“The name of our school [is] Sacred Heart, and every student that attends [our] school is a child of the Sacred Heart. These reasons make this a very important part of our Catholic identity. The symbolisym of the Sacred Heart shows that we are to love as Jesus loved, even if means a major sacrifice to help others. The variety of images I drew [is meant] to show that we are all children of the Sacred Heart, even if we are different.” —J.J. Boesen (LMS ’20)
need, and fidelity to the Holy Father in Rome. These objectives strengthen the parish community, ensure continuity, and inspire localized growth. From the beginning, the RSCJ prioritized in its ministries the issue of structured inequality, addressing systems that keep people poor and discriminated against. The Order strives to penetrate those places in the world where people are suffering because of structured inequality and to bring into that situation Christ’s message of hope, justice, and peace. In founder St. Madeleine Sophie Barat’s day, that meant providing young women a classical education when access was restricted due to gender, as well as teaching local village children where access was restricted due to social class. Today, that means ensuring our students grow in their relationship with God; that they develop the skills to recognize and think analytically about the structures that keep people on the margins, disenfranchised, and without a voice; and that they actively work toward solutions through social justice advocacy, service, and leadership. SHM: So the nature of a Catholic education, the integration or application of Catholic teachings into curricula, differs based on the congregation’s charism? JE: The fundamental goal of all Catholic education is to provide a community in which the Gospel message is proclaimed, Christ is experienced; service to humanity is the norm; and thanksgiving and worship of God is cultivated. But what the educational experience encompasses in achieving these goals certainly differs school to school, diocese to diocese, and congregation to congregation. And I think this is where the idea of a school’s “Catholic identity” can really get murky. There isn’t just one way of being a Catholic school or delivering a Catholic education; context matters.
28
For example, some schools employ a 100% orthodoxy approach. The rules are stated, the rules are followed, and kids learn by rote—spiritual growth is assumed, rather than explored. Some diminish their Catholicity, opting to promote values or beliefs through a broader lens of “spirituality.” Often the case with schools suffering from enrollment challenges, the Catholic affiliation can be seen as marketing liability rather than asset, so a more diluted presentation is preferred. And still others emphasize a more flexible route, presenting the Church’s teachings clearly and faithfully, while remaining open to dialogue, realizing that young people today are on a lifetime journey of faith. Kids do not develop faith the same way today that they did a generation ago even. Understanding the young person’s social, political, and economic contexts are important in helping them receive the Gospel message and make room for it in their lives.
SHM: And this latter aligns with Sacred Heart’s approach? JE: Without question, every Catholic school teacher has the obligation to present the teachings of the Church with clarity and fidelity. And in fidelity to the charism of the Society of the Sacred Heart, we also believe our job is to help our students think critically about what the Church teaches so that they can integrate the faith in a meaningful way. We think it is important to help our students understand how the Church gets to a particular teaching, to cultivate critical thinking that enables the student to wrestle with the complexity of societal and moral issues. We accept and acknowledge that students—even many of the Catholic faithful— struggle with some of these teachings, particularly around contemporary social issues. Therefore, in a way that neither diminishes the Church nor dismisses the students’ questions, we work with students to keep their faith alive while they explore their questions, doubts, and concerns. We encourage those whose tendency might be to say, “well, I don’t agree, so the Church holds nothing meaningful for me,” to see Church membership and growth in faith as a life-long relationship with God—a person—not just a set of ideas. We teach kids how to pray, often using Scripture, so that they can wrestle with the concerns that they hold in their minds and in their hearts. Our goal as Sacred Heart educators is to successfully model the attitudes of the Heart of Christ—compassion, forgiveness, respect, generosity, and courage—and to emphasize God’s presence in all of our human activities. SHM: Are these characteristics that you’d consider unique to Sacred Heart, or more broadly to Catholic education? JE: I think every school in the country whether faith-based or non-sectarian tries to tackle big social issues in some way, to inspire young people to become better citizens and aspire for
a better future. However, as a Catholic school, and as a Sacred Heart school, our starting point for those conversations is different. Our education begins with the values of the Reign of God or the Kingdom of Heaven, with the impetus to eliminate/address/fix “X,” not because of politics or social obligation or catalyzing events, but because this is what faithful discipleship demands and what Jesus asks us to do. So, when religion teacher Tim Harden offers a course on the environment, for example, it draws on Pope Francis’ encyclical. When biology teacher Diane Sweeney introduces evolution, she’s also citing Genesis—not to explain how the world came about, but why. As Sacred Heart educators, we actively apply the Goals and Criteria to help us in the classroom and in conversation with students. And as Catholic educators, we seek to provide that balance of reason tempered by faith, faith tempered by reason, because it’s the conversation between faith and reason that leads the human person to the person of Jesus. I think we actually do this quite well, and early on kids know—even if they roll their eyes sometimes—that our starting point is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. SHM: Isn’t that framing difficult to do, given the multiple faiths represented in the student body? JE: I think there are some things around our Catholic identity that are nonnegotiable, one of which is we must be explicit and consistent in conveying the person of Jesus Christ as encountered in Christian scripture. The very life of the teacher should be one that is animated by these virtues found in the Gospel—so full of hope and meaning and joy that when a student asks, “where does that come from?” we should very convincingly be able to say, “from my relationship with Jesus.” Ironically, I think that’s really hard to do in a Catholic school today. I think it’s because kids hear that as being freaky and biased. I mean even hearing myself say it, I’m imagining the way the teachers would respond to me asking them to do that. Yet, the very purpose of this school is to introduce students to Christ, to His attitudes and His lessons, because through these, He points the way to solving all of these other things. Like war, Jesus has something to say about war. Or the environment, Jesus would have something to say about our care of, as Pope Francis calls it, our “common home.” Regarding the multiple faith traditions in the school, our educational philosophy clearly calls us to educate to an understanding of, and deep respect for, the religions of the world. Our Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist students feel comfortable at Sacred Heart because we do this well. It is because we are a Catholic school that we honor and recognize the many beautiful faith traditions that enrich our campus community. We are more Catholic because of the way that we embrace the religious diversity of this community. SHM: So do you feel that this Sacred Heart brand of Catholicity, that the Catholic experience of education as directed by the RSCJ, really can “lay the foundation for a meaningful life”?
“SHS has a lot to offer, from LMS students helping with the Special Olympics, to high schoolers performing in the fall musical, and Fr. John presiding at our Mater Mass. Our [Catholic] community has room for everyone—like God does.” —Sydney McJannet (LMS ’19)
JE: We are confident that, ultimately, our students are going to be in places of authority and power. Our education prepares them to go into those places with the ability to analyze the systems and structures that keep people disenfranchised or marginalized and the courage to work towards a more just and humane world. And these kids are quite capable and willing to meet the challenge. I’m sure there are moments when they feel like we’re beating them over the head with this message of having so much while the rest of the world is suffering. But they also have incredible empathy and a desire to learn about how they can use their blessings for good. Admittedly, it’s messy, and some days are better than others, but what I will say is that the students at this school love the experience of it all. They don’t complain about having to take courses in religious studies, participate in spiritual retreats, visit with the Sisters at Oakwood, or take part in service projects. Instead, they actually embrace it. In the end, I think how we regard and uphold our Catholic identity—as a Sacred Heart school, as a Bay Area Catholic school—really resonates with students in lots of different ways. Some of our best, most interested students are those for whom Sacred Heart is their first Catholic experience—students who are Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu—who find the Christian perspective intriguing, thought-provoking, and not so disparate from their own religious beliefs and practices. And for our Christian students, a Sacred Heart education respects them where they are and also calls them into a more thoughtful, conscious, and adult faith. Most important, our students leave with a sense of their unique gifts and their abilities to participate in the transformation of the world in which they live. They leave us with some purpose and with some hope. And I judge that as a pretty significant and successful marker of who we are and what we do as a Catholic school. It’s a Catholic identity that I believe St. Madeleine Sophie Barat would be proud of…though I’m also sure she’d have a few suggestions for improvement. Please visit www.shschools.org/CatholicID to watch a video featuring members of the SHS community reflecting on the school’s Catholicity and what it means to them.
29