THANK YOU
This year, we invited schools to take on a challenge like no other – CAFOD’s Big Lent Walk, and we were immediately bowled over by the number of schools that signed up and pledged to support their global family. Children and young people came together to raise money and tackle poverty in communities around the world.
More than 650 schools in England and Wales took part in our Big Lent Walk challenge and we just want to say a huge THANK YOU, you were amazing! The money you raised this Lent will support our sisters and brothers around the world living in poverty.
Schools have been running and dancing, clapping and highfiving this Lent
Schools brought children together in all kinds of events to have fun, be active and raise money. From pancake races to Big Lent Cycles, here are just a few examples of the wonderful and creative ways that schools fundraised this Lent:
Over 6,000 pupils across 12 schools in Newcastle signed up. Pupils pledged to raise money by walking, cycling or other forms of exercise, to cover 120 miles.
• The poverty busters – a group of children at All Saint’s Catholic Primary school in Anfield - committed to walking 200km by the end of Lent. Pupils in year 5 and 6 even took their walk overseas and headed to Seville to take on the Big Lent Walk Europe!
• Our Lady of the Magnificat, a Multi-Academy trust made up of 17 schools in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, took on a kilometre of kindness that saw the schools collectively walk the equivalent of a lap around the world!
• St Teresa's, Effingham organized a hop, skip and jump event with pupils and
parents competing to raise funds for CAFOD.
• The pupils of St Thomas catholic academy ‘walked like a disciple’ and made a fun video whilst taking part in the Big Lent Walk.
• Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Whiston took part in a Big Lent Ride to fundraise for CAFOD.
• St Paul’s academy in Greenwich, put their green fingers to good use and planted pansies to sell to raise money.
And these are just a few examples. Schools held pancake races, cake sales, held soup lunches, Easter trails and nonuniform days, raising money to be part of global change and fight poverty.
Growing in strength, rooted in love. How your support will help
Each year we try to bring the world into your classroom, giving you the chance to meet some of the incredible communities we support. Fourteen-year-old Dristy lives in a village in Bangladesh, one of the most at-risk countries from the effects of extreme
weather. She told us that cyclones and floods have been getting worse every year.
Dristy’s mum, Rupali, now works side by side with her, teaching her how to plant lots of different crops; how to build seed beds that won’t get flooded, what trees to plant to protect the village from cyclones; and how to use discarded household items to grow saplings.
Because of your support this Lent, CAFOD will be able to help more families and villages like Dristy and Rupali’s grow in strength and tackle the biggest threats they face.
£10
can provide four palm trees to protect land from extreme weather
£26
can help to build raised beds that protect vegetables from floods
£300
can help bring essential healthcare services to the remotest communities
Thank you for everything you do to support CAFOD and to make your students more aware of global justice issues and how they can support the poorest communities. We can only do this work with the help of schools, so thank you so much to each and every one of you.
Find out more about our work, how your school can get involved and key dates forthe new academic year at cafod.org.uk/education
Illustration: Nasheen Jahan Nasir / Photo: Amit Rudro
Levantémonos!
(Rise up!) 8000 young people travel to the Amazon with CAFOD
On 4 March, over 8000 young Catholics from across England and Wales gathered at the OVO Arena, Wembley for Flame – the National Youth Congress - a day of music, talks, activities and worship.
Flame is organised by CYMFed, the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation, of which CAFOD is a founding member, and normally takes place every two years.
After a four-year gap due to the pandemic, this year’s event took the theme “Rise Up!” from the scripture passage, “Mary arose and went with haste” (Luke 1:39). The day opened with a special greeting from Pope Francis and a moving message from Ant & Dec, in which Dec paid tribute to his brother Fr Dermott, who died last summer. Fr Dermott, from Hexham & Newcastle Diocese had been instrumental in shaping Youth Ministry in his own Diocese as well as playing a key role in setting up and shaping Flame. The morning continued with a packed programme featuring moments of prayer and reflection, interviews and music from contributors such as award-winning rapper Guvna B and talented singer-songwriter Adeniké.
During lunchtime, young people took part in activities, including social media opportunities, a quiz and games run by CAFOD young leaders. Many of the young people signed the back of CAFOD’s giant letters spelling ‘Change’, signalling their desire
and determination to change the world for the better.
During the afternoon, Jenny Garzón Saavedra, 28, who works with CAFOD partner FUNVIPAS in the Colombian Amazon, received a warm response as she came onto stage wearing traditional dress.
Jenny’s commitment is fired by her Catholic faith. At 13, she was diagnosed with cancer and turned to God in prayer. She told us, “God gave me this second opportunity, to do his work. To contribute to a fairer world.”
Jenny explained how she uses her passion for painting in workshops where young people learn about their rights and their responsibilities to care for our common home.
In a country still feeling the effects of a 50-year conflict, many of the young people Jenny works with live in areas lacking basic amenities such as clean water, electricity and paved roads. Despite this, by forming children’s councils to speak up for their rights, and by a range of initiatives like planting native trees and a project to recycle rubbish into useful items, they are beginning to change the world around them. Jenny urged the young people at Flame to rise up to protect the Amazon and the Earth, our common home. Together, the whole arena shouted “Levantemonos
Find more images from Flame and ways to get involved with CAFOD: cafod.org.uk/getinvolved
(rise up!) in solidarity with young people in Colombiaprotecting the Amazon.
Other speakers on the day included David Wells, the everpopular Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, and Ohio lawyer Robert Bilott, whose story of challenging big companies on pollution was told in the film Dark Waters.
After a moving time of Adoration, led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols,
Jenny Garzón Saavedra
Young People Demand
Living Catholic Social Teaching through campaigning for justice.
Children and young people have a fierce sense of justice. We all recognise the cry of ‘But that’s not fair!’ and the accompanying demand that something is done about it. During COP26 in 2021 we saw thousands of children and young people from Catholic schools campaigning with CAFOD, calling on governments to keep the poorest people at the heart of their decision making. With the active support of teachers and school staff, pupils were able to play their part in acting for justice, making their voices heard at an international level, and speaking out for a better world.
Our faith compels us to take transformational action to challenge the root causes of poverty and injustice. The children and young people who contributed to our COP26 campaign will be able to link their actions directly to Catholic Social Teaching, via their familiarity with the teachings of Laudato Si’ in particular. They know that Pope Francis has focused on the climate as a common good
(Laudato Si’ 13)
for all, that that everything is connected, and that we’re asked to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
‘Each day we have to decide whether to be Good Samaritans or indifferent bystanders’ (Fratelli Tutti 69)
Making clear the link between faith and action is a key focus of CAFOD’s upcoming new resource on taking action through campaigning. To inspire and motivate pupils, a brief video will detail how the biggest of changes can start with one small action, and how every one of their voices is important. With accompanying activities, workshops and lesson plans, pupils will explore examples of campaigning that have changed the world and be given the opportunity to unite their voices to those of the Catholic community who are standing up for justice. This is also an exciting and accessible source of evidence for Catholic Life and Mission within the Catholic Schools
Inspection framework that calls for ‘…records of pupil involvement in advocacy work and campaigning work and transformational action for the poor, the marginalised and the unjustly treated…’ (Catholic Schools Inspection Framework, p. 26).
‘…we know that things can change’ Laudato Si’ 13
When rooted in faith, campaigning is a powerful experience that gives life to Catholic Social Teaching within the school community, where we are all called to work for the common good, to stand in solidarity with those on the margins of society and to become ‘neighbours to all’. (Fratelli Tutti 80)
Find out more about our work and how to get involved with CAFOD: cafod.org.uk/education
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Closing Date for Copy - Volume 24 Issue 3 Autmn Term 2023 Copy to Editor by 11th August 2023. Published to schools 20th September 2023
By Professor Gerald Grace
Mark Wilson
Fr Neil McNichols
Dr Sean Whittle
By Brendan Duffy
By Dr Maureen Glackin
James Willsher
By Raymond Friel
Dr Sean Whittle
George White
We are now in the final term of the academic year and our thoughts and best wishes are with teachers and students as they approach the forthcoming examinations.
This Spring edition of the journal contains many interesting and topical articles. Professor Gerald Grace asks ‘Are we providing necessary pastoral care for our teachers?’ and Mark Wilson looks back on 40 years as an educational psychologist. A new Religious Education Directory has been launched by the CES and there are articles and reports from CATSC, CISC and SCES as well as
Interesting articles from some of our regular, and not so regular, contributors.
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Willie Slavin
Willie Slavin
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On the Present Crisis for the Well-being of Teachers and their Work Cultures
Are we providing necessary pastoral care for Teachers in our Catholic Schools and Colleges?
A. Teachers and Teaching:
Some Recent Research
1. A Market Research Agency known as Education Support [i] has been publishing reports on these questions in the form of a series known as Teacher Wellbeing Index since 2018 and continued in 2019, 2020, 2021. The Index for 2022 was published in November of that year.
2. The latest report, using a significant sample of teachers and leaders’ responses i.e. 3082 drawn from both community and faith schools in every part of the UK was a comprehensive survey of the state of teacher and leader wellbeing across the country and it made comparative comments on historical trends shown in the earlier report from 2018-2021[ii]
3. In the Foreword, the Chief Executive Officer, Sinead McBreary commented: ‘The Teacher Wellbeing Index of 2022, presents another year of data on an exhausted workforce, with many scores flat-lining. This cannot go on. We have a duty of care to future generations of children and young people to retain passionate, talented teachers and leaders. Instead, stress and overwork has been normalised in the education sector. This issue must be a priority for everyone who cares about education.’
Examples of some key findings were:
a. 75% of education staff described themselves as ‘stressed’ in 2022 (an increase on earlier years)
b. 59% of staff have considered
leaving the sector due to pressure on their mental health and well-being
c. 58% felt that their organisations did not support their employees well when they experienced problems with their wellbeing
4. Conclusions (p42) were:
a. Stress, depression and anxiety have all remained at an unsustainable level
b. There are long-term health implications for the education workforce
c. Schools support for staff wellbeing has deteriorated
d. Workplace culture matters (the present author of this article takes the view that ‘workplace culture’ today needs more study and research).
A. What is the situation in Catholic schools and colleges?
This report is alarming because it has been conducted by an independent research agency. However, it also has some limitations, the most obvious of which, is that no comparative analysis was conducted to see if there were any significant differences in teacher and leaders responses in Faith Schools. In the specific case of those working in Catholic Schools and colleges concepts of ‘pastoral care’ in education have always been central to the mission[iii]. This emphasis on pastoral care for teachers, as well as students, was made explicit in the much-discussed publication, The Catholic School (1977) from the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education. The writers of this
by Professor Gerald Grace R and D Editor of Networking
document[iv] reminded its readers that there were new challenges to many Catholic Schools and their distinctive educational cultures in these terms:
‘as the state increasingly takes control of education and establishes its own so-called neutral and monolithic system, the survival of those natural communities, based on a shared concept of life is threatened’ (para 20). This recognition of new challenges to the distinctive cultures of Catholic Schools was followed by an unprecedented section which made an explicit call for ‘Pastoral Care of Teachers’ in para 78 in these terms:
‘By their witness and their behaviour teachers are of the first importance to impart a distinctive character to Catholic Schools. It is, therefore, indispensable to ensure their continuing formation through some form of suitable pastoral provision. This must aim to animate them as witnesses of Christ in the classroom and tackle the problems of their particular apostolate, especially regarding a Christian vision of the world and of education, problems also connected with the art of teaching in accordance with the principles of the Gospel. A huge field is thus opened up for national and international organisations which bring together Catholic teachers and educational institutions at all levels.’
B. The 1977 call for Pastoral Care for Teachers and Leaders in Catholic Schools: Theory or Practice?
In recent times, one of the few writers interested in the Pastoral Care of Teachers and Leaders
in Catholic Schools has been Dr David Fincham, a former Course Lead of the MA in Catholic School Leadership at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and, following his retirement in 2021/2022, awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Catholic Education at the University. As one of his research projects in 2023, Professor Fincham has been reviewing the existing literature which focuses on this subject and he has concluded: ‘pastoral care serves not only individual personal welfare, but also the welfare of the organisations as a whole.’ At the same time, he notes that: ‘there is a paucity of empirical research into the nature and effectiveness of the pastoral care of teachers within Catholic Schools. How far is the call for the pastoral care of teachers in Catholic Schools evident in practice?’[v]
Fincham’s literature review located few articles which focused on topics such as ‘The compassionate Workplace’ (2018); ‘Teacher wellbeing in England’ (2021) and ‘Sources of Stress for Teachers in England’ (2022) but these studies analysed results only for teachers in state and community (or private) Schools. One study, entitled, The Practice of pastoral care of teachers: a summary of analysis of published outlines, published in 2010 by Mark Carroll of Edith Cowan University Australia cited any references to Faith Schools, and ‘there was one other, e.g.: A Dictionary of Pastoral Care (Ed) A.V. Campbell, London, SPCK, which cited articles by J.D. Chrichton ‘Pastoral care history: the Roman Catholic tradition’, and M. Thornton, ‘Pastoral care history: the Anglican tradition’[vi] Readers of this journal will be familiar with the way in which so-called ‘mainstream educational research’ routinely ignores a focus on the educational cultures and practices of Faith Schools!
C. How readers of Networking can begin the process of investigating the state of Pastoral Care for teachers and leaders in our schools today
Do you work in a school where the pastoral care of the staff is a reality despite contemporary problems of stress, overwork and burn out? Please send a short e-mail to my Assistant at Patrick.gracethorne13@ gmail.com mentioning key details of how this is achieved. Please indicate primary, secondary, college or academy (but do not name the organisation). General Regional locations would help. If you work in a Catholic school or college which does not support its staff with pastoral care, please indicate what the consequences are for stress, overwork and wellbeing (but do not name the organisation). Thank you for being an active practitioner researcher for this important project.
Endnotes
1. [i] Education Support is a market research agency located at 40A, Drayton Park, London N51EW: +44 2076 972750: educationsupport.org. uk Independent follow up studies have been published by Jude Brady, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge in 2021 and 2022
2. [ii] These reports show a continuing decline in teacher and school leader responses to measures of wellbeing and workplace support for staff
3. [iii] It could be argued that pastoral care of students was an integral dimension of Catholic religions culture in schooling in the past, although there is evidence that strong forms of physical and psychological disciplines were also present. See Grace (2002). There are contradictions in actual practice historically, see Grace, 57-58.
4. [iv] The authors of this document were Cardinal Gabriel-Marie Garrone, prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education and Archbishop Antonio Javierra Secretary and the document was published in March 1977.
5. [v] This is the key research question for today, raised by Professor Fincham, who is asking us all to engage in more empirical research.
6. [vi] The existence of Anglican,
Catholic, Jewish, Islamic and Evangelical schools in England is largely ignored in England in terms of in-depth research. The journal, International Studies in Catholic Education has attempted to change the situation.
F) References
JUDE BRADY & ELAINE WILSON (2021) ‘Teacher wellbeing in England, teacher responses to school-level initiatives’, Cambridge Journal of Education, 51 (1) 45-63
JUDE BRADY & ELAINE WILSON (2022) Improving schools, 25(2), 205-220
A.V. CAMPBELL (1990) A Dictionary of Pastoral Care, London, SPCK
MARK CARROLL (2010) ‘The practice of pastoral care of teachers: a summary analysis of published articles’, Pastoral Care in Education, 28(2). 145-154
DAVID FINCHAM (2023), Personal files supplied to the present author.
A.L. GORDON (2020). ‘Educate-mentornurture: Improving the transition from initial teacher education to qualified teacher status and beyond’, Journal of Education for Teaching 46(5), 664-675
Gerald Grace (2002), Catholic Schools: Mission, Markets and Morality. London and New York, Routledge Falmer SACRED CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION (1977), The Catholic School, Rome CAROL SAVILL-SMITH & DANIEL SCANLAN (2022), ‘Teacher Wellbeing Index 2022’
EDUCATION SUPPORT, DRAYTON PARK, LONDON
G) Acknowledgments
This article has been written with the support of my colleagues at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, Professor Anna Lise Gordon, former Head of Institute of Education is currently researching teacher wellbeing and retention in the profession and has already published in the Field, see Gordon (2020). She has kindly provided me with many useful sources on this subject.
Professor David Fincham is also interested in exploring the Field of Pastoral Care of Teachers and has provided me with valuable sources from his current files, with especial reference to Catholic schools.
How Good was Your Catholic School?
Mark Wilson looks back on 40 years as an educational psychologist
I would like to share experiences of the ‘informal curriculum’ in Catholic schools - the things that children and staff learn from the ethos and what goes on outside the classroom.
What are the events that inspire goodness and make for a good education? What builds a sense of belonging to a community that cares? What practices might have been part of our own schooling, and are rightly assigned to the past?
I have just retired after 40 years as an educational psychologist. I became a Catholic in the 1980’s, at the start of my career. I saw parishes and schools making adjustments to the Second Vatican Council, and finding a new vision for their role in a modern world. Corporal punishment was abolished in Strathclyde Region in 1981/82. I remember a Catholic Secondary in the late 70s being described as a ‘very violent school with very violent children and very violent teachers’. No-one would say that about a Scottish school today. Children may still live in violent homes or violent neighbourhoods, but school communities can be real sanctuaries for children. Many things were starting to change in the 1980s.
I will highlight my experience by writing of two secondary schools with different cultures, over 30 years ago. The accounts are fictional, but every memory is based on real experience.
School A
This large school had a wide catchment area including city
children and pupils from a large town and surrounding villages. When the school leaving age was raised to 16 in the 1970’s, an extension was added, so that a new curriculum could be expanded. The school management team and guidance teachers were kind and committed to doing their best for the children. I quickly felt we could work well together.
I recently found notes from a meeting in 1985 from a ‘community connections’ working party. Led by a Quaker friend who was a community development worker, the agenda started with an item on ‘How might we teach caring?’ These meetings led to opportunities for school children to participate in local groups for elderly citizens.
There had been a fire at the school. A teacher told me he carried a feeling of guilt for that fire. It had been started by a pupil - a very vulnerable boy who used to eat his lunch every day with that teacher, to help him stay out of trouble. In the week that the teacher had a heart attack, the boy set the school alight.
School exclusion (temporary suspension for a few days or weeks) was a fairly significant feature of schools in the early 1980’s, but I remember real efforts at the school to deal with mistakes constructively. An education officer asked me for a report on a boy who was out of school as a result of police charges. The school secretary told me she lived near him and worried about his whole family. She had bought him food when she saw him looking
hungry. School and social work planned together so that he could be reintegrated.
I remember a first-year girl who would now be described as a ‘young carer’. She had been suspended after repeatedly punching a teacher, whilst in a flood of tears. Her mother had failed to bring her to appointments to discuss her return. I visited them at home and brought them to school. The mother was injured, walking with a stick, and the girl was embarrassed by her mother’s appearance. But the depute head welcomed them with such kindness, and led then through a most amazing discussion about the stresses the girl was under, and the variety of supports they could put in place.
I saw this as a school’s version of reconciliation. Now such ‘restorative approaches’ are quite common in schools.
Business in the Backyard (1985) was a theatre production by the Wildcat Theatre Company. School staff arranged a night out to see it. It used music and drama to explore poverty and violence in Central America, and the influence of liberation theology in local communities. I had been reading about the 1979 conference of Latin American Catholic bishops in Puebla, and the church’s concern about the impact of poverty on children ‘born in the image of God’. Strathclyde Regional Council published similar sentiments in its ‘Social Strategy for the Eighties’. There were real pressures facing
by Mark Wilson
Mark Wilson is also a grandfather and an Independent Prison Monitor
children at the school, and staff who were trying to provide support. But there was a culture which valued relationships with all the children and their families, and those of us in other agencies. Together, I think we found signs of hope.
School B
School B used to be the senior secondary school for its community. In the 1970’s it became a comprehensive. It had built a fine reputation as a school that would open up significant opportunities for Catholic children to become part of the middle classes. Legends abounded about the head teacher visiting local employers to ensure they were not discriminating against his pupils. The school continued to have a strong reputation in its community, and I remember teachers who were passionate about their subject. The management team was entirely male, as were all the guidance teachers. There were some female principal teachers. One was doing sector-leading work with dyslexic children. Another was described by a senior manager as the way every female teacher should be: totally committed to her vocation, and unmarried!
But many members of staff remembered a time when standards in the school had been much higher. Some voiced real pain about the impact of government policy. Senior staff were trying to hold fast to traditions of authority and discipline, but the children and their families had a wider range of needs, presenting issues that needed patience and care as well as challenge.
When ‘the belt’ was banned, many children were excluded from school. For some, this was an effective warning, but for many others it was an event repeated again and again. I saw children and families developing a real sense that they did not fit at the school. Some
pupils, of course, wanted to be sent home, and learned that this could be arranged easily by throwing chips in the dining hall. This was especially true in the most disadvantaged part of the catchment area, which historically had weak connections with the school as few children had passed the ‘qualy’ exam to get to senior secondary.
I recall a tradition which seemed to be particularly resistant to change. If I visited after lunch, I would see a line of boys waiting to meet senior staff. They had been fighting with boys from a nearby non-denominational school. This caused a lot of frustration. Generations of boys had maintained the habit and the wounds that resulted. I remember a member of staff mocking the behaviour as ‘defending the faith’.
In the West of Scotland, many Catholics entered the social work profession. I remember a social worker telling me of her efforts to build partnerships with the school, to support a boy who was returning after a long absence. A time had been agreed for her to take him to the school to plan his return. She was advised that she didn’t need to bother bringing his mother. When they arrived she heard the most magnificent singing. She asked at the office about what was happening - the choir was preparing for Easter. After a lengthy wait, office staff advised them they would have to come back another day. I recall a suggestion that this school had too much religion and not enough Christianity.
I met teaching staff who cared, but I also heard conflicting ideas about what might be beyond the remit of a teacher, and a sense of alarm amongst staff who felt very alone in their efforts to adjust. The local authority expected that schools would involve outside agencies. Some teachers welcomed this, while others saw it as an intrusion. I did
not share the belief that punishment by exclusion was likely to lead to a new level of cooperation. In my mind we faced a challenge together, to build approaches that would support a child to learn to improve their behaviour. But we were at a very early stage of dialogue and learning to cooperate.
Conclusion
Catholic schools have continued to develop systems of nurture and pastoral care, and strengthened their partnerships within and outwith the school. The Charter for Catholic Schools in Scotland now gives direction for the ethos of the Catholic school and the role it plays within its community.
My memories identify two different features of Catholic institutions. School A looked to the future and strove towards an ethos of inclusion as well as achievement. Staff were committed to high levels of pastoral care. In school B, I saw that new expectations to meet the needs of vulnerable children were often seen as a threat.
I am left wondering if this divide is still in evidence today. Covid presents new challenges to teachers, and all who work with children. We have all experienced an interruption to our comfort, and we know the need for compassion. Covid and its restrictions have impacted more on some children than others. In recent years Pope Francis has suggested that the Church could aspire to be like a ‘field hospital after battle’. I have experienced things in Catholic schools that fit that description of ‘field hospital’. How will we manage to ensure that love and care is received by all today?
First published in Open House Magazine (www.openhousescotland.co.uk)
A Point to Ponder with Fr Neil McNicholas
I'm Just Trying to do my Best
They will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent. So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of God. (Romans 14-17)
From time to time I get “accused” of being a perfectionist for trying to encourage people in the practical side of their church-going in accordance with the teachings of the Church. The same accusation could be made of a teacher who expects their pupils to add two and two and come up with four. Whether they like it or not, it’s all that two and two add up to; anything else is not the correct answer.
Human nature being what it is, I have to accept that 100% perfection isn’t going to happen, but trying to show people how and why (in terms of Church teaching and Catholic practice) two and two add up to four is surely far better than accepting the answer three when three is wrong. It’s part of the reason students for the priesthood spend six years in training: so they can be teachers of the faith. It’s why anyone receives training so they can do their job reliably and professionally. Would you be happy with a doctor who chooses not to care for your health quite as well as they should? Would you be happy having your car maintained by a mechanic who lets you drive away with faults unrepaired? Would you be happy living in a society where the police don’t bother to enforce the law as well as
they could?
Like every priest, at my ordination I was asked to declare before God that I was resolved, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discharge without fail the office of priesthood in the presbyteral order as a conscientious fellow worker with my bishop in caring for the Lord’s flock. That’s not being a perfectionist, it’s carrying out your ministry (including your teaching ministry) the way you declared before God that you would. And even being realistic, there’s a great deal of difference between not expecting perfection, and not aiming for it in the first place. But at some point you have to give up locking horns with individuals who refuse to take any notice of what you are trying to teach.
In nearly thirty years of priesting, perhaps my worst experience of this was in a parish where out of an entire supposedly Catholic junior school, only three or four of the families went to Mass on Sundays. When it came to first communion preparation, I insisted that those who were eligible age-wise must be at Mass every Sunday. There was an immediate uprising on the part of their parents who, with the connivance of the school, signed and sent a petition to the bishop complaining about me and my expectation that they should be going to Mass! You couldn’t make it up. It was just one example of a general resistance to, and a refusal to accept, my efforts to address various aspects of the legacy I and my predecessor had inherited from the priest before him. Because I
felt I was completely wasting my time, and because the general situation in the parish was starting to take a toll on my health, as my predecessor had also done I ended up asking the bishop for a move. As they say about banging your head against a wall: it feels good when you stop!
While the situation in my current parish is thankfully very different, there are a few individuals who seem determined to take no notice of anything they are taught - even given that it’s the Church’s teaching, not mine personally. It’s almost contrariness: a deliberate and stubborn resistance to guidance, as the dictionary defines it. Even after seven years of asking that people not talk in church before or after Mass, these individuals continue to show no respect for the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, or for the Church’s teaching that a “sacred silence” be maintained in church. And so they stand in the aisle chatting, or they sit in the benches chatting – disturbing and even interrupting others who are praying to God! One or two of them even have roles and functions in church and should therefore be setting a better example, but they don’t.
Also for seven years I’ve been trying to emphasise the importance of being in time for the start of Mass and the fact that to have missed any or all of the word of God in the readings is to have
Fr Neil McNicholas was ordained in 1993 and is a priest of the Diocese of Middlesbrough. Whilst serving in various parishes, he has been a member of the religious broadcasting team on local radio; worked as a prison chaplain; a port chaplain; and is currently a parish priest.
missed – as the Church teaches – an important part of the Mass which is one single celebration: being nourished by the word of God and then by Our Lord in holy communion, not one without the other. But still people arrive late and still they come forward to receive communion. As I constantly point out, they wouldn’t be late for the cinema, or a concert, or a football match, or a friend’s dinner invitation, but they’ll arrive late for Mass as if, somehow, God isn’t as important. Notably also, as with people talking in church, a lot of the time it so often seems to be visitors, which suggests that priests in their parishes are not addressing these issues. Not doing so may make for a quiet life and ensure they are popular with their parishioners, but it’s not what they promised at their ordination and the people deserve better than that.
Of particular concern to me is the fact that while it is a grave (mortal) sin to deliberately miss Mass on Sundays or holydays of obligation, a sin that must be taken care of in confession before we can receive holy communion again, this too is being ignored. One recent holyday of obligation we had just 35 people at the one (evening) Mass, only about a quarter of the usual attendance at Sunday Mass. Everyone had the opportunity to take a newsletter home with them to remind them. It was also sadly noticeable that there were no children present. If parents don’t ensure the Catholic practice of their children, who is going to set them that example? Traditionally Catholic schools were closed on holydays so that children (and their teachers) had no excuse for not going to Mass. Nowadays it would seem they don’t need an excuse, or, rather, anything becomes an excuse. And will all those who missed Mass through their own fault on that holyday be at confession?
We can’t decide for ourselves whether missing Mass is sinful or
not, nor can we treat other areas of Church teaching like a buffet –picking and choosing according to our personal taste. If people feel they can ignore the basic aspects of Church teaching – or even of God’s law - with impunity, where does it stop? In our society these days there seems to be a general resistance to being told what we can and can’t do, but we can’t have that same attitude when it comes to God’s teachings and those of the Church he founded.
There are also those who consistently choose not to read these spiritual and pastoral reflections – teaching tools in their own right (and so probably won’t read this one either), presumably in case they might discover something they’d prefer not to know about on the principle that “where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise”. Well maybe, but this is the practice of their faith and therefore the means to their salvation that we are talking about, and so I continue to bang my head against these particular walls.
I’ve used the example before of the “Aladdin’s Cave” machines they used to have in amusement arcades when I was a youngster. The glass-sided machine was full of “trinkets and treasures” and when you paid your sixpence, an elephant moved round a track into a cave and emerged with a box on its back which then tipped into a chute and inside was your sixpenny “treasure”. Sometimes I think people expect their priests to be like that. They put their money in the Sunday collection and all they want is for the priest to come out, “say” Mass, and disappear again leaving them in peace.
The problem arises with priests who want a quiet life and won’t teach or challenge people because they don’t want to risk upsetting them. Yes, it’s nice to be liked by people, but at what possible cost to those whose spiritual welfare he, their priest, promised at his ordination he would be responsible
– a key component of which is Church teaching? And as we hear in the gospels, even in the midst of his love for the people who came to hear his teaching, there was no room for compromise. Take as just one example the story of the rich young man who asks Jesus the question"What must I do to inherit eternal life?”. Our Lord answers his question without compromise, no watering down, and no “popularism” and so it wasn’t the answer the young man was hoping for, and it says he went away sad unable to do what Our Lord asked of him. We priests can do no less in the responsibility that we have accepted for the spiritual wellbeing of the people to whom we minister – we can’t sell people short for the sake of a quiet life and of being “loved”. Indeed in his book The Joy of Priesthood, Fr Stephen Rossetti says quite bluntly: Sadly, a few priests leave parishes in worse shape than when they arrived. Whilst the priest cannot keep everyone happy, nor should he consider his role to be such, he is ordained to serve the people and to build a Christian community.
One day we will all find ourselves standing before God and being asked to give an account of ourselves and our lives. My fear is for those people who may be found wanting and at that point it will be too late to offer excuses or pretend they didn’t know, especially when God knows they should have because they were told or taught many times, but took no notice. And while other people may only have to give an account to God of themselves, we priests will also be accountable for how well or otherwise we served, or failed to serve, the many thousands of people for whom God gave us spiritual and pastoral responsibility during the course of our ministry, and that’s why we can’t afford to just be“sixpence in the slot” priests. People have a right to expect better than that of their priests, and we priests should be trying our best to meet that expectation.
What are we to do about finding RE teachers – now and in the years ahead?
Throughout April 2023 the TES jobs site was showing over 300 RE jobs available, some for immediate start. The challenge of finding RE teachers has reached a new level of difficulty. Within the context of Catholic education this not simply part of the wider recruitment crisis, the general difficulty of finding suitable teachers. We have grown accustomed to those theological cliches which assert that Christ is at the Centre and RE is the core of the core curriculum, and we have become hard-wired into accepting it as a given that RE is the defining characteristics that marks a Catholic education out. In stipulating a hefty 10% of the curriculum to RE the guidance from our Bishops has created a major difficulty for Catholic schools, which given the serious lack of RE teachers, is likely to get worse in the very near future. The question of what is to be done about getting new RE teachers is a pressing one. In what follows a number of possible responses will be outlined.
Response 1: consider the unthinkable: perhaps it is time to push back on the guidance which stipulates devoting so much curriculum time to RE in Catholic schools. Perhaps we are devoting too much time to RE and we do not actually need so many RE teachers. After all the original idea of there being 10 % of the available curriculum devoted to RE was conceived as a rough approximation to the time allocated to the Core Curriculum when the National Curriculum was first introduced
after the 1988 Education Reform Act. There was no pedagogical or research informed reason, rather it served at symbolic level. It was a way of signifying that in a Catholic school RE should be seen as important as English, Maths and science. Perhaps in the early years of the National Curriculum this symbolism might have worked, demonstrating a rough parity of esteem. However, in the past decade education policy has magnified the status and curriculum time allocated to English, Mathematics and science lessons. As a result the symbolic approximation of 10% time for RE has just evaporated, and there is a genuine question about why does RE, even in a Catholic school require this large slice of curriculum time. Perhaps schools should be allowed to decide for themselves how much time should be given to RE.
A helpful Research Project would be to investigate just how much curriculum time would be needed to deliver the RED which is due to be implemented from September 2025. It might well be that in many secondary schools less time is needed for RE, and as a result less RE teachers would be required. Unfortunately, the option of pushing back on the amount of RE (and RE teachers) is seriously curbed by the Catholic School Inspection protocols, which have fixated on 10% curriculum allocation being a limiting factor for achieving the Good or Outstanding judgement on the quality of the Catholic school. Sadly, there is no
by Dr Sean Whittle Senior Lecturer in Catholic Education, St Mary’s University
rationale for the alleged ‘gold standard’ of 10%, beyond the symbolic gesture of attempting to show RE is an important subject.
Response 2: Engage with the campaign being promoted by the wider RE community, aimed at encouraging more recruits into the Profession. This campaign, called Beyond the Ordinary, is using a range of promotional strategies, including social media to entice more people to take up RE. However, 2023 is proving to be a tough year for getting a new generation of RE teachers. As of January, UCAS data shows that teacher recruitment for all subjects is down 22% from last year. However RE stands out, being down a third of applicants from the last recruitment cycle. Government inaction over recruiting teachers to RE has to be blamed. The Department for Education (DfE) has so far missed its target for the recruitment of RE teachers in nine of the last ten years. The Catholic sector could be part of the recruitment campaign –entitled ‘Beyond the Ordinary’ in a number of ways. First, Catholic school leaders, parents and advocates of Catholic education could use their individual lobbying muscle by writing to their local MPs specifically about the need to recruit more RE teachers. Second, perhaps the time has come for Catholic schools to reach out to former students and make them aware of the Beyond the Ordinary campaign. There is a wealth of information and guidance about the various routes into RE at cstg.org.uk/campaigns/teacherrecruitment/becoming-a-teacher
Response 3: Catholic schools need to seriously engage with the
strategies of ‘growing our own RE teachers’. Rather than wait for shifts in Government policy, we should build on the Beyond the Ordinary campaign to kick start practical strategies to invite our former students back, into the classroom as RE teachers. This could be individual large schools or clusters of small schools (perhaps those who belong to a MAT or MAC) employing specific RE Teaching Assistants. Their primary role would be to support RE lessons. The hope is that these RE TAs would be inspired to become RE teachers. Other ways of growing our own RE teachers would be to keep in contact with our students after they have completed their A Levels, whilst they are at university. During your second or third year a letter from your old school and former RE teachers encouraging you to come back an train as an RE teacher might be an important motivator. These days graduates from almost any degree course would be welcomed onto an RE PGCE. High quality subject enhancement courses make it possible to plug any gaps in subject knowledge. Perhaps the real issue is: are we doing anything to actively promote being an RE teacher with our students?
Evidence from numerous Section 48 Inspections is that children make good progress in RE and they are repeatedly well taught, so it is intriguing why we have not been far better at getting considerably more of our former students back as RE teachers. We face a challenge of inspiring our students to want to be RE teachers in our Catholic schools.
Liverpool Hope University has Presented Fr Denis Blackledge SJ with an Honorary Senior Fellowship
them terribly.”
Fr Denis has served as priest of St Francis Xavier church in Liverpool for the past 7 years and has close
Catholic School Leaders
Asking the Right Questions
My wise and valued university tutor was insistent that we develop our abilities to ask the right questions, explaining that it was the true way to learn, stimulating purposeful dialogue, leading to better understanding and solving life’s problems. Searching for the answers to the wrong questions is a long dark tunnel.
The right questions rarely exist in a vacuum. Our schools are part of the ever-changing landscape in our society which is inevitably associated with the backdrop of educational trends. There is a relentless drive in ever changing national policy, in the developments and impact of the current inspection regime (state and church) and the friction involved in the structural reforms of the education system.
Welcome to life! Throughout my extended career in education, the consistent chime has been about ‘these changing times’ and ever increasingly so. In recent decades, politicians and political parties have recognised the advantages of declaring grand educational aims for their election manifestos.
Yes, the context in which our schools find themselves will always be a critical influence on their everyday realities. It is unrealistic to be deaf to the demands and trends of society, our children, staff, parents and families are part of that society and the ‘prevailing narrative’. But still, we would be wise to see change for its benefits as well as its possible debilitating influences. We would do well to remember that Pope Francis stated unambiguously in his early papacy, that change and reform is in the very nature of a church that is called “to be missionary”.
Contextual distractions can be a continuing challenge for schools but amid all of that we must continue to take time to discern what our schools are really meant to be. It is right to ask: ‘What is not for sale for our Catholic schools?’ Whatever conclusion we draw for the essence of our Catholic schools, it will the leaders on the ground, those in the day-to-day
realities who will be the guarantors of that ambition. So, it begs a second question ‘How will we nourish, sustain and accompany our Catholic school leaders?’ It is critical that this is also not for sale.
What is it then, that we should say is not for sale in our Catholic schools, what cannot be substituted if it is to be a true Catholic school. The real intentions for our Catholic schools are well rehearsed in many places and by many worthy authors but in essence, it will always come down to the one expectation – that the school must be ‘driven by mission’. This answer will come as no surprise but by implication, this demands that all matters of school business are driven by mission. It cannot be a grand statement on the front page of a website or school brochure, it must be evident in all aspects of school life, part of a culture where mission is ‘seen, heard and experienced’.
There is no compromise. Whether it be strategic plans, the curriculum, financial priorities, options for the poor, the partnership of parents or the training and development of staff and governors, mission must be clear and explicit.
In the National School of Formation, we declare that the mission driven school should aim for ‘the transformation of the individual for the transformation of society’. This maxim elevates the priorities of promoting human flourishing and the pursuit of the common good, believing that they should be endemic in the thinking of all senior leaders.
Our mission may often not chime with the ‘prevailing national narrative’ yet our mission should be distinct and open to everyone. If we are ‘on mission’, then we are able to begin to answer the questions that Pope Francis poses for us, “My question to you, as educators, is this: Do you watch over your students, helping them to develop a critical sense, an open mind capable of caring for today’s world? A spirit capable of seeking new
by Brendan Duffy Director of The National School Formation
answers to the varied challenges that society sets before us? Are you able to encourage them not to disregard the world around them? Does our life, with its uncertainties, mysteries and questions, find a place in the (university) curriculum or different academic activities? Do we enable and support a constructive debate which fosters dialogue in the pursuit of a more humane world? One avenue of reflection involves all of us, family, schools and teachers. How do we help our young people not to see a university degree as synonymous with social prestige. How can we help make their education a mark of greater responsibility in the face of today’s problems, the needs of the poor, concern for the environment?”
In considering these challenges, we should embrace the wealth of Church teaching for education. Vatican II, the texts of the Congregation for Catholic Education and the encyclicals from Pope Francis are the necessary building blocks for a mindset for educators that will be hopeful, true and purposeful.
However, we should be conscious that our grand intentions are only truly realised in the day-to-day experience of our school communities and the enduring impact it has on our children, the young people and the staff. This is the ‘acid test’, the true story of success, the final verdict!
This inevitably brings us to the second question, which involves the undisputed link between ‘mission driven’ schools and the needs and entitlement of our school leaders. The road to senior leadership and the path thereafter is inevitably strewn with all types of management training from strategic planning models, curriculum mapping, safeguarding procedures and so on, through to the holy grail of NPQH. There is a glaring omission for Catholic leaders – it is the prerequisite
for a pathway of formation – from those entering the profession, through to the most senior leaders of schools. This is of course applicable to our diocesan leaders and national organisations.
At the outset for the National School of Formation in 2016, the intention was to construct a programme, focused primarily on ‘walking with’ senior school leaders enabling them to be faithful to the mission of the church in education. It was not to downgrade or compromise on such ‘national priorities’ as standards. Indeed, the church has been well ahead of the state on standards. Canon Law states that, ‘Those who are in charge of Catholic schools are to ensure, under the supervision of the local Ordinary, that the formation given in them is, in its academic standards, at least as outstanding as that in other schools in the area.’
The National School of Formation programme, entitled Christ the Teacher, set out with the specific endeavour to nourish, sustain and accompany senior Catholic leaders, providing accompaniment which is so critical to success in their work. It promotes formation to its rightful place as the essential ingredient for the training and development of leaders who lead mission-driven schools. We purposefully included headteachers, governors, Catholic executive leaders of Catholic academy trusts and companies, their senior staff and directors. We were delighted to welcome the Bishops Plenary statement of 2017, elevating formation to its rightful place for leaders.
In the first instance, the NSF employs an introductory one-year programme, delivering intellectual, theological, spiritual, academic and faith driven input. Following that, is a process to establish collegiality that will go some way to sustain our colleagues in the reality of what they face day-to -day in their various roles, providing a renewed sense of purpose, hope, positivity and truth to their labours.
If we do not place the spiritual and academic needs of our leaders at the top of our priorities, then heads, governors, CSELs, CFOs and directors are grievously disadvantaged in the pursuit of mission. Importantly, this provision must have no end date. What leaders require is a meaningful
programme that focuses on mission which is alive to the contextual constraints that they experience. It must also provide continuing accompaniment which is meaningful, hard edged, generates collegiality, within a safe place where leaders can grow and learn.
We should be encouraged by the example of Pope Francis, he is building a pastoral theology by recognising the day-to-day joys, hopes and struggles of people around the world. Francis incorporates the realities of the world throughout his teachings, not offering compromise but dialogue as a way forward and encouraging us all in the role of ‘accompaniment’ when encountering day-to-day situations.
Pope Francis has said, “Education cannot be neutral. It is either positive or negative; either it enriches or it impoverishes; either it enables a person to grow or it lessens, even corrupts him. The mission of schools is to develop a sense of truth, of what is good and beautiful”.
If that is the case, then the members of the wider Catholic education community are commissioned to ensure that our leaders experience positive messages, it is incumbent on us all to ensure that our leaders ‘feel the love’. We should not subject our leaders to a ‘Catholic version’ of the national narrative, believing that intense scrutiny and accountability will breed excellence. Our leaders are ‘entitled’ to continuous accompaniment, there is a need for positive messaging, collegiality, a true sense of belonging.
There is an unquestionable role of our schools (and colleges) in the Church’s evangelising and pastoral mission, something increasingly needed in our current circumstances within the Church and within society in general. We need vibrant, spirit-inspired Catholic educational communities, conscious of the living presence of Jesus. As we strive for this perfection, then all that we do in His name must reveal itself in our schools. Education is a lived reality where facts are translated into good decisions and demonstrated by action.
“Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith” (James 2:18)
We can all take a reality check. Among our grand intentions and dearest wishes there are questions around resources, funding, time, people, opportunity, in addition to the unhelpful distractions mentioned about ‘national narratives’.
If the formation of our leaders is the cornerstone for mission driven schools and colleagues, then there are two important beacons of hope. Firstly, our Church is awash with the riches of people who inspire, enthral and educate – they form us by their words, both spoken and written. Secondly, we are nurtured by the example of those who ‘by their actions show their faith’, again another seed of our formation. In our National School of Formation, we are enriched beyond our expectations with both of these elements.
Our colleagues – headteachers, governors, CSELs, CFOs and directors of Catholic academy trusts and companies, have an entitlement to formation and accompaniment throughout their careers. Given the volatility in the educational structure with a transfer to academisation, our Bishops must assure themselves that the most appropriate provision for formation is being secured at the senior level in our schools, colleges and academies. Indeed, this formation pathway should be extended to other leaders, more recently EducareM has launched the Tabor programme, specifically aimed at deputy and assistant headteachers.
We must ensure that formational development is taking place within all sectors of the education for our senior leaders. It will best be addressed if all those involved in providing formation can share a common desire to work in harmony.
“If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:25)
The partners of our Catholic education system are bound by their faith to ensure there is genuine co-operation and collaboration between national, diocesan and consultative parties. We all have a shared, valid and compatible role and should work in partnership to best serve our Catholic leaders.
Seeing Charism as Core
Mission Literacy and the Role of Governors in Sustaining Spiritual Capital in Schools
In recent editions of Networking, I have been sharing elements of my research into the spiritual capital of Catholic independent schools in the UK. The research was inspired by that of Professor Gerald Grace whose own work on spiritual capital was focused on Catholic schools in the maintained sector and published in 2002 in his seminal book, Mission, Markets and Morality. I am seeking answers to the same questions Grace posed in order to ascertain the extent to which the spiritual capital of religious congregations is similarly impactful today in Catholic independent schools. Responses from Heads were shared in a series of semistructured interviews, and I am grateful to them for their time, honesty and candour. Their voices form and shape the content of the article which has as its focus issues on governance and how it can influence the flourishing of spiritual capital in schools. The themes explored are not exclusive to independent schools but are felt across all sectors of the Catholic educational landscape and therefore I hope you will find much of relevance and interest to your own educational setting.
The question posed to Heads was: Is the distinctive charism a key concern for staff and governors? How is this exemplified?
There was a broad range of responses to this question with many of the issues raised mirroring those outlined with regards to staff in terms of
induction and formation (see my article in the December 2022 issue of Networking). What was obvious was the critical role that governors play in the life of a school, in terms of strategy and accountability, however ensuring that they are, what I term, ‘mission literate’ is a constant concern.
by Dr Maureen Glackin
One Head said: ‘I think induction for governors is key. We were very mindful that lots of the governors had no idea. They were very committed to the school, I can’t fault them, and they want to do the right thing but they don’t necessarily know the context. So induction for governors is equally important’. One school sees this as such a priority that all governors are invited to take a retreat in the Founding Congregation’s ‘spiritual home’ in France: ‘We try and encourage the governors to do the retreat. That’s paid for, they don’t have to pay for that themselves. We want them out there. But it is difficult to get them out there because of their busy lives. It’s more important, really... well not ‘more’ but ‘as’ important as getting the leadership orientated. It’s on the same level’.
Mission Literacy
The significance of governors being knowledgeable about, informed by, aligned to and protective of the charism cannot be underestimated: if they are not, then there will be a drift away from the founding principles of the Order and the integrity and purpose of the school will be threatened. This is starkly
point, felt that the challenges in recruiting and forming missionsensitive governors were greater for Catholic independent schools: ‘…you should ask my friends who are Heads in the maintained sector. Their governors are very interested in mission and there’s obviously a diocesan representative on the Board and the Heads are held to account from a Catholic point of view. I don’t think that’s the experience in Independent Catholic schools as much...’. Whilst no other Heads raised this issue it does illustrate the additional pressure felt by Catholic independent school Heads in ensuring all governors are ‘mission literate’ and fully aware of the non-negotiable
centrality of this in all decision making.
Another issue that was highlighted by a single Head was ensuring ‘that the Catholic governors have their voice heard equally’. Speaking about Catholic governors on the school’s board, s/he said ‘they’ll always bring that Catholic element to the meeting…Now whether you go to a Finance and Procurement Governors meeting and find them talking about the charism..I doubt it! But they bring a spiritual attitude to the meetings which benefits some of the other governors who might be more financially minded…’. This brings us back to the ‘tipping point’ referred to by another Head and the critical importance of the balance between market and mission: this Head goes on to say that one of the governors ‘is an accountant…and he’s very Catholic!’ so clearly, it’s possible!
For another Head, the sense of what the s/he called ‘the other voice’ and having a governing body that is representative of the diversity of the pupil intake is equally important: ‘…we look very carefully at the constituents of our governing body…and they are looking for a breadth of vision so that we’ve got Catholics on the board, naturally, other Christian denominations, secular people and now a Muslim’. The Head concludes by saying that ‘the governors think about the spirituality of the school the whole time…its very forefront on the Governing Body’s agendas’.
Appointments and Accountability
What all Heads agreed on was the importance of formal lines of accountability to governance
through reporting strands such as Ethos Committees to ensure that an explicit and transparent mechanism was in place for the vitality of the charism to be considered in its own right, as well as how it informs, impacts and is impacted by strategic priorities. In one school where every governor is Catholic, the Head said: ‘So there’s a framework there and I would say they [the governors] are very mindful…they want to know what we’re doing as a faith community. That’s one of the major reporting strands into the Education Committee and into the governing body… They’re as bothered about what we’re doing for people’s spiritual development as what the academic outcomes are going to be’. This foregrounding of the charism in terms of ‘Ethos’ is also prominent and explicitly referenced in strategic planning and provides a means of ‘future proofing’ the identity of the school moving forwards: ‘The first pillar of our strategic plan is ‘Ethos and Culture’ and not academic. So, yes, it is key because it does underpin everything, and this is what I take greatest pride in...’.
It is, however, worth noting the affectionate and realistic comment of one Head: ‘So, are the governors supportive? Yes, they are. Are they unanimous in what they believe it to be? I’m not sure about that!’ And therefore, we return to the absolutely critical significance of recruiting governors who undergo formation so that they are mission literate, cognisant of and sensitive to the distinctive context in which they are called to serve. In two schools where the Order is very active in governance, this appears to be more readily assured: ‘Our foundation governors are
appointed by the Congregation… that means that three of our governors are priests so they have an inbuilt view which is expressed’. This level of ‘hands on’ commitment is not consistent across schools, and one wonders how sustainable it is moving forwards. However, where Congregations have systems in place it will ensure that where there might be a minority of governors who ‘don’t quite get it’ there will be a majority who do, ‘proudly celebrating and talking about our charism’.
Vulnerability
Conversely, one Head acknowledges that ‘while the school has been re-building from a real kind of difficult nadir, perhaps we’ve been a bit timid in terms of proudly, you know, celebrating and talking about [our charism] for simple, kind of economic reasons…’. Catholic independent schools operate in an unforgiving market and the abuse scandals have ‘for some people, made Catholicism a toxic brand’. This has led to what one Head described as ‘a loss of confidence’, in foregrounding the mission and charism of the school. S/he goes on to say, ‘you’re talking about existential questions like ‘Is the school going to survive? … and considering whether ‘it’s better that the school shuts down than that it loses its Catholic identity’. Since 2017, a total of 26 Catholic Independent schools have been lost to the sector (CES Census 2017, 2022), either through closure or ceasing to be Catholic, so with such real and present pressures being exerted on Heads and governing bodies it is all too easy to see how the charism can become marginalised or be lost altogether.
This fragility in terms of the governance of the charism is expressed by another Head who wishes that it were being truly ‘inhabited’ by governors rather than merely acknowledged. ‘I’m trying to get my new Chair of Governors to stop saying, “We’re starting the meeting with a prayer…”. We’re not just starting the meeting with a perfunctory prayer…that’s not what we’re about…. Even for someone like him, he doesn’t quite get why we spend so much time on formation. And it’s made me, again, realise the vulnerability of it all’. This same concern leads a Head to consider the broader question of personal Catholic identity and what this means in terms of governance, ‘…because like many Catholics, the average Catholic thinks that being a Catholic means you have to go to Mass on a Sunday and they don’t really think there’s much more than that. And…well, there’s not much value in that from a faith strategy point of view so you have to bring your governors further along the line without taking up more of their time’. These are strong words and bold statements but they are testament to the challenges of contemporary governance in Catholic schools and, specifically, Catholic independent schools. Heads need governors who can understand and articulate the relevance of a contemporary Catholic education and ‘buy into it’ so that, as one Head put it, ‘there’s some chance that we can continue with that happening, and it’s more structured rather than simply well meaning’.
Faith and Values
Interestingly, one Head expressed a concern that governors can understand the charism and
values of a school ‘but don’t see that it’s intrinsically linked to Catholicism..I think that some of our governors think you can be [Order’s name] without being Catholic’. Whilst this sense of individualism and independence could be attributed to the nature of some ‘Religious Order Schools’ relationship with their dioceses, it is of increasing significance in the contemporary educational landscape. Catholic Independent schools have on average, just under 30.7% Catholic pupils and 31.2% Catholic staff (CES Census 2022): therefore, the potential for mission drift from the Catholic faith whilst espousing Catholic values is tangible. Another Head sums this up with eloquence: ‘It goes back to a phrase I’ve used before, and we’ve had to dissect with the Ethos Committee. Values everybody latches onto… but what are the beliefs? And therein lies the challenge. What is the faith? What is the belief of the school? And year on year, generation after generation, what do we believe in?’ This is underscored by a third Head, who says: ‘It’s a convenience for those to grab hold of who may have felt excluded otherwise. And I think that’s what an Order does give to a school. It’s a ‘buy-in’ that’s easily understandable where it might be more difficult to ‘buy-in’ to the Catholic identity of a school if you’re not Catholic, ‘cos you might feel, “It’s not me”’.
The challenge facing governing bodies in terms of the reserves of spiritual capital in Catholic independent schools is their capacity and capability to continue to make the charism of the founding congregation relevant and meaningful for themselves and all members of their school communities, whilst
rooting its identity in Christ’s Church in the world. This will be achieved by drawing ever closer to the living expression of the charism itself in their governance by ensuring all their decisions are bravely authentic to its tradition. Not a fossilised tradition, a museum piece but a living, reality rooted in tradition. Pope Francis beautifully articulates this in a statement of strategic intent that should inform all governors:
‘Tradition is the root of inspiration to go forward in the Church ….It is important to understand well the role of tradition, which is always open like the roots of the tree…. it is the root substance that takes you forward, forward, forward…. carrying forward faith and morals, whilst going in the direction of the roots of the substance…’
References
Catholic Education Service, Digest of 2022 Census Data for Catholic Schools and Colleges in England https://www.catholiceducation. org.uk/ces-census
Catholic Education Service, Digest of 2017 Census Data for Catholic Schools and Colleges in England https://www.catholiceducation. org.uk/images/
CensusDigestEngland2017.pdf
Grace, G. (2002), Mission, Markets and Morality, London Routledge Pope Francis, In-flight Press Conference from Canada to Rome, July 30th 2022
https://www.catholicworldreport. com/2022/07/30/full-text-popefrancis-in-flight-press-conferencefrom-canada/
New Religious Education Directory launched
A new Religious Education (RE) Directory for Catholic schools, colleges and academies in England and Wales has been launched by the Catholic Education Service (CES).
The directory was introduced at Cathedral View, Westminster, on 25 January by speakers including Dr Margaret Carswell, Senior Lecturer at the Australian Catholic University; Baroness Barran MBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education; the Rt Rev Marcus Stock, Bishop of Leeds and Chairman of the CES; and Paul Barber, CES Director.
Titled To Know You More Clearly and published by the CES, the directory sets out the purpose of RE from Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 9 and features a programme of study for the 2,175 Catholic schools and academies in England and Wales, with a model curriculum, corresponding to the six half-terms of the school year.
The new directory replaces previous editions published in 1996 and 2012, and states that RE is to be taught for at least 10% of curriculum time up to age 16 in Catholic schools and academies, and 5% in sixth forms.
It was drafted by experts including the late Professor Anthony Towey, Head of Theology, Philosophy
and History at St Mary’s University; CES Religious Education Adviser Philip Robinson; Senior Policy and Education Adviser Dr Nancy Walbank; and representatives of the Association of Teachers of Catholic Religious Education and the National Board of Religious Inspectors and Advisers.
Based on the constitutions of the Second Vatican Council and rooted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the objective of the curriculum is religiously literate and engaged young people, with the knowledge, understanding and skills to reflect spiritually, think ethically and theologically, and recognise the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.
Other attendees at the launch included Schools Commissioners from the Catholic dioceses; and representatives from the Church of England Education Office; Board of Deputies of British Jews; Religious Education Council; National Association of Standing Advisory Councils of Religious Education; Culham St Gabriels; Catholic Union; and from the London Jesuit Centre.
Topics covered include the relationship between faith and science; the problem of evil; nature of human freedom; rights of the unborn; plight of refugees and asylum seekers; war and peace.
There is also a focus on the beauty of Catholicism and its influence on culture through art, music, literature, science, and architecture, equipping young people to engage with the Church beyond intellectual remits, and approach the transcendent.
According to the latest data Catholic schools’ GCSE Religious Education (RE) exam results are the best in the country.
CES analysis of GCSE RE attainment for 2022 has shown that results from Catholic schools have overtaken the national average for the exams.
Last year 75.2% of Catholic school RE GCSE candidates scored a C+ or grade 4, compared to 68.3% nationally.
The results at A Level were more comparable, however, with 66.9% achieving A* or B in Catholic schools, compared to 67.7% in all schools.
For more information, please visit www.catholiceducation.org.uk
by James Willsher
CES Partnership and Communications Manager
CSAN Update
By Raymond Friel, CEO of CSAN
When St Pope John Paul II addressed young people in New Zealand in 1986, he urged them to “ make real the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ” This was the only way, he told them, to change the world: “ Your aspiration is that the world should be changed. I say: you should change the world! ” Catholic schools are part of this transformative vision. They do not exist solely to provide for the material success and advantage of their pupils. Enshrined in the teaching of the Church is a vision of Catholic schools forming young people to build a better world. The Church’s most authoritative teaching document on education, Vatican II’s Declaration on Christian Education, states that young people should be formed “ to do their best to promote the common good. ”
This theme was developed in the documents which flowed from the Congregation for Catholic Education (now part of the Dicastery of Culture and Education) following the Second Vatican Council. They are a rich resource for all those involved in education. In the 1982 document, Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, it states that Christian (Gospel) values can never be presented in a Catholic school just as abstract principles to be admired. They must be presented as values
which generate attitudes in the students. Among the Gospelinspired attitudes are the following:
“A freedom which includes respect for others; conscientious responsibility; a sincere and constant search for truth; a calm and peaceful critical spirit; a spirit of solidarity with and service toward all other persons; a sensitivity for justice; a special awareness of being called to be positive agents of change in a society that is undergoing continuous transformation ” (para 30).
It’s a helpful summary of the kind of attitudes we are trying to develop in our young people. That phrase "agents of change" has always struck me. Catholic education is aimed at forming young people who will work for change in the world, who will be the change in the world, to the extent to which they embody the core Gospel values of truth, justice and love. What we haven’t done consistently is work out what it means to be an agent of change and what does a curriculum look like that promotes this attitude to life.
There are strong advocates for a 'knowledge-based' approach to education. Knowledge is good of course, but the Church keeps asking us to consider
by Raymond Friel CEO of Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN)
what knowledge is for. The 1977 document, The Catholic School, states that, “ Knowledge is not to be considered as a means of material prosperity and success, but as a call to serve and to be responsible for others ”(para 56). Knowledge is only valuable in as much as it serves the mission of the Church, to build up the kingdom of God.
The 2013 document, Educating to Intercultural Dialogue in Catholic Schools: Living in Harmony for a Civilization of Love, goes further and encourages Catholic schools to “ promote a wisdom-based society, to go beyond knowledge and educate people to think, evaluating facts in the light of values…educate people to take on responsibility and duties, and exercise active citizenship ” (para 66).
There are still many people in the Catholic Church who are nervous about social justice, because it feels ‘political’ and the Church should not get involved in politics. Pope Francis has helped us to clarify this point, most powerfully in Chapter Four of Evangelii Gaudium, “The Social Dimension of Evangelization”. Catholicism is political. Not in a rosette-wearing, politicalparty-supporting sense, but in
the sense that our mission is to build a better ‘polis’, a more just society, where human beings can flourish and not be exploited.
How can this ‘political’ Catholicism find expression in our schools? A curriculum marinated in Catholic Social Teaching which considers the ‘big questions’ of social justice through subject content is one way, as is whole-school or wholeclass advocacy. At CSAN, we have launched a Cost-of-Living campaign to support the ‘asks’ of government issued by the Bishops’ Conference Department for Social Justice in September. Part of this is to encourage the Catholic community to write to their MP with a number of key points to help eliminate poverty. To encourage our pupils to join in this campaign and write to their local MPs to make the benefit system fairer, or to improve the quality of social care in our country, is not a party political act, it is an act of Christian witness for a more compassionate and just society.
The Saint Vincent de Paul Society, a member of the CSAN network, has responded to the cost-of-living crisis by providing a lifeline to communities and people in need. When I spoke to Alessandra Sciarra, the SVP’s Social Policy and Public Affairs Manager, she told me that the focus was not just on relieving poverty. “ At the SVP, ” she said, “ we don’t only provide immediate support and relief, but we campaign to challenge unjust policies failing to provide a strong safety net for people in need. Over the
coming months we will focus on empowering our members and Community Support Projects to learn about advocacy, training them in local advocacy and campaigning. This will empower our frontline members to speak up about issues affecting their communities and campaign for change. ”
Caritas Westminster, another member of the CSAN network, is likewise helping the Catholic community to understand that justice as well as compassion is at the heart of our faith and witness. Their Caritas Ambassadors programme for schools is designed to help young people to grow in their understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and how they can put it into action in their own communities. Their latest project, Imagining Futures, is designed to help pupils develop a positive, creative approach to the future and how they might contribute through social action.
If you’d like to get in touch to tell us about a social action project or advocacy campaign in your school, please email: raymond.friel@csan.org.uk.
Keep in touch
CSAN website: www.csan.org.uk.
CSAN Twitter: @CSANonline
Raymond Friel CSAN email: Raymond.friel@csan.org.uk
Raymond Friel personal Twitter: @friel_raymond
All the archived documents from the Congregation for Catholic Education can be found at: https://www.vatican.va/roman_ curia/congregations/ccatheduc/ index.htm
For more information on the CSAN cost-of-living campaign, visit: https://www.csan.org.uk/ cost-of-living-crisis/
For more information on the St Vincent de Paul vision for social justice, visit: https://www.svp.org. uk/social-justice
For more information on Caritas Westminster and its programmes for schools, visit: https://www. caritaswestminster.org.uk/ schools.php
Helping our LGBTQ+ students to flourish in our Catholic schools
Last year Networking included a number of articles that cast the spotlight on LGBTQ+ students in Catholic schools. Here a number of the central themes are revisited, in order to firm a vision for how our Catholic schools can become places where our LGBTQ+ students thrive and flourish, precisely because of our philosophy or theory of Catholic education. At the outset it is important to remember that these days Catholic schools are actually good at supporting almost all students, which includes those who are LGBTQ+. Ultimately it is our pastoral care structures and policies which provide a way of navigating a path around some of the thorny doctrinal and Biblical statements about gay sex being an abomination and against God’s ways. However, in 2023 is there a way of going beyond our pastoral care paradigm and embrace a more profound vision for educating our LGBTQ+ students.
The reflections presented here have been triggered from a careful consideration of the arguments developed by Dr Sean Henry (of Edgehill University), with whom I am co-editing a book on Catholic Education and LGBTQ+ matters (due for release in December 2023). In the opening chapter Sean Henry offers an eloquently written appeal for what he coins as ‘Queer thriving in Catholic education’ and he explores the potential of queer theologies. In picking up on his analysis, I would propose that the idea of ‘queer thriving in Catholic education’ raises a range of intriguing possibilities and challenges for Catholic education, both at the practical and the theological levels.
To begin with, it is important to appreciate the intuitive appeal of linking or grounding the idea of
thriving or flourishing as someone who is queer with a Catholic education (both formal and lifelong). It is a deeply refreshing way to frame the situation. To briefly draw this out, it is helpful to recognise what is being proposed through aligning queer thriving with a Catholic education. To thrive or flourish raises central themes in Aristotle’s anthropology and moral theory (virtue ethics), drawing on his concept of eudaimonia. This is to live well in all aspects of life as a human being. By extension, to thrive as a queer person is to live well in all aspects life precisely as a queer person. This is to embrace your identity and humanity as queer. To link queer thriving or eudaimonia with a Catholic education is to depict a positive relationship and role between both. This means that it is through a Catholic education that a queer person is enabled to thrive. Thus a Catholic education supports and enhances the ways in which a queer person thrives - both during their school years and in the years beyond school. In past times it might well have been the case that a queer student at a Catholic school learnt to thrive in life despite their Catholic schooling rather than because of it.
To advocate for queer thriving, is of course very different from the stereo-typical way of framing the relationship between being queer and a Catholic education. This to make an assumption that the starting point for considering LGBTQ+ lives is as a problem or issues that needs to be accommodated and tolerated by those working in Catholic schools. This is a discourse that has its starting point in vulnerability or trauma or even the increase risk of suicidality. In this context the role which Catholic education
by Dr Sean Whittle
plays is to protect or safeguard the beleaguered queer person. This is to give primacy to what might be considered as the ‘pastoral paradigm’.
Advocates of Catholic education routinely depict Catholic schools as giving central place to the pastoral care of students (Fincham 2022). This is to frame Catholic education as a holistic endeavour, and going over and above merely academic concerns to care for the individual needs of each child. Whilst it is a mute-point whether or not Catholic schools do have higher standards of pastoral care compared to other types of school, it is taken as axiomatic that the pastoral needs of the students must come first in genuinely Catholic education. This means that Catholic schools want to offer pastoral care to all students, which of course includes those who are LGBTQ+. This pastoral care paradigm means that a queer child will be seen as someone who stands in need of additional support and even protection. In Catholic schools in countries such as the UK, this pastoral care paradigm is underpinned by Equality legislation and school inclusion policies. Part-and-parcel of these is the policy of recognising ‘protected characteristics’ associated with certain children, which depicts LGBTQ+ students as standing in need of additional support and protection in a wide range of ways. For advocates of Catholic schools, taking extra special care of any queer students is both a matter of legislation and deeply held principle that is grounded on the ethos and mission of the school. The net result is that in Catholic schools the prevailing ethos is for the majority of these schools to be places of welcome, inclusion and support for LGBTQ+ students.
Senior Lecturer in Catholic Education, St Mary’s University
Where ever practically possible, accommodations will be found to support and protect these students. In giving primacy to pastoral care and support. These days, instances of homophobic bullying or transphobia tend not to be part of the Catholic school experience. The largely positive or benign nature of Catholic education vis-à-vis LGBTQ+ students is given a positive endorsement in the lived reality of almost every Catholic school in the UK.
Although this is not denying the significance of this Pastoral Care paradigm in ensuring almost all Catholic schools are safe-spaces for queer children, there is a need to draw attention to the negative nature of the vulnerability starting point. This stereo-typical starting point needs to replaced by the more positive one of ‘queer thriving’. Instead of beginning with being queer as a vulnerability, a protected characteristic, the challenge and invitation is to start with depicting being LGBTQ+ as a positive, life affirming way of being a human. Instead of tolerating or accommodating the problematic nature of being LGBTQ+, Catholic education should be reframed around supporting and fostering queer thriving. This reframing of starting points should not be confused with attempts at advocacy or promotion of any particular sexuality or sexual orientation as part-and-parcel of a Catholic education. Rather it is beginning with the lived experience that some students at Catholic school are LGBTQ+, even if they are not aware of this for some or even most of their time at school. The Catholic school will seek to ensure all students know and understand that their sexual identity is not a vulnerability or a problem to be managed. Rather it is something which can or should help them to thrive as they journey through life.
It is interesting to speculate on what this would mean in practical terms for Catholic schools. One practical challenge would be to reframe school policy statements in relation to LGBTQ+ students along the following lines. Catholic schools are places of educational excellence that are underpinned by a genuine
commitment to inclusion and social justice. As Catholic schools strive to educate and help their students mature and grow up, prepared for the challenges and opportunities of adult life, it essential to recognise the importance of a theology companionship. This sort of walking alongside the student means the school embraces each child’s unique needs, identity and characteristics, including in matters of sexuality, sexual orientation and sexual identity. This means Catholic schools are places where LGBTQ+ students are not merely given appropriate pastoral support or recognised in inclusion terms as having ‘protected characteristics’. Rather, because as Catholic schools we are guided by a theology of Companionship, this means our LGBTQ+ students are able to thrive and be recognised and welcomed as valued members of our school communities. As good companions to our LGBTQ+ students we will, as with all our students, be vigilant and highly supportive in the pastoral care we provide. We are committed to nurturing and supporting any student who is recognising their sexuality and helping them to embrace their sexual identity. However, Catholic schools want their LGBTQ+ students to know and appreciate that they stand alongside them to support and affirm both their intrinsic rights in society at large and their value or dignity as children of God who are much loved members of our Church. Moreover, Catholic educators seek to make Catholic schools places which are socially just, and thus be locations where LGBTQ+ students know that they can confidently affirm their sexual orientation and identity without any concern for unfair treatment. Catholic schools are committed, as good companions to their students, to create schools which enable LGBTQ+ students to thrive and flourish as they receive their education.
In essence a practical implication of starting with queer thriving is that Catholic education needs to operate with the conviction that the LGBTQ+ students enrich Catholic schools. These students have important insights to offer as the Catholic school as a whole continues to live out the ‘joy of the Gospel’.
A second aspect of Dr Henry’s analysis of queer thriving and Catholic education that triggers helpful insight is around the spotlight he casts on the insights of queer theology. Over the past forty years Queer theology has emerged alongside theologies of liberation (in which there has broad affinity between South American Liberation theology, feminist theology and black theology). Queer theologies arise from a need to imagine theology and theological authority differently. Implicit in queer theology is a challenge to received norms that have implicitly shaped theology. Within queer theology this challenge is associated with an irreverence. It is perhaps in the irreverent challenge to theology and theological authority that fresh insights can be opened up in developing the theory of Catholic education.
It is imperative to reiterate the positive potential in aligning Catholic education with the theme of ‘queer thriving’. This is because it allows movement beyond the pastoral care paradigm, where LGBTQ+ students are protected and supported because they have this issue or problem to deal with. However in shifting the starting point (from where LGBTQ+ lives are problems or issues to be ‘dealt’ with) it allows Catholic schools to begin by framing the inclusion of LGBTQ+ students in more positive terms. The exciting possibilities opened up by the idea of queer thriving is that it allows Catholic education to become the site where young people can flourish or thrive precisely as LGBTQ+ people. Who belong to a Catholic school. Ultimately, this an invitation to put queer theology at the service of the practice and theory of Catholic education.
References
Henry S. (Forth coming in 2023). Queer thriving in Catholic education: The role of queer theologies in Whittle & Henry (Ed.), Springer: Singapore.
Fincham D. (2021). Being the Good Shepherd. Blessed Hope Publishing: London
LGBT+ Inclusion in Catholic Schools A Year on
by George
A lot has happened for me in the last 12 months. In this journal last year I wrote about the necessity of LGBT+ Inclusion in Catholic Schools. This is in accordance with the teaching found in the Catechism, in particular in 2538, where it says ‘[LGBT+ People] are to be accepted with sensitivity, compassion and respect. Any form of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.’ Since the last time I wrote, I have been able to discuss how Catholic schools might be more inclusive for the LGBT+ community on GB News, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Leicester, Pink News, Schools Week and more.
I have helped to shape lessons from the organisation ‘Just Like Us’ on being an LGBT+ Catholic and I have become a published author in ‘Diverse Educators: The Manifesto’ where I spoke about how the protected characteristics of religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment might work together.
One of the greatest privileges I have had in the last 12 months came from my role as one of the committee members at Quest, the charity aimed at LGBTI Catholics and their families providing
pastoral support. In the summer term of last year, we hosted an online conference titled ‘LGBT+ Inclusion in Catholic Schools’ with Fr James Martin SJ who has always been a vocal advocate for the LGBT+ community despite the vast number of threats he receives online. In spite of that, he has received commendation from Pope Francis for his ministry towards LGBT+ Catholics when he said, ‘I pray for you and your work’ in a letter received in 2023 and prior to that Pope Francis thanked him for his ‘pastoral zeal and ability to be close to people with the closeness Jesus had’ in reference to his LGBT+ ministry. I was able to interview Father James Martin SJ in a conversation that lasted the best part of one hour and thirty minutes in which time he gave several helpful ways in which schools – and all Catholics – can be more inclusive of the LGBT+ community. I was set with my questions and after the interview has finished, I tried to process this into some simple tips that anyone might be able to take away from the session. I have settled on the following three, some of which have even been picked up by the Holy Father in the last few months.
Firstly, as Catholic educators and ministers, we are invited to listen to the stories and experiences of the LGBT+ community. In particular, we are invited to listen to the language that the community uses to describe ourselves and our stories. Pope
Francis is the first Pope to say the word ‘gay’ instead of the outdated phrase in the catechism ‘homosexual’. When we listen to the stories of others, we are more easily enabled to accept with compassion, sensitivity and respect. Pope Francis encourages us to reach out to those on the peripheries – and very often –LGBT+ people can feel as though they are there. In the school resources provided by each diocese for Synod 21-23, pupils are asked the question, ‘who are the people who feel excluded and left out of the church?’ In my experience, lots of pupils labelled the LGBT+ community amongst others. From what we have seen of the synod responses, the contributions of LGBT+ people and women have been recorded, visibly – perhaps most obviously included for the first time in the history of the Church. I invite my fellow educators to recognise the language they are using in schools; use the preferred names of trans pupils, use ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ instead of ‘homosexual’ and invite LGBT+ Catholics to tell their story to pupils and staff. Reprint lanyard cards with pronouns and new photos for pupils who come out. Use LGBT+ people and symbols in marketing material. I was fortunate enough to be selected to be in a campaign for the Department for Education’s ‘Get into Teaching campaign where I spoke openly about being a transgender and Catholic teacher of Religious Education. These visible signs help
White Transgender and Catholic teacher of Religious Education at a Catholic secondary school in Leicester
pupils and staff who are LGBT+ to know that they are welcome and accepted, as church teaching says that we should be.
Secondly, there are many opportunities in the academic calendar that are fitting for both Catholics and the LGBT+ community. Fr James Martin SJ spoke about meeting young people where they are, accompanying them and celebrating their journey in life with them. For example, he has written that Catholics can absolutely celebrate Pride month, providing the focus is on human dignity. There are many ways to celebrate and/or remember the LGBT+ community throughout the year. For example, in my own diocese, we hosted a mass with the intention of remembering ‘Transgender Day of Remembrance’ on November 20th. This is a day where we remember those who have lost their life due to their transgender identity; whether by murder or suicide. We pray for the souls of the departed and also pray for an end to the persecution that they may have faced which led to their death. We wrote bidding prayers with this in mind and came together to remember this event with trans people and allies in our community. In addition, you may choose to look at material that goes out in February which is LGBT+ History Month. We wrote prayers for our morning registration in which we included the scripture from Psalm 139, ‘I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made’ and we invited the school to come together for an end to LGBT+ persecution around the world. This kind of education helps us to prevent discrimination which might be directed towards the LGBT+ community especially from a religious perspective.
Finally, and perhaps the most
obvious way to help contribute to the avoidance of persecution, we are called to stand up for the legal rights of our LGBT+ communities and relationships around the world. Pope Francis recently publicly spoke about the great injustice in several countries in the world who give a prison sentence or death penalty to those who are LGBT+. Prior to this, the Pope has advocated for legal same sex unions saying that LGBT+ couples have a right to be protected as families. This is perhaps a little harder for us to easily translate into life at school but not impossible. For a start, we can use clips of Pope Francis talking about these things to educate pupils on the realities of the world and what this means for LGBT+ people. We can also use it to guides our policy writing. As published by the Catholic Education Service in 2018 ‘Made in God’s Image’ we should deal with homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying the same way we do other discriminatory bullying. Our policies should clearly state that these types of behaviours will be treated in the same way as racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. If we do not treat homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in the same way, then we are guilty of breaking the law. Policies (such as those around uniform/make up and behaviour) should be gender neutral so that they apply to all students fairly.
The conversations I have had around LGBT+ Inclusion have led more generally to a review of the way in which we talk about diversity, equality and inclusion for all in our school. We host two ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ weeks a year where we have sessions from outside visitors as well as students sharing with their peers on things like race, faith, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental health, neurodiversity and the
intersectional nature of lots of these characteristics. It has helped us to reassess the way in which we raise awareness to and celebrate our own diversity as a Catholic school community.
We were commended in our recent Ofsted inspection as being an ‘inclusive’ school and we now have a dedicated staff and pupil group working towards our initiative to celebrate all human dignity in our community and ensure that everyone has a place – and more importantly a voice – at our table. We are guided by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching; solidarity, common good, participation and, of course, human dignity.
I am pleased to say that I am dropping to a 0.8 teaching timetable next year and will be available on Wednesdays to visit other schools who are seeking to make a visible commitment to including the LGBT+ community in their Catholic Schools. I have already delivered training to many state and private schools, leaders and governors as well as pupils. I have shared my story and also been able to offer advice on creating inclusive schools through policy, teaching, prayer and worship and more. Please visit www.transcatholicteacher.com to learn more about what I can offer and to read my reviews.
News from CATSC
Professor Lydon, CATSC Treasurer, Presents Keynote Address at the Opening of the Academic Year at the Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana (PUCPR), Curitiba, Brazil
Professor John Lydon, Professor of Catholic Education at St Mary’s University and Editor of International Studies in Catholic Education, presented a keynote address to 500 Professors and lecturers [with a further 500 online] to mark the opening of the 2023 Academic Year of the Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana. 32,000 students are enrolled at the University including 5,000 postgraduate students. There are 1,500 faculty members engaged in 80+ undergraduate programmes, 16 Master’s programmes 13 PhD programmes. In 1985, the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education bestowed upon the University the title of Pontifical, recognizing its commitment to quality, Christian values and solidarity. The University is located on four campuses across the state of Parana. The University has 286 partner Universities in 47 countries including a partnership with St Mary’s University Twickenham. The mission statement of the University is illuminative:
The Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, guided by ethical, Christian and Marist principles,
has as mission the development and dissemination of knowledge and culture and the promotion of comprehensive and permanent qualification of citizens and professionals committed to life and to the progress of the society.
The Rector of the University, Brother Rogério Matteucci FMS is a Marist Brother committed deeply to promoting the Marist charism, reflected in the many symbols of that charism visible across the University, prominent among them being statues and sayings of the founder of the Congregation, St Marcellin Champagnat. In inviting Professor Lydon, Bro Rogério insisted that the keynote focus on the Global Compact on Catholic Education, proposed by Pope Francis in October 2020, and its Implications for the Teacher’s Practice in the Classroom. In introducing Professor Lydon, Bro. Regerio reference the Global Compact:
And, in that same sense, being a Catholic institution, PUCPR lives up to the adjective “catholic”– when it comes to being “universal,”
“comprehensive,” “totalizing” –and, therefore, joins the Global Compact on Education summoned by Pope Francis. It is a global, joint initiative of all who feel responsible for the educational processes, calling on us to weave an education in a communal and solidary way.
In his video message of 15-102020 Pope Francis calls for a new era of educational commitment involving all members of society. For this reason, he invites families, communities, schools, universities, institutions, religions, rulers, men and women of culture, science, sport, artists, media professionals, i.e. the whole of humanity, to sign a compact on education by committing themselves personally to take up the following seven commitments.
Lydon emphasised that each commitment is significant in all Catholic education contexts throughout the globe. The issue of women’s rights, for example, is certainly a key point for discussion across UK and the majority of European Universities, recognising, as in Brazil, that women enjoy the same legal rights and duties as men, expressed clearly in the 5th article of Brazil's 1988 Constitution. In the UK, most Universities have adopted Athena SWAN a, quality charter mark framework and accreditation scheme established and managed by the UK Equality Challenge Unit in 2005 that recognises and celebrates good practices in higher education and research institutions towards the advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success, especially in the context
Professor Lydon pictured with Bro. Rogério Matteuci, Rector of Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana
Professor Lydon pictured with Members of the Marist Identity Group
of promotions to positions of leadership. A report by the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development of England and Wales (CAFOD) suggests that safeguarding our common home from exploitation of its resources has been particularly keenly felt in Brazil. The report signposts the work of the National Human Rights Council in Brazil, highlighting some success for indigenous peoples following advocacy.
For the purposes of his presentation, however, Lydon focused on two of the commitments which, in his view, underpin the five other commitments: ‘To make human persons the centre’ and ‘To listen to the voices of students and young people in order to build together a future of justice, peace and a dignified life.’
TO MAKE HUMAN PERSONS THE CENTRE
The introductory paragraph of this commitment states its aim:
To make human persons the centre of every educational programme, in order to foster their distinctiveness and their capacity for relationship with others against the spread of the throwaway culture.
Lydon affirmed that, in essence Pope Francis is suggesting that Catholic education should be dominated by a holistic perspective, a term hallowed in the documents published by the Dicastery for Culture and Education, (formerly the Congregation for Catholic Education), since its establishment following the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. This perspective was alluded to by Cardinal Tolentino (2023:2), Prefect of the Dicastery of Education and Culture, in a recent address to the International Federation of Catholic Universities:
We have to strive for Catholic Universities to be good universities. But we must also bear in mind that this is not enough. In Pope Francis’s
mind, Catholic Universities shouldn’t just deliver quality degrees and ensure the pursuit of ambitious careers for their students. As the Pope said in his World Day of Peace message of 2021, the Church wishes our institutions of higher learning to shine as world universities that, by offering their educational services, are in a capacity to “pass on a system of values based on the recognition of the dignity of each person.
In this section of his presentation, Lydon’s key point related to his conviction that, in order to “make human persons the centre”, University leaders and staff must be committed consistently to a sacramental vision of leadership, that is modelling ministry on that of Christ. In his acclaimed Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Pope St John Paul II cites ‘Christ’ 50 times, several times in relation to the centrality of witness:
By its very nature, each Catholic University makes an important contribution to the Church's work of evangelization. It is a living institutional witness to Christ and his message, so vitally important in cultures marked by secularism, or where Christ and his message are still virtually unknown. Moreover, all the basic academic activities of a Catholic University are connected with and in harmony with the evangelizing mission of the Church. (Pope John Paul II 1990:49)
The then Pope insists that this “living institutional witness” is not the sole preserve of University academics but is inclusive of “Directors and administrators in a Catholic University” who “promote the constant growth of the University and its community through a leadership of service; the dedication and witness of the non-academic staff are vital for the identity and life of the University.
Lydon then asked a question of his listeners: What, you may ask, does
“this living institutional witness” incorporate in respect of the role of a University staff member? In terms of the sacramental perspective, he suggested that witness is the key. By modelling his/her ministry on Christ the teacher will reflect the key aspects of that ministry which encompass an invitational and inclusive approach to all, effective presence, respect for an individual’s discernment and challenge, reflected in the response of the first disciples. Each of these aspects is underpinned by a commitment to the building of community which is a central feature of the sacramental perspective, both being linked integrally in all post-Vatican II documents on Catholic education. He went on to suggest that the concept of dialogue underpins these approaches, a concept which will be surveyed in relation to “listening to the voices of students”. Building community (or collaborative ministry to signpost the ecclesial term) is integrally linked with ‘dialogue’, a point which Bro. Carlos do Prado (2023: emphasised, in his recently completed PhD thesis at St Mary’s University, as a distinctive feature of the Marist charism:
For Marcellin Champagnat, fraternity/shared life should be a witness to Gospel living, love and mutual acceptance overcoming all kinds of differences. In his Spiritual Testament, Marcellin Champagnat asked the Marist Brothers to live the fraternity/shared life: “Dear Brothers, I beg of you with all the love of my heart, and by all the love you bear me, keep ever alive among you the charity of Christ. Love one another as Jesus Christ has loved you (Jn 13:34). Be of one heart and one mind” (Institute of the Marist Brothers 2020b, 124-5). Therefore, the witness of fraternity/shared life is also understood as mission.
TO LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
In his address previously referenced Cardinal Tolentino claimed that “the invitation to dialogue pervades
the entirety of his messages and addresses to all ecclesial communities and the world.” (2023:5). Linking dialogue with the current focus on synodality within the Catholic Church globally, the Cardinal insists that they must allow individuals to express themselves and humanly grow in a process of relationship of dialogue, through constructive interaction, through the demonstration of respect, through the acceptation of various points of view, through the fostering of trust in an atmosphere of genuine collegiality.
While endorsing Pope Francis’ emphasis on the centrality of dialogue, Tolentino (2023: offers a note of caution, underlining the significance of the virtue of balance, reflecting, perhaps the duality of teaching as both a profession and a vocation (see Lydon 2011:135):
*We know that the goal of the teaching dispensed in our Catholic Universities is the holistic formation of the person. Well, dialogue, when it is properly channelled, can reinforce what persons have achieved and open their horizon by enabling them to surpass themselves and by helping them to build the social friendship and universal brotherhood that we’ve been expecting. Let’s not forget that if our educational institutions are not open to dialogue, they will inevitably become isolated, even if their educational project was inspired by Christian doctrine. Likewise, if our institutions busy themselves only with dialogue while forgetting their distinctive identity, they will end up as mere institutions that go where the wind blows. Virtue seeks for balance.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN THE CLASSROOM – A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE
The mission and vision of Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana has certainly achieved a balance since its founding as a Marist University in
1973, especially in the introduction by former Rector Bro. Clemente Juliatto, FMS, of a COMMUNITY PROJECT involving EVERY student developing social actions that allow immersion in different realities, gaining awareness of their role in society and contributing to social transformation. This social action contributes to the aggregation of the final degree award for all undergraduate students. While the project met resistance at first, students have embraced the project with many going above and beyond, especially in regards to inhabitants of the favela close to the University. This project encapsulates the notion of a holistic perspective, canonised in St John Bosco’s aphorism “honest citizens and good Christians”, a seminal aim which permeates primary and secondary Salesian sources, the phrase first appearing in St John Bosco’s ‘Plan for the Regulation of the Oratory’ in 1854. (Lemoyne 1989 Volume II:46). The Community Project is animated by several members of staff, demonstrating a sacramental vision referenced earlier alongside breaking open the concept of dialogue between staff and students to reach out beyond simply conversation.
In the specific context of the relationship between University students and their teachers, ,Fr. Michael Vojtáš SDB (2021:103), the Vice Rector of the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, discusses the promotion of a pedagogy of educational environment and a pedagogy of personal accompaniment. He cites Fr Carlo Nanni (1988:45) who proposed to overcome the pure reactive mentality with respect to the needs of the young and proactively proposed pastoral care among university students as a privileged field of ministry. In a separate article Vojtáš articulates what, at first sight, may appear to be a provocative statement:
The context of young people’s identity construction is not a guidance interview with an expert
in an aseptic office. If we take the original inspiration from Don Bosco, the logic of the family environment was fundamental. ….. The idea of a University Community that is only functional to the activities of the project is not enough. It must be a vital world that embodies the values and virtues of faith and, in this sense; it must be an “alternative” environment to the surrounding world that …… is so open but also structured, it accompanies growth.
Vojtáš suggests that there is a need to create an organizational culture within Catholic Universities in which Christian values, civil values and Catholic social teaching are merged into an Institutional Project, analogous to that already in existence in Curitiba, with standards and participatory processes in the Academic Community, activities of education in values, empowerment, volunteering, personal discernment and accompaniment. He insists that:
….. if this does not occur in daily activity and there are no standards, structures and resources for accompaniment (young people at the centre of educational attention) or student participatory organizations (young people at the centre of educational activity), the project is contradicted by reality and becomes analogous to a secular institution.
CONCLUSION
This article, in Lydon’s view, is summed up by the following reference to the Marist and Salesian charisms made by Crisogno Pereira, an academic from East Timor engaged in the formation of Catholic teachers, a statement
Professor Lydon pictured with the Marist community Curitiba
in which she refers to the human person at the centre and the centrality of TRUST.
The spirit underpinning educational philosophies, such as the Marist Brothers and the Salesians of Don Bosco, urges all educators to have the student as the centre of focus of their concern and empathy and for the educator to be at the service in trust of the student in facilitating holistic learning. Hopefully these values will inform and shape the way students are educated in East Timor well into the future.
Equally hopefully, such values will inform the shape of University education in all Catholic Universities across the globe.
REFERENCES
Do Prado, Bro, C, (2022), Revitalising the Prophetic and Collaborative Global Leadership and the Charism of the Institute of the Marist Brothers: Challenges and Opportunities, Twickenham, St Mary’s University Unpublished PhD Thesis
Lemoyne, J. 1989. The Biographical Memoirs of St John Bosco. (MB), New Rochelle NY: Salesian Publications. Volumes 1-X. Lydon, J. (2011). The Contemporary Catholic Teacher: A Reappraisal of the Concept of Teaching as a Vocation in the Catholic Christian Context, Saarbrucken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing Pope John Paul II, (1990), Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, London, CTS
Pope Francis, (2020), Global Compact on Catholic Education, Rome, Congregation for Catholic Education
Tolentino, H. E. Cardinal José Mendonça, (2023), What the Church expects from Catholic Universities, Paris, FIUC
A Warm Welcome to New PhD Student from Hong Kong
Researching on the charism of the Maryknoll Sisters
Christina Lee Choi recently commenced her doctoral studies (February 2023) at St Mary’s University on the topic of ‘Passing on the Baton: maintenance of the charism of the Maryknoll Sisters in a contemporary context – opportunities and challenges’. The interest in this research area came from Christina’s professional role as School Manager of both sections (Primary and Secondary) of Maryknoll Convent School and as Councillor to the School Sponsoring Body (SSB).
History and Legacy of the Maryknoll Sisters
Before the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong was set up in 1946, missionaries from foreign congregations arrived in the small fishing village of Hong Kong (the Roman Catholic Church was established then as a mission prefecture) as early as 1841, and sought to respond to different local needs. The Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic from the United States of America arrived and set up their first school in the form of a kindergarten in 1925.
Christina writes that in contemporary Hong Kong, Catholic school sponsoring bodies operate over one-fifth of Hong Kong’s public schools, influencing over 190,000 students, and employing over 12,000 teachers. The Catholic school is one of the largest religious denominations operating Hong Kong’s public schools. What has changed over time is that the school sponsoring body has been passed from the Maryknoll Sisters to Maryknoll Convent School Foundation, a non-profit organisation set up by former students specifically for the sole purpose of school sponsorship. Similar to the UK, this significant transition from religious to lay trusteeship is of much interest. Therefore, this research aims to describe the effort made by the School Sponsoring Body and school leadership in the maintenance of the charism of the Maryknoll Sisters, almost a hundred years since the first Maryknoll Sisters set foot on Chinese soil, and illuminate major opportunities and challenges in the quest to ‘keep the lamp alight and burning’. With this pioneering move, it is hoped that it will be possible to determine the best way forward for other Catholic schools in Hong Kong.
The Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic were the first United States-based Catholic congregation of women religious founded in the early 20th century dedicated to foreign missionary work. Its founder, Mary Josephine Rogers was born on October 27, 1882 to a middleclass Boston Irish Catholic family (LaVerdiere, 2011). Ever since she was young, Mother Mary Joseph’s heart was open to reaching out to all cultures and nations. Immigration from Europe was at its peak when Mary Joseph Rogers was growing up in Boston, at the end of the 19th and beginning of 20th century. As Irish Catholics, she experienced the discrimination against the Irish. Well-educated for her time, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology from the secular Smith College,
L to R: Dr Caroline Healy, Christina Lee Choi and Prof. John Lydon
Mother Mary Joseph had not received theology classes. However, she was deeply inspired by her Protestant Christian counterparts on campus as they were sent far away on missions. Before the congregation was formally approved by Rome, Mother Mary Joseph and several of her friends were already helping Father James Anthony Walsh (the then director of the Boston Office of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and also a co-founder of Maryknoll Fathers with Fr. Thomas Frederick Price) with the publication of a magazine entitled The Field Afar, which recorded and reported on stories of the ministry of Catholic missionaries. Mother Mary Joseph and her friends helped with translating letters from missionaries from all over the world and with other editorial works as they began to dream about someday being missionaries themselves (Sheridan, 1980).
Maryknoll, the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, Inc., was established in 1911 by the U.S. bishops to recruit, train, send and support American missioners in areas overseas. Maryknoll cofounder Bishop James A. Walsh carefully made the distinction that the order would train missioners to be respectful of the culture and religions of the people they served and to make God’s love visible through accompanying and encountering Christ within their particular culture and context, and not to proselytise as traditional ‘missionaries’ would to focus on converting people to baptise to Catholicism. This was before the term ‘inculturation’ was popularised.
With a status recognised by the Church, the Maryknoll Sisters first began their missionary work by working amongst Japanese immigrants in the United States. In 1921, it was a dream come true when six Sisters set sail for China on 12 September 1921. This would just be the first of the many generations of Maryknoll Sisters setting foot in China and started a lifelong love
for China and her people. Seeing the lack of education in Hong Kong in the 1920s, the Sisters started a kindergarten with 12 students in 1925 at the Sisters’ premises in Tsim Sha Tsui. The population of the school grew very quickly. Before long, the Sisters saw the need of the School having premises of its own. In 1930, with the help of key persons from the Hong Kong Diocese and St Teresa’s Church, the Sisters acquired the ground of where Maryknoll Convent School stands today. Construction started shortly thereafter and the School building formally opened and received students on its current site in September 1937.
Mother Mary Joseph visited Hong Kong and the School in 1940. Amongst the many legacies that Mother Mary Joseph has left with the Sisters and the many generations of Maryknollers, Sr Claudette LaVerdiere M.M. commented in her biography of Mother Mary Joseph that one of the Founder’s most outstanding was the profoundly spiritual yet deeply human formation for mission that she gave the Maryknoll Sisters. She often described what she called the Maryknoll Spirit as naturalness of manner, frankness and openness. For her Sisters she put forth this ideal: “I would have her distinguished by: Christ-like charity, limpid simplicity of soul, heroic generosity, selflessness, unfailing loyalty, prudent seal, gracious courtesy, an adaptable disposition, solid piety and the saving grace of a kindly humor”.
Sr. Claudette summarises the spirituality of Mother Mary Joseph as: 1) cultivation of the Presence of God, 2) Contemplation and Action, 3) Unity of Spirit and Diversity of Gifts, 4) Individuality and Common God, 5) The Maryknoll Spirit of Obedience, 6) Nobility of Soul, and 7) Ecce Ancilla Domini (Behold the Handmaid of the Lord) be it done to me according to thy word – not only does this mark the Sisters’ devotion to Mary, but also a proclamation to be assisting God and His church.
In the seven essays on The Spirituality of Mother Mary Joseph written by Sr. Barbara Henricks in 1995, upon which Sr. Claudette’s book was based, the three sources of the Maryknoll Sisters’ stability are:
1. The ‘glorious’ Catholic teaching and membership in the Church;
2. Their Dominican family ties; and
3. Their Maryknoll Heritage - the founders’ friendship of the founders and their teachings.
When the Maryknoll Sisters were founded, they were often described as ‘American’ in that there was an air of pragmaticism, openness, friendliness, and action-orientation. It was said that Mother Mary Joseph was never drawn to religious life, but interestingly she has created an order that gave unmarried and often well-educated women a role within the global Church. (Izzo, 2018).
Trailblazers in Habits
Maryknoll Sisters are known to go where they are needed, and respond to local needs wherever they are on the field. And as Hong Kong became more affluent, and the number of Sisters declined over time, the Sisters decided to hand over the schools they founded. Earlier on they have transferred the trusteeship of some schools to the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, much like some schools previously set up by the Maryknoll Fathers and other congregations. In particular, Maryknoll Convent School had a “twin” set up by the Maryknoll Sisters on Hong Kong Island, previously named Maryknoll Sister School. When the Sisters found it difficult to cope with the competing demands of the schools and other services (including but not limited to the work at the Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital, and caring for the refugees), they passed on the school sponsoring responsibility to the Columbine Sisters for the Maryknoll Sister School, by then renamed Marymount School.
Eventually the Columbine Sisters also experienced a dwindling of numbers and had to pass the sponsoring duty once more onto Christian Life Community, a Jesuit lay organisation.
Many of the alumnae of Marymount School expressed dismay at the changes in the culture and ethos of their alma mater when the school sponsoring bodies changed hands each time. Therefore, when the Maryknoll Sisters also decided they were needed elsewhere for Maryknoll Convent School (MCS) by the early 2000s, they pioneered the thought of passing the baton to alumnae of MCS. And they would not be passing the baton to the Former Students’ Association which was set up decades ago as the first alumni body to connect to generations of graduates, but to set up an entirely new and ‘purpose-built’ organisation to be the ‘School Sponsoring Body’ of the school (both primary and secondary sections). They would also set it up in compliance with the prevailing Incorporated Management Committee structure as laid out by the Education Ordinance. Unlike the Christian Life Community which sponsors the running of the Marymount School, MCS’ school sponsoring body MCS Foundation is not registered as an association for the laity nor is comprised entirely of Catholics.
This is quite ground-breaking and the ‘Trailblazers in Habits’ have once again broken the mould, and with this bold move, the MCS Foundation now comprised of over 900 members, has taken over Maryknoll Sisters to act as the School Sponsoring Body (SSB) since 2005. As the school sponsoring body, it is entrusted with carrying the MCS baton and leading the School into the future by providing all round, quality and affordable education to girls. MCS Foundation is responsible for steering the strategic development of and supervise the administration of the school, it needs to provide general
directions to the Incorporated Management Committees (IMCs) of the two sections of the school. Former students who have completed at least one year of study at Maryknoll (either in the primary or secondary section), Maryknoll Sisters, former teachers and principals are also invited to become members of the Foundation. Those graduating in the early 90s may have personally been taught by a Maryknoll Sister, or even if not, certainly seen one or two at important school events like May Crowning or Speech Day. In the last thirty years, it would be more difficult as Sisters are deployed to other apostolates, and today there are about 300 Maryknoll Sisters around the world. At the time of writing, we are blessed that one of this group, Sr. Sue Glass, M.M., has agreed and discerned to be present on campus and assist the school in the 2022/23 school year. It is also at this juncture, when the SSB is preparing for succession planning for both sections as the principal for each section is due for retirement in one to three years’ time. These are the last of the cohort of teachers and staff who have lived and breathed the same air on campus and ‘rubbed shoulders’ with a Maryknoll Sister. The era where one caught the Maryknoll Spirituality or charism through osmosis and immersion is coming to an end. The American Sociologist Peter Berger speaks of ‘plausibility structures’ – it is therefore critical that the leaders of the school and a core group of teachers are committed to the maintenance of the charisms as role models. The plausibility structures that once were abundant and lit many lamps were no longer obviously seen on campus. One of my research questions is to what extent and how these plausibility structures are in fact alive within the teachers and staff of the school in present day.
The Maryknoll order was founded upon to make God’s love visible in the ‘fields afar’. Respect for the local culture, traditions, and
religions have always been central in the religious’ missionary work. Maryknoll Sisters are always to be sent to serve a culture other than their own, furthermore, they are to be led by the Holy Spirit and to go where they are needed, and there is not a particular service audience (such as the Youth for Salesians), or through education (like the de La Salle Brothers). Therefore, while the Maryknoll Convent School benefits from the fruits of the Sisters’ pioneering efforts and love, the school does not have manuals or guidelines to systematically pass on the charism within the education context.
The decision was made by former Principal and Supervisor Sr. Jeanne Houlihan, M.M. for MCS to remain a fully-subsidized school and not be supported by the government. Christina will conduct some key informant interviews amongst representatives of the management of the School Sponsoring Body and the school to inform the design of my interview questions. The aim is to understand their insights into how their work relates to the maintenance and understanding of the Maryknoll charism, and to canvass their key concerns. I will also get suggestions from them on future interviewees. Following this, she will complete in-depth interviews with a selection of teachers and staff to explore their personal, professional, and spiritual development to address these research questions:
1. What is the spiritual capital that we have inherited and how to we cultivate it as the Maryknoll charism continues to evolve?
2. To what extent is and how are these plausibility structures are in fact alive within the teachers and staff of the school in present day?
3. What are the major challenges to passing on the Maryknoll charism, and what are some possible solutions?
Some Initial Thoughts on Challenges and Opportunities
With Covid and UNESCO’s learning compass, there is increasing talk of well-being and holistic education as a generally desired direction of education. The “space” of formal, informal, and hidden curriculum surrounding the area of spiritual and character education is increasingly crowded with many more players. The Curriculum Development Council’s Standing Committee on Values Education has recently announced the Ten Priority Values and Attitudes for all schools in Hong Kong. Values Education with its heritage and lineage from the Moral and Civic Education Curriculum, and the National Security Education are some of the more recent Education Bureau-mandated curricula directives. Values education has become increasingly fashionable in Hong Kong’s schools, and many Catholic schools run by religious orders and the diocese alike talk about Life Education, and use tools from the Positive Education arena. If not careful, one may confuse these values with virtues which are generally better understood and defined in the Christian context (the cardinal and theological virtues). Some Catholic schools may be more mindful to extend the learning and base the interpretation of such values on their Catholic faith, love as an example, where God is love and Jesus’ sacrifice for us as the ultimate expression of this love. This is an example where such secular values may dilute Christian teachings, but when brought into the Catholic realm, can be used to extend Christian teaching in schools, and perhaps even used to ‘preevangelise’ to acclimate students to the concepts. Without thoroughly understanding how these forces are at play and reconcile with our Catholic belief could be a major challenge to passing the charism to future generations.
As Hong Kong is in its 25th year as a Special Administrative Region operating under the ‘One Country,
Two Systems’ Policy, Putonghua and competency in Chinese has also risen in importance as English is no longer the sole lingua franca of society and globally. Proficiency in Basic Law has also become a mandatory qualification for all civil servant jobs, including that of teachers’, this new requirement has been added in the past year for teachers seeking a teaching post in another school, and also for novice teachers and those more seasoned ones seeking senior positions. How does the Maryknoll Spirituality inform and infuse the promulgation of these state-instigated values? Is this an educational matter or religious matter, or both?
In a way, due to the fact that the English Medium of Instruction of Maryknoll Convent School has been set up as English and remains so after almost a hundred years, it may find the local diocese support which is largely in Chinese not directly transferrable for use at school, there is a wealth of information in the English-speaking countries with strong Catholic presence - through different teaching materials, best practices, and research – namely from the United States of America, Europe, and the UK. The handing on of the baton is more problematic as it has been over ten years since a Maryknoll sister actually worked on campus, let alone teach in classrooms. Reliance on personal encounter, relationships, and stories of Maryknoll sisters has its limitations – affinity for Sisters cannot stand the test of time because even the Sisters are mere mortals and will eventually pass. The Maryknoll spirit also needs to be ‘tapped into the source’ to continue evolving with the times. Furthermore, because of the Maryknoll way of evangelisation emphasises for those being served to encounter Christ and Church within their own culture, there is the potential issue that God is less recognisable and the truth of the Gospel and Jesus Christ’s resurrection will not be forthcoming. Are we passing on the love of and for the Maryknoll Sisters, or the love
for God, the Truine God who sent the Sisters to us?
Towards a Set of Decision-making Guidelines (‘Triple bottom line’) and an Accountability Framework for the SSB
To conclude, As the School Sponsoring Body receiving the baton from the Sisters, MCS Foundation leads and supports the Maryknoll Convent School going forward, it may oversee who the Incorporated Management Committee of the school tackles issues that are more ‘educational’ in nature. However, a seemingly straightforward matter like the medium of instruction of the school may be both an ‘educational’ and ‘religious’ matter.
How will the MCS Foundation lead the school into the next century as the school will be celebrating its 100th anniversary jubilee 2025? In the context of the rapid changes in culture brought about by technology and relativism, how should MCS Foundation steer the school to stay its course as an all-girl Catholic public school? Owing to the heritage of the Maryknoll Sisters, it is important that Maryknoll Convent School should never to be seen as elitist as we are to always with the ordinary people (especially the needy and marginalised). The significance of this research is also related to the fact that there are still many schools supported by the Diocese or religious orders in Hong Kong who are or will inevitably face similar issues with the decline of ‘plausibility structures’ and the need to preserve ‘spiritual capital’ in future, so this research will have much applicability and generalisability for others. Christina will be supervised by Prof. John Lydon and Dr Caroline Healy and wish her every success in what will be a most fruitful and unique study but one that will be of much interest to others.
Nurturing Resilience in the Pursuit of Happiness
Faith schools have always provided added value in educating young people, because of their emphasis on holistic formation, seeing academic attainment as only one strand of preparing and empowering students to live life to the full (cf. Jn 10:10). A key aspect of that extra dimension is derived from the gospels, which clearly identify the new commandment of love, for God and for all humanity and all creation, that impels us to do good for its own sake rather than to earn reward. The teaching of Christ also points us towards the importance of happiness, of beatitude, that should result from our positive response to God’s gift of life, when we recognise that each of us needs to contribute to making the world a better place.
In Catholic schools, pastoral and spiritual care should therefore be seen as a prime provision, delivered by qualified and trained chaplaincy teams, yet in many schools today there seems to be little understanding of chaplaincy as a ministry of presence and accompaniment, consigning it instead to supporting the delivery of the RE curriculum or statutory communal acts of worship. Any school that researches models of chaplaincy has also gone astray, as while there are, naturally, various methods of delivering chaplaincy, depending on diverse pastoral situation and circumstances, there is only one, true and unique model, provided by Jesus himself in his resurrection appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35). There he accompanied people, listening, encouraging, sharing hospitality and prayer, then leaving them to go forward by themselves, renewed and graced. This is why chaplaincy is linked to catechesis, both being agents of transformation,
dynamic elements of building and sustaining a culture and ethos that truly has Christ at the centre of any school.
As many Catholic schools today struggle to recruit Catholic teachers, and have decreasing numbers of Catholics pupils, how can Christlike pastoral ministry be delivered appropriately in this new reality?
I suggest that chaplaincy, when utilised authentically as a pastoral ministry of presence, is inclusive and person-centred, confidential and non-judgemental, so something every person, whatever their background, can find helpful to their personal flourishing and wellbeing. There is also a new and exciting toolkit for this ministry in the ‘Science of Happiness’, which combines insights from science and psychology with cultivation of the virtues, realised in acts of kindness and self-giving. This is something that both teachers and pupils will find accessible and empowering, regardless of faith position, yet it is also totally in line with the values of the gospel.
No one involved with young people, whether as parents or teachers, can be unaware of the worrying, and every increasing, rise in poor mental health among this younger generation. Recent research shows that 1 in 6 of those aged 5-16 in the UK are suffering from issues such as anxiety, eating disorders, and depression, and 50% of mental health problems have now been identified as beginning before the age of 14. Covid 19, and the periods of lockdown that resulted, had an impact on the wellbeing of people worldwide, but the pandemic was not the cause, rather merely a ‘final straw’ that brought mental health problems out into the open. Students in faith
by Dr Marie Cooke
Dr Marie Cooke is a Catholic theologian, with long experience in adult formation, youth ministry, and chaplaincy. Currently employed as Ministry Development Staff Support Officer for the Church of Scotland in Glasgow Presbytery.
schools are not exempt from this new reality.
The Good Childhood Report 2022, evidences a steep decline in young people feeling happy, with their bodies, their lives, their schools, all factors which negatively affect health and wellbeing. However, for most of these young people, professional therapeutic intervention or medication is not required, rather they just need someone to be there for them, to listen without judgement, to make them feel valued, respected, and loved. Schools will know of the long waiting lists for professional mental health support, but are they aware of the benefits that come from simply providing safe spaces of ‘sanctuary’, where young people can offload to trusted Listeners?
Young people spend most of their time in education, yet schools and universities have been shown to be the places where many people face the greatest struggles, and often feel least supported. No student can learn or achieve their full potential if they are depressed or anxious – just as no teacher will be an effective educator if they are struggling with their own mental health issues.
According to the Thriving Learners research report published by the Mental Health Foundation in Nov 2021, more than half of university students (57%) reported concealing a mental health problem for fear of stigmatisation, so the report advocates changing the culture of mental health support to a broader wellbeing approach for all, which would empower people to be more open, and to seek and find the right help at an earlier stage, thus preventing mental health problems developing or worsening.
Schools promote Widening Access, i.e., Higher Education as an option for everyone, yet with rising numbers of university students affected by poor wellbeing, how can schools ensure that young people develop the personal autonomy and resilience they will need to stay happy and well during their studies,
and in the future?
‘There is a deeply worrying and rapidly escalating crisis in student mental health. The report tells us that poor mental health is by far and away the biggest reason students would give up their studies and the lifetransforming opportunity that higher education offers’ (Student Academic Experience Survey 2021)
One solution, is to utilise the benefits of positive psychology, which combines scientific insights with cultivation of the virtues and good habits. An excellent example of how fruitful this can be, was provided by the Hear to Listen project at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. I was involved in this hybrid intervention, which combined online training and onsite interaction, during the 20212022 academic year, in collaboration with a team of academics from the Pursuit of Happiness non-profit organisation, based in New York. The online Science of Happiness course provides science-based insights into 7 correlates of psychological wellbeing – i.e., relationships, meaning and purpose, flow, strengths and virtues, kindness, positive mindset, and the physiological aspects of wellbeing (diet, exercise, sleep, and sunlight).
We had a huge response from students, and so were able to have a consistent volunteer Listeners’ team of 125 members, who took control of their own shift rota, delivering in-person, drop-in, peer support sessions every afternoon, and online Zoom sessions every evening, for a year. The Listeners were amazingly gifted, yet very diverse students, from 35 countries, of varied backgrounds and ages, and years and areas of study, yet unified by their approachable, friendly, compassionate personalities. Significantly, each volunteer mentioned their own wellbeing struggles over recent times as a factor in them choosing to engage with the project.
Alongside the training and the delivery of the peer support programme, the Listeners participated in a prestigious piece of academic research to measure the impact of their training and experience as volunteers. At the end of the study, the intervention group (the Listeners) scored higher on all positive measures (positive affect, hope, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being), and lower on all negative measures (negative affect and depression) than the control group. These are exciting results.
“After deepening my understanding about active listening and constructive responding I feel that I understand key principles of happiness and how I can apply these to my own life and to others - especially in my role as a Listener.” (Student Listener)
The Hear to Listen research showed an increase in student self-efficacy as the knowledge gained through the course translated into a sense of confidence in their ability to affect their own happiness. Another important result was that the change lasted the entire academic year. Intervention studies often record impact, but those effects often fade over time. We attribute the lasting change in this case to the Hear to Listen peer support work, which kept the students engaged in their community, and allowed them multiple opportunities to implement the specific life skills prescribed by the course in an authentic setting. The importance of the act of volunteering and the experience of contributing to the well-being of others were vital components, as was the camaraderie that emerged among the volunteers, deepening the positive impact of the experience. Many Listeners reported that the experience of being able to support fellow students in need was in fact life-changing for them.
Aristotle, one of the pioneers of happiness, said: “Education of
the mind without education of the heart is not an education at all.” The Listeners' team demonstrated a common concern for the wellbeing of others, and an appreciation that the university experience should be holistic and happy: intellectually stimulating, personally maturing, and life enhancing, through social interaction and developing transferrable skills. Apart from the many students who asked for specific support, the Listeners were also highly effective in supporting each other, welcoming new members to the team, and listening to the challenges each of them encountered as students.
Dr Steve Kelly, of Strathclyde’s School of Psychological Sciences and Health, said:
‘The passion, knowledge and commitment of the Hear to Listen team has been enhanced by their amazing partnership with the U.S. based Pursuit of Happiness team. Together they have provided opportunities for our students to develop listening skills and techniques to reflect on and change their own approach to happiness as well as providing a valuable resource for other Strathclyde students.’
I am working with the Pursuit of Happiness team to extend the academic research study into schools around the world, to see if earlier intervention, e.g., with 6th formers, would help young people develop the resilience necessary to stay happy and well when they go on to university, college, or into the world of work. We believe that prevention is better than trying to remedy future problems, and that the Science of Happiness course has real value in supporting psychological wellbeing, and thus can be very effective in pastoral ministry too. We also believe that such a course is even more effective if integrated with an onsite programme that is designed to support and enhance student wellbeing by giving students a chance to build relationships,
help others, and feel good about themselves by contributing to their community. Faith schools, therefore, would seem the perfect place to implement this formation, as they would also provide opportunities for the scientific principles to be realised in life affirming habits through regular practice.
Of course, SOH training would also be valuable for staff, enabling them to better understand how to sustain their own wellbeing as well as enhance that of their students, and offer peer support to their colleagues. Listener training involves participation in a 2-hour asynchronous, online module on the Science of Happiness, covering 7 factors modern research has associated with happiness / psychological well-being, and another shorter module on active constructive listening and other important peer-support skills.
UK schools could also contribute to the ongoing academic research by volunteering to collaborate with POH to collect data as well as training student volunteers and providing a peer support Listener programme in their schools. For the research component, participating students will complete an initial survey to establish a baseline on a group of psychological measures, along with demographic data. The survey will include measures of selfefficacy, psychological well-being, depression, anxiety, and several supporting constructs. A subset of the measures will be repeated immediately after the course, and a final survey at the end of the academic year. The surveys will be administered through the Qualtrics platform. Student identities will be protected, and names will be changed to codes, which will permit researchers to match responses across the survey administrations, while maintaining the confidentiality of the data. The resulting data will be analyzed in a standard pre-and post-test design.
If possible, we would also like to interview several students from the
Peer-Support group, and several of the students who benefitted from their support services at the end of the academic year. Their experiences would provide valuable insights and suggestions about how to keep improving the programme.
The Hear to Listen students at Strathclyde had an awards ceremony where they were presented with their Science of Happiness Certificates by a Member of the Scottish Parliament, were featured in a Christmas STV news special, and had an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons congratulate them on the success of their project. These were powerful, external affirmations of the value of the listening service, and provided interesting material for the CVs of the Listeners. Your students too could reap the benefits of being involved in valuable academic research, as well as learning how to strengthen their personal autonomy and enhance their sense of wellbeing.
In April 2022, Pope Francis reminded the conference of Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education of the need to promote resilience and happiness to help young people in
‘an age awash in information often transmitted without wisdom or critical sense. As educators, you are called to nurture the desire for truth, goodness and beauty that lies in the heart of each individual, so that all may learn how to love life and be open to the fullness of life. Catholic education is also evangelization: bearing witness to the joy of the Gospel and its power to renew our communities and provide hope and strength in facing wisely the challenges of the present time.’
If you are interested in learning more about the SOH training, please have a look at https://www.pursuitof-happiness.org or contact me at mariecooke55@gmail.com
News Roundup
Easter message to schools from Bishop Marcus Stock
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
At this stage in the calendar, when we draw close to the summit of the Liturgical Year - the Sacred Paschal Triduum, we celebrate with reverence the passion and death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and we look forward with joy to celebrating at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night and on Easter Sunday morning his resurrection from the dead.
As we come to the end of this term, it also a time for many students in our schools which coincides with an intense period of study in preparation for examinations in the summer. For young people, it is a time of hope but can be a time of anxiety also. What is most important though, is that their time in school is a time when they can flourish: in mind, body and spirit. Christ came that we might have life and have
it to the full. The flourishing of young lives through Catholic education is indebted to the years of dedication and commitment given by school leaders, teachers, learning assistants, chaplains and by all the staff and governors of our schools.
On the threshold of Holy Week, we catch sight of the new life in Christ which his death and resurrection holds out to us and to the world. It is a vision which we glimpse in the prayers and liturgy taking place in schools and churches up and down the land.
I give thanks to Almighty God for the noble vocation of all of you who work and serve in our schools. I pray that you, your families and your loved will receive many blessings from the Lord during this great Solemn Feast of Easter, and that it will be a time of joy and thanksgiving for you all.
With the assurance of my prayers, I remain, Your servant in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rt Rev Marcus Stock - Chair of the Catholic Education Service Bishop of Leeds
England: Catholic school pupils much more diverse than national averagenew data
Pupils in Catholic schools and academies are significantly more diverse than the England average, according to the latest data. Overall, 44% of pupils at Catholic state-funded primaries and secondaries are from an ethnic minority background, compared to 36% nationally. A total of 11.4% of the 820,994 pupils in England's 2,090 Catholic schools and academies
By Willie Slavin MBE
Bishop Marcus Stock
are either Black or Black British, compared to 5.8% nationally. The percentage of black teachers is also slightly higher, at 2.6%, above a national average of 2.4%.
Sixty per cent of pupils in Catholic schools and academies are Catholic, as are just under half of the 47,562 teachers employed. Of the 316,070 non-Catholic pupils, just under half are from other Christian denominations. The largest nonChristian religion represented is islam, with more than $34,000 Muslim pupils.
Only 0.03% of all pupils, or just 277 of them, in Catholic schools across England are withdrawn from acts of collective worship such as Mass and prayers in assemblies.
Paul Barber, CES Director, said: "Catholic schools have led the way on diversity since the nineteenth century, when many were established to meet the needs of immigrants from Ireland.
Catholic schools continue to convert into becoming Catholic academies, with a 17% increase in the past year. There are now 814 Catholic academies in England, run by 77 multi-academy trusts. Altogether, Catholic schools and academies make up 9% of the national total of the state- funded sector, making the Catholic Church the biggest provider of secondary education and the second-largest provider of primary education overall.
Catholic schools come top in GCSE RE exam results
Catholic schools' GCSE Religious Education (RE) exam results are the best in the country, according to the latest data. Analysis by the Catholic Education Service (CES) of GCSE RE attainment for 2022 has shown that results from Catholic schools have overtaken the national average for the exams.
Last year 75.2% of Catholic school RE GCSE candidates scored a C+ or grade 4, compared to 68.3% nationally. The results at A Level were more comparable, however, with 66.9% achieving A* or B in Catholic schools, compared to 67.7% in all schools.
Just over a quarter (25.6%) of all pupils who sat GCSE RE exams last year were from Catholic schools, while the proportion was 9.8% at A Level. This represents 9% of the state sector in England and 6% in Wales.
Philip Robinson, CES RE Adviser, said: "This is good news, and testament to the hard work of RE teachers and students in Catholic education. "In a society both increasingly secular and religiously pluralistic, RE has an essential role in enabling respectful dialogue on contentious issues like faith and science; refugees and asylum seekers; war and peace."
Catholic schools outperform national GCSE English and Maths averages by five percentage points; 44% of pupils in Catholic schools in England are from an ethnic minority background (national average: 36%); 19.4% of pupils in Catholic primaries are from the most deprived backgrounds (national average: 12.9%); and 17.4% of pupils in Catholic secondaries are from the most deprived backgrounds (national average: 11.6%).
New RE teacher recruitment campaign launched
A campaign to attract a new generation of RE teachers has been launched with teaching groups, religious organisations and parliamentarians stressing the importance of the subject for preparing students for life in modern Britain. As of January, UCAS data show that teacher recruitment for all subjects is down 22% from last year. However RE stands out, being down a third of applicants from the last recruitment cycle.
Government inaction over recruiting teachers to RE has been blamed. The Department for Education (DfE) has so far missed its target for the recruitment of RE teachers in nine of the last ten years. Despite this year's fall in applicants, the subject continues to grow in popularity. Over the last five years entries to the GCSE have stood around an average of 250,000 with entries to the full course GCSE rising by 30% over the last decade.
The recruitment campaignentitled: 'Beyond the Ordinary' - draws attention to the academic and knowledge rich approach of the subject to life's big questions and will seek to attract a set of talented graduates up to the task of getting young people to grips with the complex nature of modern belief.
Kathryn Wright, Chief Executive Officer of Culham St Gabriel's Trust, which is supporting the campaign, said: "Religious education is an important curriculum subject enabling children and young people to navigate our complex multi religious, multi secular society. Everyone has a worldview, and it's important we prepare young people to become free thinking, critical participants in public discourse, who can make informed judgements about matters of religion or belief and reflect meaningfully on the big questions in life."
"We are looking for ambitious graduates from a range of humanities and social science subjects who can deliver an academic and rigorous curriculum aimed at getting young people to think critically about their own beliefs and those of others."
Last March, the Father of the House, Sir Peter Bottomley MP hosted a roundtable on the future of the subject. In October, a Westminster Hall Debate saw MPs and Peers from across the House agree on its importance for life in modern Britain as well as express concern around a lack of government support for the subject.
Lord Karan Bilimoria said: "The latest teacher recruitment figures are deeply worrying. Parents are concerned, schools are concerned and so too the young people are missing out.
"As a Champion for RE, I've heard numerous times from students that this is one of the few times in the classroom where they get to say what they think about the world around them. At present we face doing a disservice to a generation of young people ill-equipped to deal with the complexities of belief in Britain and the world beyond. This campaign is about getting the best humanities graduates into the classroom to help them deliver a modern RE curriculum reflective
of belief in our society. "Teacher training courses are open to graduates from a range of academic disciplines and from all sorts of diverse backgrounds, with Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses available from schools, universities or other providers.
Coventry: Children learn about good mental health through arts
Hundreds of Coventry school children gathered to promote good mental health at the return of an annual event that puts arts at the heart of education. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School welcomed more than 400 children from eight other Catholic primary schools in the city for Mousike Ensemble, which combines music and learning in a specially-written collaborative performance around a new topic each year.
This year's collaboration had a 'Health Me; Healthy Mind' theme, and saw pupils perform songs, dances, poems and pieces of music based around their mental health and personal safety linked to the national curriculum.
Sacred Heart, which is part of the Romero Catholic Academy, was one of four schools to host the two-day event. The school was joined by fellow Romero schools St Gregory's,
St Patrick's and Good Shepherd Catholic Primary Schools as well as St Anne's, St Augustine's and Christ the King Catholic Primary Schools. The collaboration was written by Paul Madia, Executive Principal of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, and Chris Smith, Director of EmbedIT, a Midlands-based company which works with schools to help them embed the latest technology into the classroom.
Paul said: "It was brilliant to welcome children from across Coventry back to sing their hearts out and have fun-filled morning of music. We have been holding Mousike Ensemble events since 2001 and they always create a fantastic atmosphere among pupils and staff while demonstrating the importance of the arts in terms of a pupil's development.
"I'd like to thank everyone who supported this year's event and now look forward to putting together the 2024 collaboration."
Merseyside pupils
put their best foot forward for CAFOD
Pupils at Our Lady of Pity RC Primary School in Greasby, Wirral, participated in CAFOD's Big Lent Walk Challenge in a bid to raise money for those living in extreme poverty. This year the charity is seeking to support families around
Year 4 teacher and music leader
Cathy Severs and Principal Paul Madia with some of the children
Pupils with Mrs Lambe, RE Lead, and Mr Evans PE Lead who organised the challenge
the world who require the necessary tools to tackle the climate crisis.
The whole school community came together to support CAFOD's goal through walking and running. Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 utilised the school grounds by running laps whilst those in Key Stage 2 took the challenge a step further by completing a road run together in the local area. A host of parents also showed their support by running alongside students and acting as road marshals. Everyone cheered each other on to motivate and show their excitement.
During the Lenten season, the school has been looking at how they can help others through small acts of kindness. Pupils across all year groups have been showing kindness to their peers, staff members and families.
Taking part in The Big Lent Walk was an additional way for the school to show kindness on a larger scale whilst also achieving its mission of 'JOY through Respect'. Staff and students always strive to show respect to not only one another, but to the wider community and society.
Head of school, Kathryn Dunne, said: "We're so proud of all our students for taking part. It was joyous to see everyone come together and work hard with such determination to help an amazing cause during Lent. So many members of our school community have been eager to show their support through generous donations.
East London boys Catholic school
'Outstanding' in every way
St Bonaventure's school in East Ham has been found to be 'Outstanding' in all areas in their latest Ofsted report. This is the second time the school has come through with flying colours In their last inspection in 2009 they were also classified as 'Outstanding'. Ofsted's recent toughening up makes this achievement even more impressive as only 17% of schools have maintained this first rate accolade in recent times.
The achievement of boys in school is a hot topic of discussion, with education commentators questioning why boys' progress is slipping nationally, but St Bonaventure's is bucking the trend, proving itself to be a beacon of excellence in education where, according to Ofsted, "Pupils thrive in every way".
Whilst academic outcomes have remained superb at the historic school for many years, the glowing report takes care to emphasise the development of the individual beyond their grades, stating "all students are involved in charitable work to support local food banks." It is evident from this that St Bonaventure's creates not only academic success, but well-rounded citizens who are dedicated to the betterment of themselves and their community.
Headteacher, Mr McCormack, said: "We are incredibly proud to have maintained our Outstanding rating. Our welcoming community is committed to maintaining an environment of love and respect for all. We thank our staff for their
St Bonaventure Students - Joshua, Paul, Gabriel, Ify and Yusuf
continued dedication to the care, growth and development of our students; we thank our parents, partners and governors, without whom we would be unable to deliver such a high quality offer; and above all we are thankful to our students for their aspirational attitudes, and the love they show one another and our wider community."
Ofsted was also keen to praise student leadership at the school, stating "Pupils make an active contribution to the school. Many pupils in all years take on responsibility in the school, including for student leadership and fundraising. The student council is proud to have improved things for others. For example, on the school council's suggestion, leaders have introduced an 'Assisi tie' to recognise pupils who embody the 'Bonaventurian Way' by demonstrating the school's values."
Head Boy, Gabriel, confirmed this saying: "The opportunities I have been given have helped me to become more confident as a student and as a person. My team has been able to make a real impact in the school, and the work we've done with TFL and TELCO has improved safety for teenagers across the borough."
Coventry school pioneers important qualification in horticulture
A Coventry secondary school will be the first in the country to offer an alternative qualification worth three GCSEs after the successful launch of a horticulture education course. Roots to Fruit Midlands has announced a partnership with the Romero Catholic Academy that will see pupils at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School able to complete the social enterprise's Level 2 Practical Horticulture Skills course
as part of their Year 10 and 11 studies - equal to a one-year head start on other school leavers.
The course will launch in the 2023/24 academic year, and comes after a year-long partnership between Roots to Fruit Midlands and the Romero Catholic Academy, which has seen 22 Cardinal Wiseman pupils engage with the programme, with seven gaining Level 1 qualifications on top of their curriculum learning.
The Sutton Coldfield-based social enterprise has also been working with primary schools across the West Midlands to link plant science to the curriculum and build on classroom learning. The sessions are designed to be productive for learners of all abilities, but also provide respite from typical
classroom learning and boost pupils' mental health through physical, outdoor activity.
Zoe Seth, Operations Manager at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, said: "The impact that Roots to Fruit has had on pupils has been incredible, and we are thrilled that they have chosen Cardinal Wiseman as the first school to launch their new Level 2 course.
Norwich: Students put faith into fundraising action
After seeing the devastating images of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, students at Notre Dame
High School in Norwich decided to take action. They launched an appeal at the end of their Ash Wednesday Service encouraging students to bring in a donation. Two days later the Y11 Prefects did a bucket collection during morning registration and collected £750 in less than 15 minutes.
This inspired a group of Y10 students in their RE lesson to ask if they could organise a cake sale. According to Mrs Sharif, Head of RE, this was "a brilliant way for the school community to embody the teachings of the Bible and help those around us in need".
To promote the appeal, students designed posters and a slideshow explaining how emergency relief teams are supporting the victims of the earthquake. This resulted in an amazing response from students and staff who baked an impressive selection of cakes. Within minutes of starting the sale, every cake had been bought and £150 had been raised.
As Lola in Y10 was buying her cake she summed up the appeal calling it "a brilliant and effective way to raise awareness". In addition, £1000 is now on its way via CAFOD to provide emergency shelter, clean water, food, warm blankets and winter kits.
Cardinal Wideman Catholic School Pupils Studying Horticulture
Students enjoy cakes from fundraising drive
News from Scotland
Formation of Catholic School Leaders
Catholic Deputes Scotland goes from strength to strength
During the pandemic SCES and Diocesan Religious Education advisers established Catholic Deputes Scotland. Initially an online network for Depute head teachers in Catholic schools, it has grown to offer an annual programme of formation and support.
The most recent conference saw over 200 senior leaders from primary and secondary schools in all eight Scottish Dioceses, join together for a virtual conference entitled; “Religious Education –Responsibility of All”.
The conference had three parts and began with a key note address from Melodie Wyttenbach, from Boston College.
Why Religious Education? –Melodie offered the Church’s vison on why Religious Education and formation is still relevant and important; what we as educators can do to create a learning environment where young people can seek and find answers; how we create a culture in Catholic schools for young people to know God and realise his love.
What does RE look like in a Catholic school? The second part of our conference focussed on delivering Religious Education across the whole school, with an emphasis on the fact that RE is not limited to the classroom or formal teaching time. We were joined by two experience head teachers, Stephen Colligan from St Matthew’s Academy in Saltcoats, and Eileen Tompkins from St Vincent’s primary school in East Kilbride, who shared their own wisdom and key insights
on how RE supports and influences the culture of a school.
How to plan RE – our final session together offered illustrations of how to integrate RE into school policy, daily routines and such things as assemblies, fund raising, school clubs etc
The aims of Catholic Deputes Scotland are to:
• build confidence in Catholic school leaders to find God in all aspects of their role
• create peer support network with other Catholic Deputes
• address the distinctive Career Long Professional Learning needs of Catholic Deputes
• provide opportunities for the spiritual, pastoral, personal and professional development of Catholic school leaders
• equip Catholic Deputes with the knowledge, skills and understanding to apply a Catholic vision of education in their role
• offer opportunities to encounter Christ
• frame the role of the Catholic Depute in the light of faith
BIOG FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Melodie was named executive director of the Roche Center for Catholic Education and faculty member for the Lynch School of Education and Human Development in 2019. Prior to coming to Boston College, Melodie served as an assistant professor and academic director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program for the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame. She also has served as president of Nativity Jesuit Academy and director of mission effectiveness
for the Nativity Miguel Network of Schools in Washington, DC. Melodie presents nationally on topics such as Catholic School Governance and Effective Board Management, Strategic Planning, Development and Enrollment Management Strategies, and Making Schools Culturally Competent for New and Existing Latino Families. Her published work includes Seven Steps to Strategic Planning for Catholic School Leaders (2020) and Responding to the Call for Educational Justice: Transformative Catholic-Led Initiatives in Urban Education (2018). Melodie has a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and master's degrees in educational administration from Marquette University and education from Mount Mary College.
Another year for the Good Shepherd Leadership Pathway in Scotland
On April 26th SCES will host the annual two day retreat conference for aspiring school leaders. This retreat is now an integral part of the professional learning calendar for the formation of Catholic leaders in Scotland. The retreat focuses on Jesus the relational leader and through led input, prayer and vocational reflection, aspiring leaders consider Who Catholic leaders are called to be, not what they are asked to do.
The experience and testimony of key speakers, such as Professor Anton Colella, chair of the SCES Executive Board and Global CEO of Moore Global, offer a unique vision of the person of the Catholic leader in both educational and business settings, while the opportunity to contemplate Scripture and reflect on the person of Jesus, The Good Shepherd, allows a vocational and
formational experience that participants have commented is transformational in their leadership journey.
Scotland’s link with Notre Dame University flourishes
5 Scottish participants completed the Emerging Leaders Fellowship at the University of Notre Dame in February 2023. The group joined 20+ Irish school leaders on the 12 month programme. The fellowship is organised around The University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for
Catholic Education’s (ACE) three pillars of Professional Development, Community and Spiritual Growth and included sessions on school culture, instructional leadership and executive management. Scottish participants had all previously experienced the Good Shepherd Retreat Conference and are within their first few years of leading or applying to lead a Catholic school. Hosted between the beautiful setting of Kylemore Abbey and Notre Dame’s Dublin Gateway, the group enjoyed moments of prayer, encounter and partnership with their Irish peers. This was the second cohort of the fellowship and, following their commissioning, held in Newman University Church, they have already committed to maintaining and strengthening the links between them, with planning in place for a study visit to Glasgow at the end of this year.
The end of this first year of collaboration saw another cohort start soon after, and SCES are delighted that a 2nd Scottish group of school leaders began their fellowship in March.
Book& Media Review
Nature Praising God: Towards a Theology of the Natural World
By Dermot Lane Messenger Publications
ISBN: 978-1-78812-573-4
A close scrutiny of the Book of Job a number of years ago opened my eyes to the phenomenon of a theology that had lost its efficacy and its ability to stand up to interrogation. In recent years I have become increasingly aware of the demand by theologians for a new anthropology based upon a sense that what had sufficed for centuries, based on a particular reading of Genesis, was proving woefully inadequate in the age of the ecological crisis, the global pandemic and advances in Science. There is widespread agreement that the dominant anthropocentric
By Willie Slavin MBE
model is part of the problem. The consequence of a pervading ‘egotistic anthropocentric’ understanding of existence has cut us off from the rhythms and cycles of nature to damaging effect.
The challenge to seek answers to the myriad of questions that emanate from tackling this formidable theological re-evaluation is one that Dermot Lane has risen to in what are described as his ‘golden years’. To ask, is God present in nature, almost sounds rhetorical to the average Catholic who is familiar with phrases from our Mass like: “You are indeed holy O Lord and all creation rightly gives you praise.” and “Heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosannah in the highest.” However academic theologians, who form part of Dermot Lane’s searching conversation, offer a more forensic examination of the evidence and yet one that liberates these liturgical texts revealing a renewed and vibrantly alive understanding at the confluence of life and worship. The abiding inadequacy of the present translations of our liturgical texts is only one of many issues addressed in this slim but densely packed volume.
As in many cases, a return to the Old Testament and seeking a sense of the original cultural and linguistic context allows for a more nuanced reading of the numerous texts which reference nature praising God, particularly in the Psalms and most prominently in Psalm 148. There is an underlying sense of the intrinsic value of the non-human world alongside the human in
which the natural world was seen as being alive and having ‘a certain inwardness and interiority.’ Psalm 148 is described by one commentator as being ‘a cosmic choir of praise’ in which more than thirty categories of creatures are addressed. While in no way conceding the complexity of the issues involved in a conclusive understanding of nature praising God, the author acknowledges ‘that there are moments in the seasons of the years that nature praises the Creator and inspires humans to join in praising God.’
Moving forward from this reexamination of biblical sources and taking account of the eschatological dimension demands a serious consideration of the demanding questions facing the contemporary world and, at the heart of it, acknowledgement of an urgent need for a distinctive non-anthropocentric theology of nature. It is in this part of the book that one begins to get an insight into how theology in the making is being shaped and in some way is indicative of the quality of the many faceted conversational and dialogical process that is wrestling with quite complex ideas seeking articulation.
In developing a new narrative of nature, the author identifies a ‘recognition of creation as a living community…..that is radically theocentric, drawing on Psalm 24:1 ‘The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.’ This is a model in which humans are alongside and not above other creatures, held together by the Spirit of God. Laudato Si affirms that ‘human beings are part of nature, included in it and in constant interaction with it…forming a divine communion.’ It goes on to assert that we live in a grace filled universe. The whole of nature is graced by the Spirit of God from the beginning of time. ‘We must see the natural world
not simply in terms of being, but in terms of becoming, not simply as static but also as processive, not in terms of what it is but also in terms of what is yet to be.’
At this point, it seems appropriate to observe that cutting edge theology so obviously in tune with a contemporary Papal Encyclical is a most refreshing sign that the hierarchical Church is creating a forum for a more fruitful dialogical engagement with the theological academy. It is a tribute to Dermot Lane’s acute theological intuition that, by starting off with a reexamination of Scripture before moving on to the expansive theological conversations, he has fulfilled the wish of those charged with the implementation of Vatican II by incorporating both the resourcement model of change based upon a return to sources and the aggiornamento model favoured by Pope John XXIII, of looking to the future.
Given the centrality of the Incarnation to Christian theology, the author reminds readers of the Church’s traditional understanding that ‘the eternal Word of God became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth and through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus as the Christ saved humanity from itself for a new life in community.’ In an examination of the developing understanding of ‘Deep Incarnation’, and at the risk of oversimplification, ‘in becoming flesh, the Word is incarnate in the whole natural world’ which in a real sense ‘recovers the sacred character of the natural world as implied in the Jewish theology of creation, paving the way to the development of an incarnational theology of the natural world.’
Colossians talks about ‘For in him all things in heaven and earth…were created’ and goes on to emphasise, ‘things visible and invisible.’
In his concluding chapter Dermot
Lane, notes that the world inhabited by the authors of the Psalms, Isaiah and Job was essentially a theocentric world and, given that many of the texts and Psalms around nature praising God are liturgical in tone and eschatological in orientation, they become indicative of liturgy’s power to ‘point the world beyond its introverted self.’ The challenge is to revive the power of the beauty of the natural world, as witnessed by the sacred texts, within our liturgy. He further draws attention to the how the ‘dynamism of prayer and worship invites us to go beyond human constructs…to a mystical moment in prayer and worship…capable of drawing us into the dazzling darkness of God’s transcendence.’ It is through an appreciation of creation as gift and as a lived experience of the beauty of creation that we acquire that sense of gratitude and thankfulness that is integral to our openness to transformation. We are called to embrace more fully the shape, colours and beauty of nature to enrich the quality of Christian worship. As Pope Francis points out in Laudato Si: ‘When we see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved…to worship him in union with them.
As another reviewer has noted of this text: ‘It's not an easy read at times but dig deep and there is spiritual gold there.’
For my own part, I offer Dermot Lane’s final paragraph by way of exhortation: These different qualities of nature and implications of nature praising God provide ingredients of a new story about the natural world for the twenty-first century that can enrich an understanding of humanity’s place in the world and the quality of Christian liturgy for this century.
Review by Willie Slavin
MISSION TOGETHER
As this latest edition of Networking ran off the press, so too did copies of the new Religious Education Directory (RED) for England and Wales. Highly anticipated, the new directory – To know you more clearly – is an impressive and comprehensive document that responds to the political and social changes and challenges faced by Catholic schools, academies, and colleges.
Part one of the new RED refers to the history of Catholic education in England and Wales. Within the broad sweep of history is noted the Catholic Bishops’ decision 170 years ago to prioritise the building of schools over churches. In this decision, the RED states, the Bishops recognised the crucial role that good Catholic schools play in the educational mission of the Church, to make ‘Christ known to all people’ (Christ at the Centre, 2012, p7).
It is this educational mission that has also inspired the work of Missio’s children’s branch – Mission Together (known internationally as Holy Childhood) – over its own 180-year history and which in recent years has caused Mission Together to revise the resources we provide for primary schools. Today, our aim is twofold: to provide good quality, free catechetical and liturgical resources that support the mission of Catholic schools in England and Wales, and to support essential children’s projects in mission dioceses overseas in areas of poverty and turmoil.
How we support the mission of Catholic primary schools
‘In more than half of Catholic schools nationally, fewer than twothirds of the pupils are Catholic… and in 43% of Catholic schools nationally, Catholic teaching staff are in the minority’ (RED p1516). Conscious of demographic trends evidenced in the new RED, Mission Together responded by creating catechetical and liturgical resources that relay the teachings and practices of the Catholic faith in accessible and engaging ways.
Listening to feedback from classroom practitioners and seeking advice from Religious Education Leads, we crafted liturgical prayers, activities, worksheets and assemblies for key seasons and feasts. To support teachers unfamiliar with Catholic practice and teaching, our liturgical prayers provide a brief overview to the season or feast, a step-by-step plan, include Scripture and reflection notes, and incorporate religious art and links to appropriate hymns. To engage pupils in delivery and participation, our liturgical prayers also include a pupil-led introduction, intercessory prayers, optional Gospel drama, and call to action.
Our liturgical prayers, activities, worksheets and assemblies assist in the ‘responsibility to bear witness,’ specified in the new RED, and in the Congregation for Catholic Education’s instruction, The Identity of the Catholic School for a Culture of Dialogue. Both documents contain the following quotation: ‘The Christian presence
must be shown and made clear, that is, it must be visible, tangible and conscious. Today, due to the advanced process of secularisation, Catholic schools find themselves in a missionary situation, even in countries with an ancient Christian tradition.’ (RED p14).
Mission Together aims to support schools in witnessing to their Christian faith and presence, not just through the provision of catechetical and liturgical resources, but through campaigns and lesson ideas that combine educational objectives with the Church’s educational missionary aim – to make Christ known to all people.
Our new summer reading campaign, Words for our World, supports literacy teaching and pupils’ awareness of their place within God’s global Church family. Words for our World invites pupils to journey through our global home by reading books based within each of the Mission Rosary
continents – Africa, the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and Asia.
The challenge is not simply for pupils to read their way around the world and so learn more about God’s global family, but to encourage pupils to pray for their brothers and sisters within those continents, and discover, through the Mission Together Virtual Map on our website, how children around the world share their faith in Christ with others. As an additional act of solidarity, schools are invited to designate Words for our World as a sponsored challenge, with funds raised supporting Mission Together’s overseas children’s projects.
Some of these overseas projects are highlighted in our Together in… assemblies. These assemblies enable pupils to learn more about the children supported by these projects, the countries in which they live, and the challenges they face. This year’s assembly, Together in the Philippines, focuses on children from the Badjao tribe and the support they receive at the Nano Nagle Education Centre, established and overseen by a small team of
Missionary Sisters. Our Together in… assemblies support Catholic Social Teaching, global learning, and inspire pupils to pray, share, and work together as members of God’s global family.
How we support the Church’s mission overseas
Our Together in… assemblies introduce the second aim of Mission Together: to support essential children’s projects in mission dioceses overseas in areas of poverty and turmoil.
Mission Together is the children’s branch of Missio, the Catholic Church’s official charity for world mission. Mission Together works through Priests and Religious Sisters who live and serve in mission dioceses. These priests and religious can submit grant applications to help fund specific projects within their faith community, via their local Bishop or Nuncio. Most of these projects support the education of children in their region, regardless of the child’s background or belief, through the construction of new classrooms, provision of free school meals and uniforms, maintenance of school boarding houses in remote locations and the subsidising of school fees.
Mission Together’s commitment to the educational and spiritual development of all children is evidence of the Church’s ‘generous, pioneering tradition…
to provide educational opportunities for millions of young people across the globe… It is for this reason that the Church provides schools that are inclusive of all, especially the poor.’ (RED p12).
A key message within all our school resources is that as children of God the Father, we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters – praying and sharing as members of God’s global family. We follow the instruction as laid out by the Congregation of Catholic Education, ‘Only a strong and united action by the Church in the field of education in an increasingly fragmented and conflict-ridden world can contribute both to the evangelising mission entrusted to her by Jesus and to the construction of a world in which human persons feel they are brothers and sisters, because “Only with this awareness of being children, that we are not orphans, can we live in peace among ourselves”.’ (The Identity of the Catholic School for a Culture of Dialogue, p7)
Mission Together is grateful to all schools in England and Wales who, through the use of our resources and through prayer and donations, are supporting our two-fold aim: to support the mission of Catholic schools, and to support essential children’s projects overseas.
