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Volume 25, Issue 2, Spring Term 2024

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Liverpool's Ecumenical Gem

Liverpool Hope University

By Marie-Therese Lacey - See Page 8

CATHOLIC INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CONFERENCE

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Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

The Year of Jubilee: Pilgrims of Hope During this Year of Prayer we are supporting schools to prepare for the celebration of the Jubilee.

The Jubilee Year of 2025, celebrated by the global Church family, will be a landmark time for schools to commit to challenging injustice as Pilgrims of Hope.

THE YEAR OF

PRAYER

“I would greatly desire that we devote 2024, the year preceding the jubilee event, to a great ‘symphony’ of prayer.”

POP E FRA NCIS

. Order our FREE prayer card shop.cafod.org.uk

. Plan to launch the Jubilee year in your school on 24th January 2025

. Sign up to our emails and follow us on Twitter to find out how you can engage with the Jubilee with CAFOD in the autumn term cafod.org.uk/primary | @CAFODSchools

Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

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Catholic Social Teaching Explore our popular Catholic Social Teaching resources which include an animation, posters, teacher’s notes and a song.

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Scan me at home to find out more about

CAFOD is the official development agency

CAFOD.

of the Catholic church in England and Wales.

Together we can build a better world for

everyone, a world where no one is left behind.

Online CPD Deepen your understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and discover practical resources and activities to bring CST to life in school. Our 60 mins course of self-study for teachers, senior leaders and governors is free and online now. cafod.org.uk/cpd

Our CST resources contribute to the CSI Framework and support the learning in the new Religious Education Directory

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Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

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Closing Date for Copy - Volume 25 Issue Three - Autumn Term 2024 edition. Copy to Editor by 11th August 2024. Published to schools 14th September 2024.

Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

contents

7

CAFOD Update.............................................................................2-5

Catholic Schools: Forming Leaders for Today and Tomorrow.................................................................26-28

Liverpool's Ecumenical Gem........................................................8-9

By Sr. Judith Russi

By Marie-Therese Lacey

News from CATSC.....................................................................29-37

Continued Spiritual Formation ................................................10-12

By Rev Dcn Michael Bennett

Dynamite in the Classroom ......................................................38-39

By Raymond Friel

Buildings of Living Stones.........................................................13-15

By Dr Maureen Glackin

Social Action & the Power of Collaboration............................40-41

By Sinead Smith

End of Empire: Thoughts on Pentecost...................................16-18

By Paul Rowan

How should we be interpreting the 1944 Education Act?.....42-44

By Dr Sean Whittle

CES News........................................................................................ 19

By James Willsher

Book Review.................................................................................... 45

By Anthony McNamara

Why Shakespeare Should Be Taken Very Seriously in Catholic Education...............................................................20-21

Do Justice Campaign Launch...................................................46-47

By David Torevell

By Raymond Friel

How does one Identify an Excellent Catholic School?...........22-23

ATCRE Annual Conference Report..........................................48-49

By Dr Max Engel

By Matthew Dell

Life and Legacy: The Jesuit Martyrs in El Salvador.................24-25

Mission Together.......................................................................50-51

By Professor Stephen McKinney

Newman and Catholic Education Today A brand-new faith literacy course hosted by the Centre for Catholic Education, Research and Religious Literacy Dates and location Eight sessions held on a Friday at 11am-12.30pm on campus or online

3rd May-12th July

Price: £175

Staff and students can book with a 10% discount

Find out more

www.stmarys.ac.uk/shortcourses/newman/catholic/ education Call 020 8240 4321 Email shortcourses@stmarys.ac.uk

The course will explore the ways in which ‘Newman’s Idea of a University’ can help with critiquing the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary Catholic education. It will guide the participants on how to read and interpret Newman’s Idea of a University. A careful reading of the central themes will be used to show both the relevance and possible problems with using Newman now to frame and justify Catholic education.

The course assumes little or no knowledge of this area of scholarship and will explore topics at an introductory level.

welcome Welcome to Networking, where the events of Catholic school life are shared. Delve into inspiring achievements, dedicated educators' endeavors, and the nurturing of faith in our educational journey.

Join us in celebrating the unity of knowledge and spirituality within our Catholic school community.

To subscribe please do so online at http://networkingcet. co.uk/subscribe.php or by post.

Networking Journal is published three times per year by Networking (CET) Ltd. Subscriptions - cheques payable to: Networking (CET) Ltd., 9 Elston Hall, Elston, Newark, Notts NG23 5NP

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Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

Liverpool's Ecumenical Gem Liverpool Hope University is unique in that it is the only Ecumenical University foundation in Europe. It grew out of three teacher training colleges – the Anglican St Katharine’s (1844) and the Catholic colleges of Notre Dame (1856) and Christ’s (1964) – and has been a trailblazer for harmony and inclusiveness since its earliest beginnings.

There were just six universities in the country when St Katharine’s College was founded, but none admitted women, Catholics, or Jewish people and Liverpool Hope’s founding college was among the first to open up higher education to those groups.

University status was achieved in 2005, with the name ‘Hope’ adopted from Hope Street, which links Liverpool’s Anglican and Catholic cathedrals, as a symbol of what can happen when people unite and work together.

Today, the University remains rooted to its Christian values and the idea of education for all. It aspires to be a welcoming, hospitable and caring organisation where people of all faiths and backgrounds can flourish in an environment which provides a high quality, rounded education. Being Ecumenical the University is fully Anglican and fully Catholic. A question recently posed is: ‘What makes Liverpool Hope University Unique in Catholic Education’? There is in-situ a vibrant theological department whose staff offer students opportunities to reflect, question, challenge and deepen their own Catholic faith in today's society.

Tutors offer a safe space to share differing opinions and debate in a healthy, positive, and truly learning environment.

As Catholic Chaplain I work to enable students to encounter and meet God as St Ignatius suggests " To meet God in all things". Encouraging and reminding students of Catholic Social Teaching and embedding this in their practical volunteering experiences.

Being counter-cultural is an everincreasing invitation and challenge and young people have a deep sense of commitment to what is right that needs to be nourished and enhanced through Catholic teaching.

A personal approach Liverpool Hope prides itself on its modern, student-focused approach and the quality of its pastoral care. It is committed to providing a personal education, with an emphasis on small group teaching which allows students to work closely with academics whose teaching is informed by research which impacts wider society and, at times, local and national policy.

Classes take place on two beautiful campus - Hope Park in the leafy suburb of Childwall and the Creative Campus, a dedicated facility for creative degrees on the edge of Liverpool city centre. These smaller, secure campuses make it easier for students to get to know people and create a welcoming atmosphere which ensures nobody gets lost in the crowd.

Indeed, student support is a central pillar of life at Liverpool Hope where the community feel means students are a name not a number. The Student Life team is dedicated to creating an enjoyable and successful experience, which provides students with help and support when they need it and ensures they have a voice throughout their time at university.

By Marie-Therese Lacey Catholic Chaplain at Liverpool Hope University's Ecumenical Chaplaincy

Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

Operating a one-stop shop for support, Student Life services include everything from financial advice, academic skills and counselling and mental wellbeing support.

Chaplaincy Liverpool Hope benefits from a dedicated Chaplaincy team which represents the Christian ethos of the University. The team comprises a Catholic and an Anglican chaplain, who support staff and students of all faiths and those who have no faith.

Prayer is held each morning and there are regular Catholic and Anglican services in the University Chapel, where two tabernacles designed by students – one from the Catholic tradition and one from the Anglican faith – stand side by side but separated to acknowledge the division between the two Christian denominations.

The chaplains are available to speak to every day, providing a safe, confidential place for staff and students to be listened to without judgement.

Working closely with Student Life to help deliver an excellent student experience, they are based in a welcoming and vibrant space which creates an opportunity for people from across the University to meet.

It is a social space, a quiet place for work, somewhere to grab a coffee between lectures and, most notably, home to the famous £1 lunch, which provides students with a low cost meal option every Monday during term time.

Developing well-rounded graduates The University aims to develop wellrounded graduates who are ready for the world of work and who have the knowledge and skills to make a positive contribution to society.

In order to achieve this, it offers several development and study opportunities which can be undertaken alongside a degree.

Many of these programmes link closely to the University’s Christian values, including the Service and Leadership Award (SALA) and the Global Hope programme.

SALA is an extra-curricular programme which recognises the value of voluntary work. It encourages students to give back to their community by donating their time to voluntary sector or charitable organisations. Students are required to complete 80 hours of volunteering, which are converted into credits to help them achieve the award and are recognised for this at graduation.

As part of SALA, students are given the opportunity to volunteer overseas through Global Hope, an international programme which sees teams of staff and student visit places such as India, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Peru to work with schools or orphanages.

In addition to these volunteering opportunities, the Chaplaincy team can connect students wishing to work in a Christian setting with a number of churches and charities who serve their local communities.

Social justice commitment In the 180 years since its foundation, Liverpool Hope has developed a tradition of championing social justice. Throughout its long history it has provided education for those usually excluded from participation.

It continues to offer places to bright and promising students from diverse backgrounds and retains a deep commitment to finding innovative solutions to the challenges society faces. This is evident at a local level through the work of the Community Engagement Team, which aims to coordinate, co-produce and support

9

a wide variety of community based projects - whether it’s a charity fundraiser or an initiative or event in the city where volunteers are needed.

Since 2021, the Team have delivered several successful projects, including donating thousands of PPE items to local hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic and raising thousands of pounds for the ‘Handcream for Heroes’ initiative, which encouraged members of the public to donate hand cream to nurses working in intensive treatment wards at the Royal Liverpool and Aintree hospitals.

Such endeavours are underpinned by academic activity which has a focus on social justice: • In 2023, the University hosted a Cost of Living conference, leading to the formation of the Poverty Research and Advocacy Network (PRAN), which aims to take collective action against poverty and social injustice.

• The Liverpool Hope Theatre Company delivers a range of applied theatre projects in Merseyside and Cheshire to vulnerable groups.

• HMP2Hope is a 10-year project delivered by the School of Creative and Performing Arts which aims to encourage male prisoners to consider a university education as a possibility upon their release.

Liverpool Hope is proud of this work and will continue to contribute to social change as it bids to help realise a more equitable society.

Liverpool Hope in numbers: • 3rd in the North West for student satisfaction in the 2024 Complete University Guide.

• Top modern University in the North West for academic support in the 2023 National Student Survey.

• 1st in Liverpool for assessment and feedback in the 2023 National Student Survey.

10 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

Continued Spiritual Formation Introduction In the article, I shall outline what I see as the importance of Continued Spiritual Formation (C.S.F) for students, staff and parents/caregivers, especially given that Catholic schools are, for many baptised Catholics, ‘parish’. Whilst not negating the status and centrality of traditional parish structures in the life of the Church, I will argue that Catholic educators at every level of the school have a dual role in pedagogy and ministry; as such enter into collaborative ministry with the Church as people of God. I will demonstrate how, in my current school, the C.S.F is placed at the centre of our mission for staff, students and teachers. The article begins with an outline of a research project I undertook several years ago, which explored the possibilities and challenges of developing collaborative ministry between educators in Catholic schools and the wider Church. This research was the catalyst for developing programmes of C.S.F in various schools I have served in and which has reached its fullest expression in my current role as Director of Catholic LIfe in All Saints RC High School Kirkby, Liverpool.

Continued Spiritual Formation The MA in Catholic School Leadership from SMUC is a course known to many readers and one I would wholeheartedly recommend, having graduated eighteen years ago. I am currently a EdD (Doctoral) student at Liverpool Hope University. My thesis explored the possibilities and challenges of collaborative ministry between parishes and schools and the dual role of Catholic educators as pedagogues and ministers. My research took place during the ‘Leaving Safe Harbours’ process in the Archdiocese of Liverpool when traditional parish boundaries were being changed, churches were merging/ closing, and the reality of smaller ordained clergy was being explored, whilst the opportunities for a committed

laity to minister in the spirit of Vatican II were being gently teased out.

At this time, I believed, as I still do, that Catholic schools are, in many ways, the front line of the Church. And that for almost all students, teachers and parents and caregivers the school is, in effect, the parish. Catholic schools are the meeting point of the sacred and the secular, where the demands of the educational marketplace: achievement, attainment, assessment, and inspections must be balanced against the needs of the Spirit, liturgy, prayer, sacrament, retreat, pilgrimage and Catholic Social Teachings. For many Catholic leaders, the stark reality is that they must balance these often-competing dimensions of school and keep the plates spinning.

My MA research employed a qualitative research methodology. Data was gathered through in-depth, semistructured interviews with Catholic school leaders from various dioceses.

The analytical tool was thematic analysis.

My research aimed to understand how leaders provided for the C.S.F of their staff so that they could be sources of spiritual formation for each other and the students in their care. My conclusions were: • The tensions between the sacred and secular in Catholic education were genuine.

• The need for continued spiritual formation (C.S.F) for staff and students was pressing in an increasingly secular age.

• The C.S.F of students was generally easier - yet not easy! - due to committed lay chaplains, groups such as SVP Youth, Cafod, and diocesan projects, not to mention Religious Education.

• Catholic leaders found it difficult to offer C.S.F for staff due to competing tensions such as raising attainment, achievement, progress, attendance, and behaviour. Often, prayers

By Rev Dcn Michael Bennett Dcn Mike Bennett is the Director of Catholic Life at All Saints RC High School Kirkby Liverpool.

Having served in six Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Liverpool for over twenty-fiveyears as teacher of RE, Head of RE and Assistant & Deputy Headteacher. Mike is currently leading on Catholic Life and formation. Mike is in the final stage of a Doctorate at Liverpool Hope University researching students' experiences of GCSE RE Specification A.

Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

were offered at briefings or the celebration of the Eucharist when a priest was available, and little else was offered. The often overworked lay Chaplains were at capacity working with the students.

My recommendations for further practice were that Catholic school leaders should use the gifts and talents of existing community members to develop a C.S.F process within the school to develop staff spiritual capital, which they could then use to minister to the students.

Wherever possible, a leadership position should be appointed to lead the whole school's Catholicity and Formation.

In the years that followed my thesis, I have continued to reflect on the need to constantly offer hard-working staff the opportunity to develop spiritually so that they can form the spirituality of those in their care. As a senior leader, like many of my colleagues, I often faced the tension between the sacred and secular: the needs of the ‘market’ and those of the ‘Spirit’.

What do we put our energies into when setting the school calendar, with its five days of INSET? Curriculum?

Teaching and learning? Assessment?

The list could go on and on. And it is ever-changing with the introduction of new inspection frameworks. Where in all of this can we place time to prioritise formation? My response was and still is front and centre!

My current role at All Saints RC High School Kirkby is Director of Catholic Life. This leadership position is responsible for the wholeschool leadership of Catholicity and Formation. The Head established this role as he believed the formation of the entire community should be at the centre of the school's mission. As a note of context, the current Head entered the school when it was in Special Measures with falling numbers and little confidence within the community. The school is now ‘Good’ (Ofsted Nov 2021) and ‘Outstanding’ for Catholic Life (S48 May 2023), with

the highest P8 in the borough. The school is over-subscribed to all-year groups despite serving in an area of significant social and economic deprivation, attaching applications from students from other boroughs.

In both secular and sacred terms, the school is doing very well.

My role involves the school leadership of Catholic Life, including chaplaincy, liturgy, and prayer; but most significantly, formation. Our formation ‘map’ operates across all areas of the school, comprising of ‘core’ elements that all adults and children access, and ‘bepsoke’ elements which are focused on the formation of specific groups such as: governors, SLT, Progress Leaders, Early Career Teachers, new members of staff and Parents and Caregivers. To outline the entire programme of formation would take up too many words, what follows is a generic overview of our commitment to formation in All Saints RC High School.

To provide opportunities for the formation of students, we offer a holistic programme that seeks encounters with all students, not just a self-selecting group that seeks out the Chaplain in times of distress. As a school in the Salesian tradition, our programme of C.S.F for both students and staff is based on the concept of RUAH, the Hebrew word for Spirit.

It is described as the breath of God; when one breathes in and out, the word RUAH is spoken. RUAH is a spiritual practice that empathises with both giving and receiving in the formation process through developing the practices of respect, understanding, affection and humour; C.S.F is relational, based on the belief that all are made in the image of God the Creator. Thus, our formation programmes are routed in the belief that we all develop spiritually through relationships with each other and the divine.

Our formation programme for students includes the statutory, for example, the daily act of Collective

11

Worship, and that which is generally available in all Catholic schools—for example, the Eucharist, sacramental preparation for Confirmation and the promotion of Catholic Social Teachings. Yet rooted in our belief in the relational dimension of spiritual development, we offer an extensive range of opportunities for continued spiritual formation outside of the school day. For example, our school youth club, the Bosco Club, meets twice a week from 4.00 pm - 6.00 pm, where spirituality is developed through presence to each other and through play. At the heart of the Salesian vision of the school is the oratory model, which views all schools as: • School - a place of learning • Home - a place of communion and relationship • Playground - a place of encountering God through fun and play • Church - holy ground where scared and secular meet and are in union with each other Our Bosco Club intertwines all of the above. It is a school staffed by educators based in our library, providing a safe place for students to complete homework. A home where students feel safe, loved, valued, and cared for. A playground where our students can play safely on PS3s, Xboxes, pool, table football, board games, and outdoor games such as football and rounders. A Church, as at the heart of all that we do in the Bosco Club lives the reality that Christ is present in the sacrament of the present moment.

The Head has committed significant financial resources to ensure the Bosco Club can run. Yet not only to run, but to thrive with an entire staff and the latest technology for the students to enjoy. Bosco Club works on a system of Junior Youth Leaders drawn from its membership. These hardworking young people act as mentors for younger students and act as the ‘familiar’ members of the club, promoting family.

12 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

The formation of students through experiences exists within our aim to provide C.S.F for students. The school offers six residential retreats a year to Mid-Wales. As with the Bosco Club, these residential experiences, which run from Years 7 - 13, are significantly resourced by the school's leaders regarding finances and staffing. To live as a family, play as friends, pray and worship together and learn from each other embraces our oratory model of school. Being present to each other as we will live together for a short time opens us up to the reality that when two or three gather in the name of the Lord, God is indeed present. Our encounters with each other through our residential retreats are those of the sacrament of the present moment.

Our non-residential retreat programme for students runs in Years 7 & 9. These allow staff and students to deepen their relationship with God through play, prayer, scripture, and sacrament. From a secular perspective, allowing staff and students two full days off the curriculum for spiritual development would not make sense in the marketplace. Yet, for our school, the Spirit feeds the mind, constantly outpouring one to another. In the same way, the Cappadocian Fathers defined the doctrine of the Trinity as a circle dance, perichoresis, which is a divine outpouring of love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All Saints Kirkby sees the investment in formation as the constant outpouring of the Spirit into the material world and vice-versa. In other words, nothing is genuinely secular, as everything contains the spirit of God. Thus, we see no contradiction in allowing staff and students the time and space to develop spiritually as Spirit feeds matter. Like all schools, we exist in the educational marketplace and face the same tensions, yet we see our success in this reality as springing from our spiritual base, which we believe is well-formed.

Our three drop-down days a year offer experiences of faith in our city, where the spiritual heritage of Liverpool is explored through visits to the plurality of places of worship in the city. Our faith in the community considers how a once white-working-class town, described in the early 1950s as one of the most Catholic towns in Europe, is becoming increasingly religiously diverse. As with above, the willingness of the Head to support and resource three days of spiritual formation in addition to seventy-five sessions of the Bosco Club and six residential retreats a year shows an insight into the understanding of C.S.F. The formation of staff lies at the heart of our school's mission. One of the INSET days each year is devoted solely to the C.S.F. Taking place in October, and this is a day where staff are invited to reflect on their vocation to the ministry of teaching. Each year, different spiritual exercises are planned. Yet, all involve aspects of prayer, liturgy, play, and familiar time, such as eating together as a family and time to learn together: school, home, Church, playground. Our October day of formation is a whole staff retreat, which staff look forward to and speak about.

Our formation programme includes all adult members of the community.

Each year begins with a day of formation for school governors. This forms them in their mission as those who challenge and support but do so with Christ at the centre. Our yearly SLT residential retreat combines the active and contemplative, bringing the senior leadership team together in prayer and sacrament to better understand themselves as servant leaders whose vocation is ministering to the whole All Saints Family.

Our Progress Leaders (Heads of Year) retreat takes place in the summer, allowing our pastoral leaders to reflect on their vocation as Good Shepherds to their year group. A common observation of all that we

provide for staff and students is that the resourcing comes from the Head, supported by the governors; this is because the efficacy of C.S.F must be considered. When one thinks of school budgets, a wise investment is in the C.S.F of the community as the rewards are so great - All Saints is testimony of this. From inadequate to good is a journey that must be resourced. The spiritual energy created by investing in staff formation is a significant factor in our success.

Our Tuesday Staff Prayer Group or Friday Staff Mindfulness Meditation Group, our weekly Eucharist celebration during Advent and Lent, and our Liturgies of the Word on the third Friday of each month create a spiritual Tsumani, which means that the staff are full of the Spirit so they can minister to each other and to the students.

ECTs and new members of staff teaching and non-teaching - follow a programme of formation, which we call the ‘Pedagogy of Love’.

This process inducts and forms new colleagues into out vision of education and encourages them to reflect on their own vocation to the ministry of teaching and to take the opportunities made available to continually form themselves.

We speak of our school as a ‘Trinity’ in All Saints. This powerful symbol includes the constant working together of staff, students, parents and caregivers. Parents and caregivers are the primary educators of the faith.

Thus, we must support them in their vocation as parents. For this reason, the school offers family catechesis to support parents in preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Eighteen years after completing my MA journey and well into my Doctoral journey, my vision of C.S.F is fully emerging in a school where the highest leadership level is resourcing C.S.F to outstanding effect.

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Buildings of Living Stones

By Dr Maureen Glackin

Catholic Schools as Places of Formation

School as Agents of change In 1850 at the Restoration of the Hierarchy in England, the newly established Bishops famously preferred ‘…the establishment of schools to every other work. Indeed, wherever there may seem to be an opening for a new mission, so arranged as to serve temporarily as a chapel, to that of a church without one….the building raised of living stones, the spiritual sanctuary of the church, is of far greater importance than the temple made with hands’[1]. Even then, schools were seen as dynamic agents of change. And so it is now.

At a time when regular Church practice by those identifying as Catholic continues to fall [2], the opportunity that a Catholic school presents to ‘form’ Catholic staff, and indeed all staff, to grow into personal knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith cannot be underestimated. In recognition of this, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers in Catholic schools has now been termed in some dioceses as CPDF, with the ‘F’ for Formation.

But what is meant by ‘formation’ in our current educational context?

The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, states: ‘The mission of the Church is to evangelize, for the interior transformation and the renewal of humanity. For young people, the school is one of the ways for this evangelization to take place’[3].

Again, in Lay Catholics in Schools:

Witnesses to Faith, we are told that the vocation of the Catholic educator is ‘…to form men and women who will be ready to take their place in society, preparing them for the social commitment to work for the improvement of social structures, bringing them more into conformity with the Gospel’[4]. Therefore, the school is understood to be a place of evangelisation and of transformation, a place where personal flourishing is nurtured which, consequently, creates the opportunity for society to be changed in a positive and remarkable way. ‘A Catholic education will witness to alternative values and demonstrate the possibility of a different life style from those being adopted in the wider society’[5].

How do we know if this transformation is taking place and, indeed, if this audacious, dynamic formation is still possible giving the ongoing trend of fewer Catholic staff and pupils in our schools?[6] To explore this I spoke with three Deputy Headteachers in Catholic Independent Schools to understand what led them into Catholic education and whether and how their experience of it had formed them personally and professionally.

Why teach in a Catholic school?

For each of the Deputies, their choice to work within a Catholic context was both a professional and personal ‘fit’.

Prior to appointment to their current role they had all worked in a variety of schools, Catholic and non-Catholic, maintained and independent, however Catholic education was something that was familiar to them, as they had all attended Catholic schools as children.

And it was a context which continued to exert an influence on their career choices. As one Deputy told me: “Ultimately it was a desire to…. I mean, I went to Catholic schools… I didn’t go to independent schools… and I think for me, I got something from my Catholic schooling”. This ‘something’ is seen as being part of a distinct and positive educational experience: “…there is just something different and very special about Catholic schools and you know maybe that’s because that was my upbringing and what I feel comfortable with and what I feel familiar with and I also believe in”. It is interesting to see how faith, what is “believed in” forms part of the professional discourse for these school leaders, something which has become a more significant priority informing their choices as their careers have progressed. One Deputy, reflecting on this, said: “When I first started teaching, I didn’t teach in Catholic schools and didn’t really appreciate….I don’t know why I didn’t really think about the fact that that wouldn’t be important to me….But as I grew up…that kind of environment became much more important to me so I started to look at schools that were appropriate and that was my first foray back into Catholic education”. This idea of being drawn to teach within a Catholic school exemplifies that powerful sense of vocation which the Church sees as a ministry: ‘…we will be looking increasingly to develop and support the ministry of the laity in Catholic education. It is in this full sense of the value of the work of lay teachers, of the importance to the Church of the vocation to teaching….You constitute an element of great hope for the Church’[7].

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In discerning what called them back into Catholic education, the Deputy Heads articulated that it was an absence of a spiritual intent within the schools they were working in and, as noted above, a realisation that their own school experience as a child had given them an expectation of such.

“I guess, I must just enjoy working within the realms of some part of spirituality. And I found it really hard in a school where there wasn’t that, there wasn’t a denomination. Well there were, probably, there were definitely people that had religions but there was nothing cohesive”. There was nothing “cohesive” for this Deputy Head because religion and faith did not form any aspect of that school’s identity – they were irrelevant to its function and vision. In reflecting on this, s/he said: “…my faith wasn’t something I talked openly about in those places ...not as easily as I could talk about it in a Catholic school…”. Therefore being able to talk about faith, indeed having ‘permission’ to do so, is what makes Catholic schools “cohesive”, different and desirable for these school leaders, because it is the link between their personal and professional identities: “This marrying together of who I am and who I was professionally: I could do both those things at once and it would make me better at both things”.

What you articulate, you share and begin to understand more deeply: “Would I be as vocal about my faith if I wasn’t a teacher in a Catholic school? I probably wouldn’t have that opportunity and sometimes speaking about that aloud allows me to really think and reflect on what I believe and what I know”. Therefore, the significance of Catholic schools as places that encourage discourse on religion and faith, cannot be underestimated. All the Deputies spoke about it and the significant impact it had upon them.

One Deputy said: “It was at this school where I started to live my faith more again because I could speak about it...”, and another stated: “It was having these sort of chats over the years that changed my outlook on working in a Catholic school entirely”. For this

Deputy, these chats started as a point of personal evangelisation but they have now become an opportunity for encouraging this in others …as well as ‘talent -spotting’: “Whether as Catholic schools we can be better at having these sorts of conversations with young staff as they come in because it’s the hook, then, really to get them in to Catholic education and to keep the good ones. It’s the ones that don’t know about it and then they get interested in it, these are the ones we want to keep as they’ll be the leaders moving on”. This articulation of a personal mission within the values and identity of a school’s mission, in turn, creates the possibility of formation for all staff: “… of course, not everybody in a Catholic school, particularly on the staff body is Catholic, but they have got into it with the understanding that they are going to be supporting that ethos. So there’s that kind of underlying understanding and I think it does, it does form you, you know, and shape you”.

You are the Potter, we are the clay In considering exactly how this ‘forming’ and ‘shaping’ is nurtured, it is evident that it is the context of the Catholic school in its very essence that is both a powerful formator and the source from which springs all aspects identified as formational developers. Each of these creates the potential for a ‘trigger’ that sparks a moment of self-realisation, leading to a deeper reflection on one’s personal life in a professional context. For one Deputy Head, this became explicit by engaging in the school’s outreach work - an outward: manifestation of an inner faith.

“Working in a Catholic school, it…it really does impact on you personally and professionally. There’s a sense of the ‘outward’… you’re not just looking inwards to yourself. You’re looking at the greater good and what do we do…how we do outreach. I think in a Catholic school, and I don’t want to be disparaging to other settings, but it’s not a tick box exercise. This is what we do, this is...part of our spirituality and our faith…”. Thus the school’s

commitment to the Common Good provides an expression of faith for this Deputy, one that is realised by an awareness of the world and its people both within and beyond the school gates – “looking outwards rather than constantly looking inwards”.

This sense of faith being inspired by ‘looking outwards’ is also described by another Deputy with specific reference to ‘the Francis effect’: “I think working in a Catholic school, it’s made me far more interested in Pope Francis. It’s great to be able to speak with his voice and to use his letters…I think it makes me more academically interested in my faith which allows me just to nurture that from the inside out”. This academic interest is further explored by this Deputy in the teaching of RE. “Getting the chance to teach RE and being formed in that way, as a teacher I mean…not just the pupils. And it isn’t about...in that sense it’s not necessarily in that context about catechetics, it’s about the RE, because look at all this wonderful learning we get out of it”. In this instance it is the academic engagement that brings a realisation of the significance of faith personally and professionally – allowing an obvious expression of faith in life and life in faith. It is a powerful indicator of the potential of Catholic schools to form and nurture faith:“I understand my faith because of the school we are and the way that we represent our faith, we have chosen to come to God, in a way..”.

The use of the word’ chosen’ is apt: in faith we are given the choice to respond to God’s call to grow in love…. or not.

Therefore, our personal disposition must express a desire, a longing for God’s love to be revealed in our lives and, in turn, we must allow this to inform our professional disposition if we are to be transformed by it and allow it to transform the lives of others. One Deputy expresses this most eloquently: “I think working in a Catholic school will always shape you professionally as you’ll either buy into it professionally or you don’t, but either way it will shape you. Whether it shapes you personally is whether or not you embrace it. The question is, whether or not you are

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going to be personally, intellectually, spiritually stimulated enough that being personally formed by it becomes a question”.

The answer to the question, “Are you going to allow this school to form and transform you personally?” is not merely a simple “Yes” or “No”. And indeed, the question itself is not one that can be asked at interview. No, the answer can only be found in the day-to-day lived experiences in the life of the Catholic school. For it is from this academic, pastoral, spiritual and religious reality that something will be triggered which can then be nurtured and naturally brought to fruition. The potential for this to occur is due to what one Deputy described as the “rootedness” of a Catholic school: “If you are really going to look for a school that has an influence…in terms of resilience, in terms of being a wonderful, outward looking charitable person, the Catholic framework for that is largely unrivalled.

It’s the rooting of the position that’s the difference in a Catholic school”. And, of course, these roots lie in the Gospel message: “that Christ died for me, and that God chose me to do this and that I am special and unique. All of those things make me really excited every day. Love of Church, love of the world around us, love of neighbour”.

Challenged into growth Maintaining the environment that will allow these ‘roots’ to flourish requires constant diligence. One Deputy describes this as schools having “different levels of Catholicism on the ground. Some will have it at the front gate and some have it at the core of their provision in terms of what they are doing: it’s a framework but absolutely everything else has to live by or live up to it..”.

This includes the Deputies themselves.

In seeking senior leadership roles in Catholic education, the Deputies know that their personal faith commitment forms a necessary part of their professional role, in a way that they had not envisaged when they began their

careers in Catholic schools. One Deputy said: “I think earlier in my career it was as much professionally as ‘It’s a Catholic school, you’re Catholic, so you’ve more chance of getting a job’. Now I have an appreciation of the Catholic faith”. And with this comes a commitment to it and a realisation “that not only could I teach in a Catholic school, but actually I could lead in a Catholic school”.

This call to leadership, within a Catholic context, is uniquely realised in each one of these Deputy Heads whose faith has been triggered, made explicit and formed by their schools. In so being, their personal faith has become a necessary and essential component of their authentic leadership as Catholic professionals. This interplay between the professional and personal is not seen as contradictory by the Deputies I spoke to but is welcomed by them as a necessary dynamic for personal and professional development. One Deputy said: “Working in a Catholic school has made me grow in a much more exciting and accelerated way as a leader than I had anticipated. I don’t think another school would have challenged me in the same way… or changed me. But my goodness have I grown !” Another put it like this: “ And I think to be a really good leader in a Catholic school you have to understand the mission of a Catholic school…you need to love the young people that you serve…understand the idea of servant leadership and know that ultimately you’re doing it for others, you’re not doing it for yourself”.

From such words it is evident how powerful the experience of working in a Catholic school can be in forming personal faith and informing professional identity. This dynamic is an essential relationship in the formation of Catholic school leaders because the teacher in a Catholic school ‘cannot be content simply to present Christian values as a set of abstract objectives to be admired…. they must be presented as values which generate human attitudes...’[8]. Our Deputies exemplify this and are testament to the ideal that ‘Christian formation takes place within

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and in the course of human formation’[9] and, in this course of professional formation. One Deputy celebrates this: “You’re so you – that’s what comes across. That doesn’t mean you are any less the professional - you are totally professional. But what hits you is the person – that’s the strength. Meet the person and through that you meet the professional. And we so often feel we have to put layers on and be ‘other’ and it’s usually when we’re feeling low ourselves, but actually you know that’s when we hear God saying ‘No. I chose you to be here, I chose you to be here…’”.

Catholic school leaders: formed in their faith by the school they work in and ‘living stones’ of the Church in the world.

References [1] First Joint pastoral Letter of the Newly Restored Hierarchy, cited in Hume, Cardinal Basil OSB, ‘Need for Spiritual vitality’ in Briefing, Vol 27, Issue 2, February 20th, 1997 [2] See data compiled by the Catholic Record Society at https://www.crs.org. uk/catholicism-in-numbers [3] Congregation for Catholic Education,1988, The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, Rome, n66 [4] Congregation for Catholic Education,1982, Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, Rome, n19 [5] Sullivan, J., 2000, Catholic Schools in Contention, Lindisfarne Books, Dublin, pp316-317 [6] See Catholic Education Service Digest of Census Data for Schools and Colleges in England from 2018 - 2023 [7] Konstant, Bishop David,1997, ‘Master Builders: the Role of Catholic Teachers’ in Partners in Mission, Catholic Education Service, London, pp34-43, p43 [8] Congregation for Catholic Education,1982, Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, Rome, n30 [9] Catholic Education Service, 1995, Spiritual and Moral Development Across the Curriculum, London, n98

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End of Empire, New Beginnings and an Ant Towey Paschal Image: Thoughts on Pentecost

By Paul Rowan

When the Visigoth Alaric sacked Rome in 410, many ancients thought it was the end of the world. The social fabric created by Rome seemed to have been around forever (eight centuries is quite a long time) and looked in tatters. Saint Jerome, writing in Bethlehem, expresses this seismic shock: “When the bright light of all the world was put out…when the Roman Empire was decapitated… and the whole world perished in one city, I became dumb”. Significantly, however, as a Christian he adds, citing Psalm 39, “But my grief broke out afresh, my heart glowed within me, and while I meditated the fire was kindled.”[1] In spite of the real disaster that had taken place, life went on and Jerome sensed that good would come from this disaster, that hope would emerge from the ruins.

Having a few weeks ago had stoma reversal surgery after 16 months wearing a bag due to complications with cancer surgery and chemotherapy, I have been reflecting more of late on the relationship between this world and the next. When discovering I had cancer 18 months ago, I was neither shocked nor scared, nor did I think the world was coming to an end. By God’s grace alone I have always had this Jeromian quality of looking for smoke signals of hope amidst burned-out ruins. Faith tells us that that is the meaning of Easter, the liturgical celebration of which now draws to a close, but whose theological and anthropological significance are meant to shed light on our living (and dying) each day. Life always comes from Death; Resurrection always follows Crucifixion. This happens often in daily living as a recurrent rehearsal for the final event of death at the end of life. We don’t always notice, however,

the Paschal lesson that Pentecost is contingent upon the Ascension. These two solemnities, celebrated this month, are the last two stages of the Paschal Mystery, as revealed by the Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer on Pentecost Sunday, where the Church prays to the Father: “For bringing your Paschal Mystery to completion, you bestowed the Holy Spirit today on those you made your adopted children by uniting them to your Only Begotten Son.” Pentecost completes the Paschal Mystery, bringing the complex mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ to its fulfilment.

What is the Paschal Mystery and how are Ascension and Pentecost related?

Throughout his life and writings, drawing on the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Henri Nouwen, Ronald Rolheiser has very helpfully invited us to imagine the Easter Mystery as a complex whole, divisible into 5 parts.[2] Particularly useful for understanding Pentecost is his distinction between life and spirit.

“They are not the same thing and are often given to us at a different time.

For example, after the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples are given the new life of Christ, but only some time after, at Pentecost, are they given the spirit for the new life that they are already living.”[3] 1) On Good Friday Jesus died on a cross after long and terrible suffering.

2) On Easter Sunday Jesus rose from the dead.

3) For 40 days Jesus then appeared to his disciples. This was a period of time in which the Crucified One revealed himself to be, somehow, alive again, with a different quality of life. The ‘40 days’

Paul was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Liverpool in 1995. He has been on the academic and formation staff of 3 seminaries, in Rome and the U.K. He has taught and been involved in pastoral and chaplaincy work in primary, secondary and tertiary education, which has included pontifical and secular institutions. He is currently an Assistant Head (Director of Catholic Life and Formation) at Beaulieu Convent School Jersey in the Channel Islands.

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also functioned as a kind of ‘weaning off’ period, as the disciples gradually readjusted to a relationship with Jesus that could be characterised as ‘now you see him, now you don’t!’ They were being taught that the presence of the Risen One would not a visible presence. They were gradually learning not to cling to the way that God had been visibly present in Jesus of Nazareth, so that eventually they would then be able to let Jesus go in an event we call 4) the Ascension, 40 days after the Resurrection. Before he ascended, Jesus told the disciples to go back to the city and wait for something – to wait for the new way that God would become present in their lives, i.e. the Holy Spirit.

5) After this short period of waiting (10 days, and therefore 50 days after the Resurrection), Pentecost takes place and ushers in a new presence of God, in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit which would help the disciples to live their relationship with Christ in a new way.

Until the Spirit came, the disciples’ relationship with the Risen Jesus was in danger of remaining stuck in the past, rather than where God now wanted it to be, i.e. ‘rooted in the past when Jesus was among them visibly, but in order to be lived out in their present of the Holy Spirit’. The potential danger for the disciples was one of constant lamentation: “Why can’t we have the old Jesus back?”

They were at risk of clinging to the past, obsessing on how God was no longer present in their lives in the way he had been – the old way of Jesus’ visible presence. Grieving for the past would cause them to miss how God was now present and calling them to live now in the present – God was inviting them to accept the Holy Spirit for their new life, their new mission of carrying Jesus’ gospel out into the world and embodying it in love in the power of the same Holy Spirit. Pentecost depends on

the Ascension: no Ascension, no Pentecost. If the Church does not allow Jesus to ascend, it does not allow the Holy Spirit to be poured out. If we constantly look for how God was present to us, we are in danger of missing how God is present now.

No one, of course, should claim that it is easy to let go of the past. The disciples had forty days preparation for letting go of the Lord and were still clearly unprepared! Let’s be honest – learning to let go of the past and move on in life can take a lot longer than 40 days, depending on what it is we are dealing with!

For example, facing up to trauma or abuse in life can take a person forty years or longer, or may never be resolved in this world. But those who manage to live with joy beyond such traumas often speak of never forgetting the past, but also no longer allowing life to be dictated by it. A less dramatic but just as concrete example is relationship difficulties.

People can remain in very toxic relationships and struggle to move on for all sorts of complex personal reasons. Nostalgia or hopeless romanticism, or noble but misguided spiritualities about the value of heroic suffering, often cause people to find it difficult to let go of relationships that may have been good once but are no longer life-giving. Happiness is intimately linked to letting go.

It is interesting that in the postResurrection appearances of Jesus, we do not find the disciples ecstatic with joy. There is no, “We’ve got him back, let’s party!” Maybe they are nervous or afraid – after all, they had, just days before, unanimously decided to abandon and deny knowledge of Jesus. Perhaps they have one eye on the door of the Upper Room – are the authorities about to walk through it? We are told that they don’t always recognise Jesus – he was variously perceived as a gardener, lakeside stroller or wayfarer

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on the road out of Jerusalem. We learn that not all of them bowed down and worshipped Jesus (even if some did). Whatever their reasons, the ‘40 days’ is clearly not 6 weeks of endless festivity and the resolution of all doubts. On the contrary, it is a mixture of some joy, questioning, confusion, hesitation and doubtless many other emotions and thoughts, whether voiced or left unspoken among them.

This means that the ‘40 Days’ is also a period of necessary training: Jesus forms his team as he moves them out of their comfort zone in their relationship with him. By the time the Ascension arrives, 40 days later, they are further along the road (but not yet there) of having been invited by God to let go of something (Jesus) so that they can move on with their lives and let God’s plan further unfold. Jesus, in his new life, is leaving the disciples by ascending to Heaven so that God can come into the world in a new way, through the Holy Spirit. By letting Jesus go, Pentecost will take place and the Holy Spirit will help Jesus’ disciples start the work of the Church.

They will live the new life of Jesus in the present with the right Spirit (the Holy Spirit), instead of in the past with the wrong spirit (“Why can’t we have the old Jesus back?”) This is the start of a new moment in the disciples’ lives. But notice, for the Holy Spirit to come, the disciples must first let go of Jesus. The Ascension, Jesus going back to Heaven, is the end of one way in which God is present in the world, and then Pentecost is the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples and the early Church community, so that God is present in a new way in the world. Sometimes we just have to let go of what used to be positive and life-giving for us because its time has passed, and it is now time for us to move on to something else in life that will give us life in a new way. Pentecost follows Ascension, as Resurrection follows Crucifixion.

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Because the Paschal Mystery is the centre of history, it is at the heart of everything. Catholic education must also learn, therefore, to resonate with its rhythm. During the closing ceremony at the International Congress of Education in 2015, Pope Francis said: “I also say to you: do not be afraid of the new. Our education is offered to a generation that is changing; therefore, educators and school systems are also called to change.”[4] Certainly young people in conversation about the Paschal Mystery recognise how they had to leave Primary School in order to access Secondary School; or let go of Secondary School to receive university or some other course, or a gap year, traineeship, professional qualifications, internship, or to start work in a job. The ‘no longer young’ among our colleagues must, in the end, all learn to grow old gracefully if we want to be a lot less miserable! A creaking frame, post-chemo aching knees, Achilles tendons, numb toes and tingling fingertips can all make a man in his fifties feel about 80! No more running on treadmills like a 40-year-old or punching bags for 12 rounds (4-8 tops!) like a 21-year old!

However, being 56 and post-cancer brings other graces: a man might have become a bit kinder, wiser and less likely to say something he regrets nowadays! The more mature years can be full of joy, new consolations and a certain peace when one has stopped clinging to the past and embraced the present a tad more.

The link between Ascension and Pentecost, between two different but ‘appropriate for the moment’ presences of God in a life, has been grasped. The penny has dropped: God always gives new gifts, even when that involves letting go of past gifts.

One of the great women of history, Mother Julian of Norwich, famously said, “In the end, all will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing will be well.”[5] Life is comedy, not tragedy because of Easter: Death, Resurrection, 40 Days, Ascension and Pentecost. At the risk of sounding irreverent (if not a little blasphemous!), I cite one of Professor Anthony Towey’s (RIP) most beloved phrases: “The Resurrection is the biggest two fingers in history!” God says to the harbingers of falsehood, lies, hatred, gloom and darkness, “You think crucifixion wins? Death?

Nah, I’ll raise you a Resurrection! Life is the bottom line!” But living involves not clinging to the past! Honour the past, yes; learn from it; accept its wisdom and beauty and graces; but never, ever cling to it.

Empires fall and people get hurt as they fall; people get cancer and suffer because of it; the world can indeed seem to be ending at times. That is why, having noted Mother Julian’s axiom that it will all be okay in the end, some wag (be it Lennon, Wilde, Coelho, etc.)[6] added: “And if it’s not okay right now, that’s because it’s not the end yet!” What is being worked out in any end of empire or cancer is not always apparent. Nevertheless, since God exists and Christ is risen, some good is emerging. Eastern wisdom says of any experience, “This too, shall pass.”[7] We need to take joy when it comes; and we need to stick at it during the bitter seasons of life. More than anything, we need to love – always love – in good times and in bad. God alone knows the beginning, middle and end of our story. The end of the world shouldn’t concern us, nor should we worry excessively about when we will die.

Perhaps we should ponder a little more in what state our dying will find

us – the person we have become through the experiences we have lived.

A good end of academic year to everyone, and a prayer that we take the Ascension and Pentecost with us into Ordinary Time, living our life with as much love as we can for as long as we get!

[1] (https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/ npnf206.vii.iv.x.html Commentary on Ezekiel, Preface to Book i) [2] Among many examples, see “A Spirituality of the Paschal Mystery” in Seeking Spirituality: Guidelines for a Christian Spirituality in the 21st Century, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1998, 133-157.

[3] Ibid., 138.

[4] Pope Francis, Address to the Participants at the World Congress on Catholic Education, November 21, 2015, cited by Jose Mesa, SJ, “Catholic Education, Faith and Vocational Discernment” La Civilta’ Cattolica, Vol. 2, no. 7 (July 2018), p. 16.

[5] Revelations of Divine Love, chapter 27, Revelation 13. https://www. oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/ acref/9780191843730.001.0001/q-oroed5-00006102 [6] https://quoteinvestigator. com/2023/01/01/everything-ok/ for a discussion of the origins of this saying.

[7] I subscribe to an amusing Instagram account called Disappointing Affirmations, run by Dave Tarnowski, which “hilariously counters the culture of relentless toxic positivity with a realistic take on a disappointing world where failure is always an option, but that’s okay.”https://www.amazon.com/ Disappointing-Affirmations-DaveTarnowski/dp/1797226665 . Dave might respond to such Eastern positivity with, “And then some other bullsh*t will come and take its place; it never f***ing ends!”

Such lines have their place in maintaining a smile on my face, but I still prefer the wisdom of the original take.

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CES News

By James Willsher CES Partnership and Communications Manager

Catholic schools are taking in 50% more pupils from the most deprived backgrounds than the state sector, according to the latest data.

Just under a fifth of all pupils in Catholic statutory education meet the highest national deprivation criteria, compared to a 12.8% England average. Similarly, a quarter fewer pupils from the more affluent areas attend Catholic schools.

Free school meals are available for parents on benefits, but continue after household income rises above eligibility criteria.

The number of Catholic school pupils on free school meals is marginally lower than the national average, as many parents are ineligible due to immigration status or low-paid employment, with barriers to takeup including the complexity of applications and financial privacy concerns.

Pupils from ethnic minorities make up 45.5% of the Catholic school population, compared to an England state school average of 37.4% — for Wales the Catholic figure is 35.6%, and the Welsh average 14.3%.

There are 2,169 Catholic schools in England and Wales, educating more than 850,000 pupils, making up 9% of the state-funded sector. The Catholic Church is the biggest provider of secondary education and the secondlargest provider of primary education overall. There are also four Catholic universities in England.

The figures come from the annual

census of Catholic schools and academies conducted by the Catholic Education Service (CES).

Paul Barber, CES Director, said: “Many Catholic schools were established to help poor immigrant families during the nineteenth century, and this tradition of providing education for those most in need has continued ever since.

“Today Catholic education outperforms national GCSE averages for English, Maths and Religious Education by up to seven percentage points, a testament to the sector’s success given the much higher proportion of pupils coming from the most deprived households in the country.”

A total of 56.4% of pupils in Catholic schools are of the faith, as are 43% of the 51,650 staff employed. Only 0.04% of pupils are withdrawn from acts of collective worship such as Mass and prayers in assemblies.

Catholic schools continue to convert into becoming Catholic academies, with a 13% increase in the past year. There are now 921 Catholic academies in England, run by 79 multi-academy trusts, with 46% of Catholic state-funded schools being academies.

The annual digests of the census data for England and for Wales are available on the CES website.

Catholic schools are also producing disproportionately more trainee teachers, due in part to recruiting their own pupils — and parents.

Three Catholic secondaries in Surrey have supplied 13 out of 80, or 16%, of student teachers at a major training provider for the South East thanks to a drive for recruiting among current and former pupils and parents.

Catholic schools represent 9% of state-funded education in England.

Xavier Catholic Education Trust, made up of those three secondary schools as well as 12 primaries in the county, also encompasses Xavier Teaching School Hub and Xavier Teach SouthEast, an Ofsted outstandingrated initial teacher training (ITT) provider serving the region.

James Kibble is Chief Executive Officer of Xavier Catholic Education Trust, and former Headteacher of Salesian School, a mixed Catholic comprehensive for 1,800 pupils aged 11-18, in Chertsey, in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. He said that Salesian School has historically looked to within for new trainee teachers, including even recruiting three parents of former students for the current intake.

“It started with the sixth form, offering opportunities to try out being a teaching assistant in a secondary or a local primary,” he said. “We talk to the students about their career programme, about locations, and involve specialists in teaching up to when they leave.

“We stay in contact, but it’s really in the second year of university that they’re asked to think about it. We get them on an internship for four weeks in the summer term, and interview them before they leave for their third year of university, then have them back as a graduate teaching assistant while they’re deciding. They might then enter the programme, though some go straight into Initial Teacher Training.”

Find out more on the Xavier Teach SouthEast website.

20 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

Why Shakespeare Should Be Taken Very Seriously in Catholic Education Introduction Why is it important to prioritise the teaching of Shakespeare in Catholic schools? This article argues that the greatest writer who ever lived deals with significant and important themes highly pertinent to Catholic education.

His plays - and even individual lines can be beneficial to students as they negotiate the world in which thy live, the people they encounter and the kind of person they hope to become. One of the aims of the book I am presently co-writing with the English Jesuit Luke Taylor SJ and the American scholar Brandon Schneeberger - Catholic Faith in Shakespeare: Towards a Philosophy of Education (Feb. 2025, Routledge) - will highlight how issues of faith and belief may be explored and encouraged by studying Shakespeare.

We are concerned to alert teachers and tutors working in Catholic educational settings to see the value of teaching and referring to Shakespeare for the attainment and flourishing of their distinctive mission. Our other interests include the following: the examination of how a selection of Shakespeare’s plays portray Catholic themes and teachings which illuminate in memorable ways a Catholic philosophy of life and how they are able to capture pupils’ imaginations; assisting teachers working in Catholic schools to recognise the bard as a master of the dramatic representation of key components of Catholic doctrine; the offering of creative pedagogical approaches to the teaching of Shakespeare in order to assist a Catholic theological reading of his plays; highlighting that a fuller appreciation of Shakespeare’s plays is only possible by paying attention to the manner in which he communicates and dramatises Biblical teachings and religious values.

And finally, to help teachers integrate

Shakespearean verse into assemblies and community practices in addition to an exploration of his major plays in the classroom.

The Teaching of Shakespeare in Catholic Settings Shakespeare often focusses on themes central to human flourishing or its selfdestruction. For example, love, sex, death, betrayal, tyranny, evil, politics, providence, friendship, suffering, human nature, the ‘vices’ of pride, hatred and envy and much more. Although the linguistic, intellectual and religious climate of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries is very different from our pupils’ own (in itself, we think, a good thing for them to learn about) his work avoids the trap of unappetising, didactic, religious insistence in favour of inviting stimulating conversation on contested issues which matter to pupils as they move from adolescence to young adulthood. In other words, his texts act as a stimulus to discussions about what matters most in life. Including our own happiness and well-being.

Happily, the teaching of Shakespeare in Catholic schools, colleges and universities in the UK and USA is already widespread and reasonably well-embedded. All British pupils are introduced to the significance of Shakespeare and many study some of his major works seriously from Year 9onwards. Pupils in England and Wales undergo a compulsory study of one Shakespearean play during their GCSE English Literature course and at A’ level, if they opt for English Literature, one Shakespearean text must be covered.

The most popular plays at GCSE level are Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. At ‘A’ level popular choices include Othello, Hamlet, King Lear and The Tempest.

I studied Measure for Measure and

By David Torevell

Hamlet and still remember the moral and personal dilemmas faced by the characters in these ‘problem plays.’

Shakespeare appeals to all ages.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford- upon-Avon has recently hosted a shortened version of Hamlet for the under 12s and the newly opened multimillion pound Shakespeare North theatre in Prescot, England will soon be offering an MA in Shakespearean Studies and invites into its artistic space pupils of all ages. Of course, the debate still rages whether Shakespeare was a Catholic himself but certainly many eminent scholars have pointed to the myriad Catholic connections and sympathies he had, including the likelihood that his mother was a devout catholic and his sister a brave recusant, plus the strong possibility that some of his teachers would have been Catholic. More importantly perhaps, critics have pointed to the large number of important Catholic theological ideas and locations that surface throughout Shakespeare’s dramatic corpus. Many of Shakespeare’s plays take place in Catholic settings and include easily identified Catholic figures (eg. friars, nuns, priests). His plays often exude a Catholic ethos which is instructive and familiar to pupils who are formed in Catholic contexts themselves.

‘The play’s the thing’ My friend Luke Taylor is fascinated

by Macbeth in relation to Catholic

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education since it addresses how a brave national hero became a regicidal murderer. He points out that in this play evil progressively invades the body of its eponymous hero – beginning with his head (imagination, memory, judgement), progressing to his heart (passion), and finally to his stomach (digestion, reproduction). He writes, ‘This tripartite exposition provides a simple and appealing pedagogical schema for secondary-school aged children whilst synthesising recent early modern “turn to the body” research. Where some of that research is grounded in a materialist philosophy, he contends that Macbeth espouses a Catholic Christian anthropology. As a spiritual reality, evil can manifest psychologically and even viscerally. Ultimately, however, the body retains its essential goodness. A play concerned with the violence inflicted by male bodies ends with the hope, represented in Macduff, of new life born from female bodies’.

My other friend and writing partner, Brandon Schneeberger, is intrigued by the topic of beauty in Othello one of the great transcendentals identified by the Catholic tradition. He argues that Iago takes on the role of a Reformed iconoclast as he consistently attacks Desdemona’s beauty and successively poisons Othello’s mind to embrace his iconoclastic disdain not only for Desdemona’s beauty but also for beauty itself. Othello’s murder of Desdemona can thus be read symbolically as a destruction of sixteenth-century religious art, specifically artistic renderings of the Virgin Mary. In Measure for Measure, he suggests that marriage and sacramental grace are key themes and how changes in views regarding marriage in the sixteenth century have a significant bearing on Shakespeare’s plays. He is fascinated by the long discussion regarding marriage from the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 to the Council of Trent in 1563 and examines how clandestine marriages in Shakespeare point to a sacramental understanding of marriage in the plays, rooted in the medieval concept of solusconsensus. He has also researched how Shakespeare recognises the importance of the sixteenth-century reforms.

I, myself, am particularly interested in how Shakespeare deals in Romeo and Juliet with the themes of human sexuality

and consent, love, and freedom. I believe this text could be used to good, creative effect in Personal Relationships Courses.I am also absorbed by what the Catholic Catechism names as the ‘passions’, particularly envy and pride, and how they insidiously instil evil in the heart. These ‘vices’ are instructively dramatised in Othello. As we know from Genesis, Adam and Eve take on Satan’s envy of God attempting to be better than their Creator and succumb to his temptation. As the Catechism states, ‘Behind the disobedient choice of our first parent lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which make them fall into death out of envy’ (391). Othello, too, capitulates to Iago’s voice which is similarly seductive and enticing. Iago envies the black man’s military success and his beautiful wife. He acts ‘to abuse Othello’s ear’(Act 1, 3, line 371) and akin to the serpent in Genesis, penetrates the core of Othello’s being, his inner sanctuary ‘where I have garnered up my heart/Where either I must live or bear no life’ (Act 4, 2, lines 56-57). In so doing he brings about the devastating ‘fall’ of Othello which prompts the murder of Desdemona and results in the suicide of the tragic hero. As Schimmel comments, ‘Shakespeare the master psychologist, lays bare the goal of the most malicious envy. If I, Iago, can’t possess the desired object, then, Othello, neither will you’ (1997). Othello’s eventual guilt-ridden self-hatred for what he has done results in his slavery to the demonic. As he looks upon his dead wife he says, ‘O cursed, cursed slave! Whip me ye devils/ From the possession of this heavenly sight. Blow me about in winds! Roast me in sulphur!’ (Act 5, 2, l. 275-277).

The audience see here a sincere repentant awareness of his need for punishment for his crime, but his anguish overrides any redemptive move towards self-forgiveness or a forgiving God; consequently, he stabs himself in despair.

Other plays resonate deeply with the world and people pupils will inevitably encounter during their lives. The bloody tyranny in Julius Caesar may be paralleled with the political landscapes and civil wars we witness today across the globe. In Hamlet (so brilliantly played

by Andrew Scott who was educated by the Jesuits in Dublin before becoming an actor), we witness a young man torn apart by restlessness, anger and anxiety.

In King Lear, Love Labour’s Lost and

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Measure for Measure confession and penance feature strongly. DuringThe Winter’s Tale grace becomes apparent and inMeasure for Measure we witness intercessory prayer. In King Lear the repetition of the word ‘nothing’ informs our understanding of contemporary consumerism, theological anthropology and Christian charity.

Besides all this, it is vital to note that historically, Catholic education has intimate ties to the classical liberal arts, the very kind of education Shakespeare himself experienced as a child. A traditional Catholic education infuses the liberal arts with transcendental meaning and is able to fill the mind and heart not merely with knowledge and facts, but with joy and love, fostering a sense of wonder and a desire for the contemplation of the good, true and beautiful. To understand Shakespeare is to know something about what a Catholic understanding of life entails and although, thankfully, there is no arid sermonising in any of his works, there is a deeply embedded empathy with Catholic truth due, in no small measure, to his late sixteenth century family background and the fierce Catholic versus Protestant struggle in which he lived. Shakespeare, too, unpacks in a number of his works the contested role religion plays in culture and society which is no less evident today. Pupils would benefit from investigating this socio-religious analysis.

Conclusion Many Catholic educational institutions appoint Directors of Catholic Life to oversee its development and growth, but governors are often unable to appoint well qualified practising Catholics as specialist teachers for a variety of reasons. This is where reflecting on the importance of Shakespeare might help. Because, besides assisting English teachers/lecturers working in Catholic settings to understand further some of the central moral and biblical teachings of the church, we think the bard’s work will help all those working in Catholic settings to appreciate the Christian principles on which their institution rest and the distinctive mission they pursue.

By placing these principles in real, human and dramatic situations, studying Shakespeare can be a way for staff and pupils to interact with Catholicism in new and fresh ways.

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How does one Identify an Excellent Catholic School?

A view from the United States

By Dr Max Engel

The challenge of identifying an excellent Catholic school is certainly not unique to the United States. Contemporary Catholic school educators and advocates across the globe are understandably asking, “How does one identify an excellent Catholic school?” A response to this problem from American Catholic schools may be of interest to Catholic school officials in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and beyond. At a national Catholic school conference in 2009, American Catholic school leaders, scholars, and bishops asked, “What are the attributes of a school that is both ‘excellent’ and ‘Catholic’?” The time had come to develop standardised guidelines and criteria to clarify the identity of a Catholic school in the United States.

Starting in 2010, a team of experts drawn from U.S. Catholic higher education and pre-kindergarten–12 Catholic school teachers and leaders, with input from the U.S. Bishops, developed standards and benchmarks to respond to the need for criteria to identify an excellent Catholic school. These standards were first published in 2012 as the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools or NSBECS. Since publication, the NSBECS has served as a definitive resource to enhance the Catholic identity of Catholic schools. School leaders, accreditation bodies, Catholic school leadership programs, and financial supporters have all used the NSBECS to inform decisions and make evaluations relative to many Catholic school’s identity, excellence, and sustainability.

The NSBECS were slightly revised in 2023 and are now in a Second Edition.

The NSBECS is a new genre of document for Catholic schools in the United

States. It is based on research from the standards-based reform movement synthesised with and informed by official teaching on Catholic schools. The NSBECS are divided into three types of statements: at the outset there are nine “Defining characteristics of Catholic schools” that describe attributes of an excellent Catholic school; this is followed by the standards based on those defining characteristics of Catholic schools; every standard is then accompanied by several observable benchmarks aligned with each individual standard. ​ paragraph for each of the nine defining A characteristics summarises theological and philosophical principles that are the foundation of Catholic schools and their Catholic identity. These characteristics are drawn from the Holy See’s directives on Catholic schools synthesised by Canadian Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, in his short work, The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools (2006), as well as declarations by recent popes and the U.S. Bishops. The nine “Defining Characteristics of Catholic Schools” explain that a Catholic school is: 1. Centred in the Person of Jesus Christ 2. Contributing to the Evangelising Mission of the Church 3. Distinguished by Excellence 4. Committed to Educate the Whole Child 5. Steeped in a Catholic Worldview 6. Sustained by Gospel Witness ​ 7. Shaped by Communion and Community 8. Accessible to All Students 9. Established by the Expressed Authority of the Bishop

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These nine characteristics are an excellent summary of the essential attributes of a contemporary Catholic school in the United States. On their own, they are an accessible and definitive resource defining Catholic schools. More importantly, however, they are the basis for the standards and accompanying benchmarks that follow in the NSBECS. ​ he second section of the NSBECS T presents the standards and benchmarks based on the nine defining characteristics. There are thirteen standards divided into four domains, I–IV: I. “Mission and Catholic Identity” (Standards 1–4); II. “Governance and Leadership” (Standards 5–6); III. “Academic Excellence” (Standards 7–9); and IV. “Operational Vitality” (Standards 10–13). Observable benchmarks accompany each standard.

Collectively, there are 81 benchmarks.

The standards and benchmarks “describe how the most missiondriven, program effective, well managed, and responsibly governed Catholic schools operate” (4). It is important to note that the NSBECS are school effectiveness standards, not curriculum content standards.

Every standard presents principles, practices, and policies that are then described more fully in the observable and measurable criteria evident in the benchmarks for each standard. ​ or example, the first domain, F “Mission and Identity” has four standards (Standards 1–4). The first standard states: An excellent Catholic school is driven and guided by a clearly communicated mission that embraces a Catholic identity that includes gospel values, a focus on the Eucharist, and a commitment to communal faith formation, academic excellence, missionary discipleship, and service.

There are six benchmarks for Standard 1. Benchmark 1.1 elaborates on Standard 1’s emphasis on mission,

“The governing body and the leader/ leadership team ensure that the mission statement identifies the school as Catholic and references the school’s unique religious character or charism.” Benchmark 1.2specifies “The governing body and the leader/ leadership team use the mission statement as the foundation and normative reference for all planning.”

The key is that each benchmark gives measurable criteria for every standard in each domain for school officials or outside accreditors to use in identifying areas of strength and needed growth relevant to the school’s mandate to provide “excellent education in a faith-filled environment, centred on the person of Christ” (1). ​The scope of the NSBECS’s influence has been steadily increasing and the Catholic School Standards Study (Ozar, et. al., 2019) indicates they have had a demonstrably positive impact on the schools that have used them. Specifically, research findings indicated that schools that used the NSBECS to inform decision-making and evaluation reported: • Positive outcomes in all four domains.

• Growth among school personnel in understanding of mission, collaboration, improvement mindset, and attention to best practices.

• The NSBECS established a common language for Catholic school formation and development related to identity and mission.

• School leaders, faculty and staff Increased understanding of mission.

• Incorporating the NSBECS increased schools’ using mission as a reference to guide decisionmaking.

• Referencing the NSBECS reinforced ongoing improvement––especially relative to Catholic identity and mission.

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• Being more in-tune with the larger Catholic community.

Anecdotally, and at the minimum, Catholic school communities that use the NSBECS find that the standards and benchmarks identify, relative to identity and mission, topics that must be discussed, a language to discuss those topics, and parameters for how to discuss them.

The NSBECS are accessible today on the (United States) National Catholic Education Association website: https://ncea.org/NSBECS/ NSBECS/NSBECS_Home_Page. aspx. Accompanying the NSBECS on this site are numerous tabs linked to resources that assist school leaders using the standards and benchmarks.

At the present time the “Assessment Tools” tab leads to ready-made rubrics, surveys, and worksheets accompanying the standards and benchmarks; unfortunately, these align with the first edition of the NSBECS, not the current Second Edition. For Catholic school leaders seeking to know more about the applicability of the NSBECS, the tabs labelled “Resources”, “Applications”, and “Impact” contain useful information about using the NSBECS and list many dissertations and scholarly articles incorporating the NSBECS since their inception.

National Catholic Education Association. The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, Second Edition. 2023. https://ncea.org/NSBECS/NSBECS/ NSBECS_Home_Page.aspx Ozar et. al. 2019. “Making a difference: The promise of Catholic school standards.” Journal of Catholic Education, 22(1), 157.https:// doi.org/10.15365/joce.2201102019

24 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

Life and Legacy: The Jesuit Martyrs in El Salvador

By Professor Stephen McKinney

Jon Sobrino, the Jesuit priest, was teaching a short course on Christology in Thailand in 1989 when he received a call on the night of the sixteenth ofNovember. He was informed that something terrible had happened in his Jesuit community and he was asked to phone the Jesuits in London. He phoned London and was told that his entire Jesuit community in San Salvador, El Salvador, had been murdered. This included the housekeeper and her daughter. He struggled to come to terms with this as they were, in his own words, his community, his family, his brothers.

He also kept asking why he was still alive. He has spent a great deal of his life, along with other influential Jesuits, keeping their memories alive. The six Jesuit priests and two women who were murdered thirty-five years ago in San Salvador were Joaquín López y López, Juan Ramón Moreno, Amando López, Segundo Montes, Ignacio Martín-Baró and Ignacio Ellacuría. The two women were Julia Elba Ramos and Celina Ramos.

Julia Elba Ramos (1947-1989) had been the cook and housekeeper for the Jesuits for four years. Her fifteen-year-old daughter Celina Ramos (1973-1989) was a high school student. The two women lived in a little house at the entrance to the university. On the night of the murders, they asked if they could stay at the Jesuit house for safety. The six Jesuits who were murdered all had some connection to the UCA (Universidad Centroamericana Jose Simeon Cana) in San Salvador and many also worked at the Externado San José, the local Jesuit high school. Fr Joaquín López y López (1918-1989) taught at Externado.

He brought the Fe y Alegría (Faith and Joy) foundation to El Salvador in the late 1960s. Fe y Alegría is a network

of Jesuit run schools that educate the poorest children in Latin America and the Caribbean. Fr Juan Ramón Moreno (1933-1989) held several responsibilities: novice master, professor of theology and vice-director of the Archbishop Romero Center at the UCA. Fr Amando López (1936-1989) was professor of theology and philosophy and coordinator of the philosophy degree at UCA. Fr Segundo Montes (1933-1989) worked between the Externado and the UCA. Fr Montes founded the UCA Institute of Human Rights in 1985 and was the director until his death. Fr Ignacio MartínBaró(1942-1989) become the head of psychology in the UCA in the early 1980’s. Fr Ignacio Ellacuría (1930-1989) was the President of the UCA and a public intellectual.

Fr Ignacio Martín-Baró was a psychologist who trained in America and studied the effects of the oppression of the people of El Salvador. One of the features of his work was close social analysis that explored the distribution of power and wealth and the economic structures that led to the oppression of the vast majority of the people of El Salvador. At that time, according to Fr Martín-Baró, three out of every four children were suffering because of deprivation and approximately half the adult population was illiterate. The civil war had a crippling effect on the poor: they were the ones forced to fight and they suffered the most in the economic crisis caused by the war. He was heavily influenced by the preferential option for the poor and developed a ‘liberation psychology’. He was particularly concerned with the impact of warfare on children and young people and their future development and position in society. This included the children who had been conscripted to fight and

Stephen McKinney is Professor of Education in the School of Education, University of Glasgow.

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those who had volunteered in sheer desperation. He was anxious about their long-term mental health.

The murder of the six Jesuits and the two women took place within a period of prolonged social unrest, and a campaign to target clergy and religious in the Catholic Church which resulted in many deaths. Notably, this included the murders of Fr Rutilio Grande SJ, (and his sacristan and young assistant) on March 12th of 1977 and Archbishop Romero and three religious sisters and a lay missionary in 1980. In the period between 1980 and 1992, a crippling civil war raged in El Salvador between the government military forces and the National Liberation Party (FMLN).

On November 11th, 1989, the FMLN commenced a major offensive on the government forces of El Salvador.

As part of this offensive, the FMLN launched a series of attacks on the capital city, San Salvador. In response, Colonel René Emilio Ponce, the chief of staff of the government armed forces, authorised the elimination of the leaders of FMLN and those who were identified as key supporters.

One main target was Fr Ellacuría, considered by the military to be involved in subversive movements.

Fr Ellacuría, as President of the UCA, was publicly outspoken about the oppressive military regime, even before the civil war. He was highly critical of the Government’s role in the civil war and the intervention of the United States, and he had the full support of the Faculty at UCA. He and the UCA were equally quick to condemn the violent activities of the FMLN. Troops from the Atlacati Battalion were ordered to eliminate Fr Ellacuría and leave no witnesses.

When the six Jesuits and the two women were assassinated, Fr Ellacuría was the main target.

The UCA was named after a Salvadoran priest, José Simeon Cañas. He was a congressman in the Constitutional Assembly, and he obtained the abolition of slavery in

Central America in 1824. The UCA was founded in 1966 as a privately-run University in El Salvador. This meant it was a distinctive type of university and very atypical. It was owned by the state but was a not-for-profit public university. Further, it was not an official Catholic university and, as such, was not accountable to the Vatican, local Church leaders and not even to Jesuit superiors. It was accountable to a Board of Directors. Nevertheless, the mission of the UCA was underpinned and inspired by Christianity and the enactment of the preferential option for the poor. This does not mean that only the poor could study at UCA. The university was available for all, but the university had a responsibility to be critically aware of the predicament of the poor, protect their rights and, where necessary, be a voice for the voiceless.

Fr Ignacio Ellacuría had a distinct vision of the aims and purposes of a Christian university. He understood the university to have three main aims: teaching, research and proyección social (social projection which is social outreach or service).

Fr Ellacuría understood these three aims to be interconnected. He also understood the university to have a crucial role in the fight against the oppression of the poor, the marginalised, the non-persons. His focus on the non-person is consistent with the thinking of Gustavo Gutiérrez who also referred to the ‘absent ones’ and the ‘anonymous’. These people exist in concrete history but have been excluded from the historical narratives by the privileged and the oppressors, effectively excluded from history. The theology of Fr Ellacuría was heavily influenced by Archbishop Romero, Rutilio Grande, Jon Sobrino and by the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. One of the key ideas of the theology of Fr Ellacuría was to take the crucified people down from the cross. Like Jesus, they are innocent victims. The crucified people were, and are, crushed and crucified by oppressive actions and structures.

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There are several ways in which the legacy of the six Jesuit martyrs can be viewed. The brutal murders shocked Latin America, North America, the Jesuits and the worldwide Catholic Church. This caused North Americans to question and challenge the US ‘intervention’ in El Salvador and Central America. Further, Fr Ignacio Martín-Baró and Fr Ignacio Ellacuría were both well-known academics.

Liberation psychology, closely connected to liberation theology, strives to give voice to those who have been denied a voice and seeks to understand the experiences of the non-person. It has continued to be employed as an approach to psychology and, in recent years, been used to good effect in feminist theology. The ideas of Fr Ignacio Ellacuría on the Catholic university have had a profound effect on discussions about the aims and mission of Catholic Higher education in America. His theology was to influence Jon Sobrino, especially the focus on taking the oppressed people down from the cross.

The final comments belong to Jon Sobrino. He described the six Jesuits as very hard-working men.

They delivered talks, led retreats, wrote, worked at the university in administration and teaching, and some also worked at the Jesuit High school. Many of them worked in poor parishes at the weekends in El Salvador, or in the outskirts. They were Jesuits who dedicated their lives to service. They closely identified with the people and the serious challenges they faced. These six men all remained steadfast in their work and were committed to the people of El Salvador.

This article first appeared in Open House an independent Scottish Catholic journal of comment, opinion and reflection rooted in the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The article is printed with the permission of both the author and the publisher.

26 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

Catholic Schools: Forming Leaders for Today and Tomorrow

By Sr. Judith Russi

Catholic schools are essential in providing society with the leaders we need today and in the future.

Ofsted continues to recognise that Catholic Schools provide an education which is outperforming the national average in both academic standards and inclusion. Naturally this is very good news and responds to the expectations of the Catholic Church. Canon #806 (b) states that schools and “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.”

It is interesting to note the term “formation” in this Canon, which refers to and calls for the development of the whole person in Gospel values to serve the Lord and humankind.

It has been my experience that many in the teaching profession struggle with what is meant by the term Christian formation. St Paul in II Corinthians 3:17-18 tells us that it is “the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, giving glory to God for the sake of others, powered by the Holy Spirit”.

Whilst this may be clear to some, many teachers and teaching assistants working in schools today have little background in either scripture or theology.

The challenge at all levels is to know how to create a learning community which enables educators to identify the unique gift within each person and help it to flourish in such a way that it is not left dormant due to an over emphasis on the desire for ever higher academic achievements. This does not mean a

dumbing down or ceasing to strive for the very best in academia but rather, developing and using the pursuit of knowledge and development of critical analytical skills to enable the gift of each one to flourish in the fulness of life offered by Jesus in the Gospel.

Pope Francis, as with his predecessors St John Paul II and Benedict XV1 reminds us that, “We consider education to be one of the most effective ways of making our world and history more human” … and Christ centred. (Global Compact on Education. Together to look beyond) Whilst there is much to celebrate in the continuing success and good practice in our schools, the call to form the leaders we so urgently require today, needs a much more serious investment and training for both teachers and pupils.

Our times call for a rethinking of the meaning and purpose of education for the 21st century and there is no better vehicle for that than the Catholic School which has always had as its vital vision and mission, the transformation of the person for the transformation of society.

In his video message 15th October 2020 entitled “Global Compact on Education.

Together to look beyond”, Pope Francis states “Today there is a need for a renewed commitment to education that engages society at every level”.

Thus, we need to rethink the mission of the Church in education. Our entire educational process needs to respond to “the plea of the young, which opens our eyes to both the urgent need and the exciting opportunity of a renewed kind of education that is not tempted to look the other way and thus favour grave social injustices, violations of

Sr Judith Russi SSMN Director of EducareM (www.educarem. co.uk) has worked for many years in all fields of Catholic education, teaching , leadership, advisory, Section 48 inspection and teachers professional development. She is the author of a variety of Catholic education books at primary, secondary and sixth form levels.

As a passionate national speaker and curriculum developer she continues to pioneer many innovative and challenging educational initiatives

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rights, terrible forms of poverty and the waste of human lives”. (Global Compact on Education. Together to look beyond) In this context, the arrival of the new Religious Education Curriculum Directory is good news, as it includes a greater emphasis on Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic education’s service to society. However, proper training and formation is required, for all who teach not just those who deliver RE from EYSF to Key Stage 5. There is a danger that formation is left mainly to RE coordinators and departments. Religious Education whilst on the one hand is an academic subject, has a far greater mission. Its influence must go much further in promoting a shared ethos of Gospel values underpinning every aspect of school life.

This golden thread of beliefs and values running throughout the whole school community provides the foundation stone for the entire school community. In 1988 the Bishops of England and Wales outlined the context for the whole curriculum both taught and implicit, “…Religious Education is not one subject among

many but the foundation of the entire educational process. The beliefs and values it communicates should inspire and unite every aspect of school life. It should provide the context for and substantially shape the school curriculum and offer living experience of the life and faith in its practical experience”. (Statement by the Bishops of England and Wales – 1988) In this educational project every adult in a Catholic school shares a common responsibility to this end.

All adults in the school not only educate, but also have an impact on the whole community. As Pope Francis often says, witnesses not just words are what attracts. The true value of our educational project will not be measured by league tables and testing, but by the ability of our young people to affect the decisions made by our leaders and how they are equipped to “affect the heart of society and help give birth to a new culture”. (Pope Francis Video message “Global Compact on education. Together and Beyond” 15th October 2020) Laudato Si (n.215) reminds us that the mission ofCatholic education

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will radically underachieve until we endeavour to discover a new way of thinking about “human beings, life, society and our relationships with nature”. In other words, until we realistically deal with the issues involved in formation the mission of the Church in education is at risk.

The challenges of Laudato Si had a significant impact on EducareM’s curriculum initiative “Building the Kingdom”, which also incorporates specific leadership training and formation. This initiative took the approach of forming the formators who in turn would feel more confident in rethinking and redesigning the curriculum so that it met the needs of young people today, rather than educating for the past. Ofsted has also identified this urgency by identifying the need for the school curriculum to be both relevant and contemporary.

The aim of this curriculum approach is to marinate all learning in the beliefs and values of the Gospel and Catholic teaching, by identifying those big questions of purpose and meaning which naturally occur through many areas of learning. In other words,

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fulfilling the 1988’s requirement by the bishops to contextualise and shape the curriculum, and providing the opportunities for learners to move from theory into action.

As such Catholic schools must demonstrate that the education and formation that they offer, is distinctively different from that of their sister schools who provide a good education but are not faith based. How otherwise can we justify the use of public funds?

Of course, Catholic schools are not alone in outreach and charity work.

Across the country there are many outstanding examples of generosity and concern for the common good.

Whilst we need to respond to the needs of the poor and marginalised and raise awareness of the environmental crisis evolving before our eyes, we also need to look at causes and solutions. Young people are naturally very concerned about all these issues, but the question is how to bring about change. Schools have many opportunities for service and responsibility. Eco Warriors, Caritas Ambassadors. Minnie Vinnies, Prefects, Buddies, School Councillors to name just a few. Whilst these opportunities are all commendable, a more long-term strategic approach to pupil leadership is needed.

Too often, these responsibilities are operational, rather than strategically long term. Our formation and training for pupil and adult leadership needs both the strategic and the operational. School development plans do identify professional development for adults. However, some schools taking a holistic approach to formation are committing to EducareM’s formation programmes for leaders at all levels, but much more is needed to equip our schools for today and tomorrow.

We are called to be united and outgoing. The Catholic community is

designed to do just this. The renewed emphases on schools working together, whether as academies or in clusters offers the possibility of becoming a powerful force for change. No individual, no school can go it alone. We are not islands behind a fortress. We are created to enrich and serve one another and society.

Young people today are very aware of this regardless of their backgrounds.

I find in our schools a deep longing to make a difference, and above all, to find meaning and purpose in their lives.

Some excellent achievements have been made through EducareM’s Oracy for Advocacy training within Building the Kingdom. This has facilitated the engagement of young people from Year 3 to Year 13 with politicians both in the Houses of Parliament and locally. Pupils are given complete freedom to construct their own points of view and deliver their speeches unaided, without notes,in Parliament. They speak of the present and the future. They hope and dream of leaders who recognise the dignity of the human person as the priority, the qualities they expect to see in those in influential positions and their disappointment at the lack of honesty, integrity, and respect for creation.

Over the past two years groups of schools using the Building the Kingdom programme have engaged with local and national leaders. The aim of these events has been to help young people to engage in meaningful dialogue, which seeks to learn and understand, and thus discover a beneficial way forward.

The approached to dialogue and encounter as outlined in the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, has inspired both young people and teachers alike. Pope Francis warns against engaging in feverish exchanges of opinions and parallel monologues which engage no one. (FT n.200)

In July this year three primary and two secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Westminster organised a day of dialogue with clergy addressing Catholic Social Teaching issues in the morning and in the afternoon eight young people from across the schools spoke on the topic “I AM CHURCH”.

The same principles applied.

Speakers were free to speak from the heart and unedited.

It is encouraging to hear the references to Catholic Social Teaching throughout many of the speeches. It is a risk. The result is that the young speakers discover their voice and speak with a fluency and insight that most did not expect.

CES data tells us that in 2022 there were 820,994 pupils in Catholic schools. Imagine the impact of even half that number formed as people of influence and leadership.

To make sure we are not unintentionally neglecting resources, knowledge and wisdom, that guide and ensure we do not find ourselves in “mission drift”, we need a far greater commitment to forming and shaping these young people for the challenge of renewing our common world recognising that, “Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it and by the same token save it from the ruin which, except for renewal, except for the coming of the new and the young, would be inevitable. And education, too, is where we decide whether we love our children enough not to expel them from our world and leave them to their own devices, nor to strike from their hands their chance of undertaking something new, something unforeseen by us, but to prepare them in advance for the task of renewing our common world.

(Between Past and present, The Viking press, New York 1961, 196)

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News from CATSC PROFESSOR JOHN LYDON PRESENTS KEYNOTE AT THE URSULINE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD IN KENT Professor John Lydon presented the keynote at the Ursuline International Conference in March 2024. The theme of the Conference was One Body in Christ, reflecting the collaboration between the eight Ursuline schools in England and, more broadly, between the UK schools and Ursuline schools in Ireland and Poland, both of which were represented at the Conference.

The organisation of the Conference was exceptional, led by Miss Danielle Lancefield, Headteacher, Ursuline College Westgate-on-Sea and supported by a range of colleagues.

to other teaching religious orders.

While the number of Ursuline schools has decreased, there remains a significant Ursuline presence in England, similar or more than some major orders, for example the Jesuits. Internationally there are more than 1,800 Ursuline sisters in 37 countries on six continents.

Lydon went on to explore the Ursuline charism. In the context of the original charism of St Angela Merici, the following four characteristics ae especially significant: •

Imitation of Christ

•

Apostolic Zeal

•

Fraternal Union

•

‘Placevolezza’

The latter, a word which is virtually untranslatable, encompasses the following concepts:

Professor John Lydon with Conference Organiser Miss Danielle Lancefield, Headteacher, Ursuline College, Westgate, Kent and Ursuline Sisters

Lydon began by sharing a ‘timeline’ of the Ursuline presence in the UK. The Company of St Ursula was founded in 1535, St Angela Merici was beatified by Pope Clement XIII in 1768 and canonised by Pope Pius VII in 1807. In terms of social and political background, St Angela’s was an age of important maritime discoveries, of the renaissance and humanism, of wars and the emergence of new forms of religious life. At the turn of the 20th century, significant numbers of Ursuline Sisters arrived in England from various parts of Europe, analogous

•

Virtues of community life

•

Humility

•

Respect

•

Gentleness

•

Patience

•

Authority as a service of love.

Community and the nature of authority are especially interrelated, reflecting a commitment to collaborative ministry or solidarity around the Ursuline mission. In St Angela’s own words: See, then, how important is this union and concord, so, long for it, pursue it, EMBRACE it, hold on to it with all your might, for I tell you, LIVING together in this unity of heart, you will be like a mighty fortress.

It could be argued that the Ursuline charism is summed up in this testimony of St Angel:a ...and take special care that they are united' ‘’IN heart and WILL”, as we read of the Apostles and other Christians of the early Church... they were all of one heart. In the same way, then you must endeavour to be like this with all your daughters, because the more united you are, the more Jesus Christ will 'be in your midst as a Father and Good Shepherd, there will be no other sign that you are living in the Lord's favour save that of loving one another and being united together.

The words in bold font encapsulate the notion of a sacramental vision, in essence modelling ministry on Christ, which Lydon discussed in some depth, suggesting that this part of my presentation underpins the whole, articulating in essence a sacramental vision. In the context of the Catholic school the sacramental perspective is a dominant paradigm within the theological framework of the Second Vatican Council. By engaging in the ministry of teaching, the individual Christian is responding to his or her primary call to be a disciple of Jesus in a distinctive manner, reflecting the notion of charisms being a concrete realisation of the universal gift of God through Christ to all the baptised explored earlier. This fundamental calling demands that all teachers model their ministry on that of Christ.

Teachers are, in effect, signs of the presence of Christ within their educational community. As Parker J Palmer puts it, they ‘teach who they are’. Lydon pointed out that St Paul,

30 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

Mr Jonathan Joyce, Director of Sixth Form, Ursuline College, Westgateon-Sea and Doctoral Student with his supervisor, Professor John Lydon.

more than any New Testament writer, develops the theme of imitation or emulation in the context of teaching, captured in his iconic statement ‘Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ’ (1Cor 1:11).

Lydon then focusing on the Ursuline Motto ‘SERVIAM’, in his view was an iconic metaphor/symbol/expression of a religious charism ranking with the Jesuit and Salesian metaphors.

Proposing that TRUST represents a central feature of the core meaning of SERVIAM, throughout her writings, Angela encourages her leaders and daughters to nurture relationships built on trust, respect, and really knowing each other in their strengths and their weakness.

Such trustworthy relationships are essential in any community which is entrusted with the responsibility of educating children and young adults.

A high trust culture in a school enables both staff and students to flourish as it encourages a sharing of wisdom without fear of criticism or rebuke. Lydon then went on to reflect on ‘TRUST and the Salesian charism’, supported by research evidence. He highlighted the fact that charism has emerged as an important feature of the Catholic School Inspection (CSI) framework which states that Religious Order schools should be expected to include teaching about their charism in the religious education programme and through other activities of the school. Inspectors should ensure that they are well briefed about what this will look like in practice and the expectations the

Order has for the school. During the inspection, inspectors should take note of values, practices and policies which express the particular religious charism of the school and to include them in their evaluation and inspection comments and judgements on the school.

Lydon concluded by stating that his research of literature and Ursuline websites has led to a conviction that the Ursuline charism mirrors the perennial significance of the Salesian charism, mirroring HervieuLéger’s 1998 concept of religion ‘as a chain of memory’ as opposed to the notion of cultural interruption or detraditionalisation. She describes a process by which individuals become members of a community that links past, present, and future.

Thus, like cultural tradition, concepts such as the Ursuline charism may be understood as a shared understanding with a collective memory that enables it to draw upon the rich tradition embedded within the Ursuline network of schools since the time of St Angela Merici.

Leader formation. They were joined by Sr Judith Russi, Director National School of Formation and Raymond Friel, OBE. A Mass was also celebrated by Rev. Fr Tom Montgomery, Parish Priest of St Matthew’s Church, Northwood in the Hillingdon Deanery to begin the new Spring Term on 8th January 2024.

ROUND-UP OF CATHOLIC TEACHER FORMATION ACTIVITIES IN THE SPRING TERM 2024

During the Spring Term 2024, Professor John Lydon and Dr Caroline Healy have been delivering the Shepherding Talent Short Teacher/Leader Formation Programme in association with the Diocese of Derry where there has been a partnership with St Mary’s University since 2015. Bishop Donal McKeown, Bishop of Derry and Primary Advisor at the Diocesan Catechetical Centre, Thérèse Ferry are key supporters of the Shepherding Talent and Masters in Catholic School Leadership Programmes. For the Masters, the Diocese of Derry offers a £600 bursary per year for Derry students studying in the programme. As a result, in Northern Ireland, over 50 students have graduated from the MA in Catholic School Leadership Programme, validated by St Mary’s University Twickenham. Applications are now open for both programmes next commencing in October 2024. Please email Course Lead Dr Caroline Healy for enquiries: caroline. healy@stmarys.ac.uk or for further

INSET Day at Douay Martyrs Catholic School, London Borough of Hillingdon Professor John Lydon and Dr Caroline Healy, CATSC Executive Council members and academics at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, were delighted to be invited to The Douay Martyrs Catholic School, Ickenham, London Borough of Hillingdon, by Headteacher Fiona McCloskey, to present at its Catholic Life Day to over 200 staff. Professor Lydon presented on Catholic Mission and Leadership Ideals and Dr Healy presented on the Importance of Continuous Formal Teacher and

L to R: Dr Caroline Healy, Rev. Fr Tom Montgomery, Professor John Lydon, Sr Judith Russi, Raymond Friel, OBE and Headteacher of Douay Martyrs, Mrs Fiona McCloskey

Shepherding Talent Short Formation Programme offered in Northern Ireland

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information go to: https://www. stmarys.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/ catholic-school-leadership Graduation on the MA in Catholic School Leadership, Spring 2024 Congratulations to the over 30 serving headteachers, deputy Headteachers, senior and middle school leaders and chaplains at primary and secondary levels, who graduated recently on the 16th March 2024 at St Mary’s University Chapel, Twickenham. These are the latest students to graduate from the programme which has been running successfully since 1997. The current external examiner is Dr Sandra Cullen from Dublin City University.

Interesting aspects of this cohort include ten students were from the Republic Ireland and Northern Ireland, one from Scotland and others from a number of dioceses throughout England and Wales, but especially the Archdioceses of Westminster and Southwark, Dioceses of Arundel and Brighton, Brentwood and Portsmouth.

Spring 2024 MA in Catholic School Leadership graduates with (in the front row) Right Rev. Bishop Richard Moth, Professor John Lydon, Dr Caroline Healy and Dr Theresa Fogell.

A number of students were also former students of St Mary’s University who received a 20% alumni discount on fees. A number of students received module exemptions for accredited prior learning including previous Masters and doctoral degrees, National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) and PGCE Masters Level 7 credits.

The majority were part-time students who successfully completed their

studies alongside their full-time professional roles, either in person or online. We wish them all every success in their continuing and future careers in Catholic school leadership as St Mary’s University Twickenham prepares to celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2025 having a longstanding history of producing high quality teachers and leaders.

CATSC EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTEND THE INAUGURAL GRACE RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA The Inaugural GRACE Conference took place at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Western Australia between 17-19th January 2024. The theme of the conference was Head, Heart and Hands – Together in Faith.

What is GRACE? GRACE (Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education) is a long-term research-based partnership project between the University of Notre Dame Australia, University of Glasgow, Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Boston College in the United States, St Mary’s University Twickenham and the International Office of Catholic Education in Rome (OIEC).

The partnership brings together researchers and practitioners to facilitate research that will improve the quality and contribution of Catholic education around the world.

Steering Committee Members of the GRACE Steering Committee are drawn from five countries: •

Australia

•

USA

•

Ireland

•

England

•

Scotland

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Conference participants Conference participants emanated from a wide range of institutions following: St Mary’s University Twickenham; University of Notre Dame Australia; Boston College, USA; Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Ireland; St Andrew’s Foundation, University of Glasgow; Dublin City University; St Mary’s College, Belfast; Australian Catholic University National Catholic Education Commission Australia; Catholic Institute Western Australia; Catholic Education Directors from across all the states in Australia and some from New Zealand; Catholic Education Trust Directors Ireland; Catholic Education Diocesan Directors Ireland and Catholic School Principals Ireland.

Colloquium Hosts University of Notre Dame Australia The University of Notre Dame Australia hosted the GRACE Research Colloquium at its Fremantle campus. School of Education Associate Professor Christine Robinson said the event recognised Catholic education as a global topic, with shared challenges and opportunities that are experienced around the world: “The research colloquium is a worldfirst event,” she said. “Nothing has ever been done like this before looking at real practical faith formation at a global level”. She further added: “The research colloquium is a worldfirst event,” she said. “Nothing has ever been done like this before looking at real practical faith formation at a global level”.

Welcome from the UNDA Chancellor The Hon. Christopher Ellison, UNDA Chancellor and former Western Australia state senator, warmly welcomed the delegates and spoke at the colloquium.

Head, Heart and Hands The event explored the challenges

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and opportunities for Catholic education under the theme Head, Heart and Hands: Together in Faith – a theme Pope Francis recently highlighted when talking about educators as community builders. The concept framework for the conference was build around developing ‘communities of practice’. Fifteen parallel papers on each of the three themes were presented making a total of fortyfive.

Pope Francis’ encouragement A delegation from GRACE met with Pope Francis at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace in 2022, where he encouraged them to find innovative ways of linking research with best practice so teachers could serve the “whole person in a process of integral human development”.

A partnership between scholars and practitioners The partnership brings together researchers and practitioners to facilitate research that will improve the quality and contribution of Catholic education around the world.

The 90 participants heard from emerging and established scholars about their research, and were encouraged to collaborate and reflect with the aim of translating research into practice.

Prof. John Lydon and Dr Caroline Healy at the entrance to the University of Notre Dame Australia Fremantle campus

Professor John Lydon’s Contribution Professor John Lydon’s keynote lecture on the first day of the colloquium was entitled The Contribution of Catholic Education to the Common Good (what distinctive contribution does Catholic

education make to education and society and why is it valuable).

The outline of the presentation was divided into the following sections: •

Introduction – Classical and Biblical Roots and The Church of Pope Francis

•

The Common Good in Education – Four Themes; •

Life-Giving Environment

•

Commitment to Justice

•

The School as a Catholic Community

•

A More Multi-Cultural Society

Introduction – The Common Good: Classical and Biblical Roots Classical Roots Lydon began by drawing on the work of Mayhew (1997), outlining that Crete [the common meals are set up] in a more common manner, for from all the crops and livestock that come from the public lands and from tribute (phoroi) which the subjects pay, one part is set aside for the gods and for the common liturgies, and another for the common meals, so that everyone (women, children and men) is maintained from the common funds (Source: Mayhew, R. (1997), Aristotle’s Criticism of Plato’s Republic, Oxford, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers: 109).

Biblical Roots He further drew on Biblical source and discussed the concept of ‘everyone sharing from the common meal’ is central to the early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles which describes the early Christian community as ‘devoted to fellowship’ within which ‘the believers were together and had everything in common’ (Acts 2:4244). Such sharing was seen to be a testimony to the resurrection of Jesus on whom such community was being modelled, Jesus who had called the Twelve ‘to be with Him’ connoting call to form a community, demanding a commitment that goes beyond the relationship between

Rabbi and disciple. St Paul describes this as having the ‘mind of Christ’ (Philippians 2:5). Jesus is, in essence, demanding solidarity around a common mission or a shared vision (Source: Lydon, J. (2018) The Contribution of Catholic Education to the Common Good, Twickenham, St Mary’s University) The Common Good – The Church of Pope Francis In the view of Lydon, the image of Church as a polyhedron conceives of a Church with multiple relationships and universal in character. It is a Church where Christ is at the centre and where the mercy of God is experienced through relationships and mission. By referring to ‘the poor’ 81 times in his Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Francis is stating unequivocally that ‘our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was always close to the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the integral development of society’s most neglected members’ (Source: Pope Francis (2013) Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, London, CTS: 236).

The Common Good in Education Life-Giving Environment – communal structure Lydon continued to use the research of Bryk (1993) to identify key aspects of a Catholic education environment which included: •

Shared activities such as liturgies, retreats and extracurricular activities;

•

Established religious rituals which anchor the school within the larger, worldwide Catholic tradition;

•

The extended role of teachers beyond the classroom into the religious community of which the pupils are also a part;

(Source: Bryk A. (1993) Catholic Schools & The Common Good, Cambridge: MA Harvard University Press)

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Life-Giving Environment – Trust Further key aspects of a life-giving environment are human resources such as ‘….trust and respect…are more critical to the development of professional community than structural conditions…[emphasis added]. The need to improve the culture, climate, and interpersonal relationships in schools has received too little attention.

(Source: Bryk, A. et al., (2010) Organizing Schools for Improvement (Chicago: University of Chicago Press: 156) Commitment to Justice Drawing on documents from the Catholic Education Service of England and Wales (1997), Lydon pointed out to colloquium participants that ‘education is not a commodity to be offered for sale.

The distribution of funding solely according to the dictates of market forces is contrary to the Catholic doctrine of the common good.

Teachers and their pupils are not economic units whose value is seen merely as a cost element on the school’s balance sheet’ (Source: Catholic Education Service (1997) The Common Good in Education, London, CES: 13).

Canon Law was also cited by Lydon: ‘those who are in charge of Catholic schools are to ensure, under the supervision of the local Ordinary [Bishop] that the formation given in them is, in its academic standards, at least as outstanding as that in other schools in the area (Source: Pope John Paul II (1998) Code of Canon Law, Washington DC: Canon Law Society of America: Canon 806 para.

2).

The School as a Catholic Community The Congregation’s 1988 document places a great deal of emphasis on the importance of the educational community of which the family is an integral part. While repeating the assertion of Gravissimum Educationis (1965) that the first and primary educators of children are their parents, the document introduces

a note of caution in suggesting that, while schools are aware of this fact, ‘unfortunately the same is not always true of the families themselves’ [n. 42]. The document does, nevertheless, maintain that ‘partnerships between a Catholic school and families must continue and be strengthened not simply to be able to deal with academic problems but rather so that the educational goals of the school can be achieved’ (n. 42) (Source Lydon, J., (2004), The Family as Primary Educators Served by the School, Rome: Pontifical Lateran University, (Unpublished) A More Multi-Cultural Society Lydon uses the Church’s documents to discuss key themes that are explored within them in relation to ever-changing society: The Catholic School and Interreligious Dialogue The CBCEW (2010) states ‘…our Catholic schools are not necessarily made up entirely of Catholics. In fact, the nature of our schools varies enormously and parents from other religious communities often seek and are granted places within them for their children. Whatever the makeup of a particular school, we believe it has a role to play in interreligious dialogue both within the school itself and within the wider community where the school is situated’ (Source: Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (2010) Meeting God in Friend and Stranger, London, CBCEW).

Religious Education and Dialogue A more recent document from the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education published its Instruction: The Identity of the Catholic school for a culture of dialogue (CCE, 2022). The Instruction emphasises that authentic dialogue requires the partners in that dialogue to have a thorough understanding of their own identity, since all we can present to the other in dialogue is ourselves. Therefore, Catholic religious education must ensure that Catholic pupils are ‘initiated

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into the knowledge of the mystery of salvation’ (ibid., CCE, 2022, §13) and become ever more aware of the faith into which they have been baptised [emphasis added] (Source: CCE, (2022), Instruction of the Congregation for Catholic Education, The Identity of the Catholic School for a Culture of Dialogue (London: CTS).

At the same time, the CBCEW (2023) wrote that ‘fidelity to its mission requires a Catholic school, and the religious education it provides, to form its pupils in the virtues that will foster their life in Christ and assist them to serve the Church and society [emphasis added]; and, to lead ‘its pupils to promote efficaciously the good of the earthly city and also prepare them for service in the spread of the Kingdom of God, so that by leading an exemplary apostolic life they become, as it were, a saving leaven in the human community’ (Source: Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, (2023), To Know You More Clearly: The Religious Education Directory for Catholic schools, colleges, and academies in England and Wales, London: CBCEW).

At the end of the presentation, Professor Lydon also invited the 45 parallel paper authors and keynotes to publish proceedings in the International Studies in Catholic Education, Journal of which he is Editor.

Professor John Lydon speaking the conference

Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe, SDB, Archbishop of Perth made a well-received presentation and a Mass was celebrated by thr Archbishop in the University’s Holy Spirit Chapel.

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In relation to the Head, Heart, Hands Trilogy ‘To Think, To Feel, To Do’ he stated two convictions, that, first Catholic education is one of the greatest treasures of the Catholic Church and the ‘jewel in the crown’. It is something to be celebrated, proud of, sustained and developed. Second, there are significant challenges in a secularised context. He warned that we could fall into trap of moving away from the foundations and the Church and the people it serves. It is a challenge of articulating vision and living it.

In terms of articulating, a Catholic school cannot be a good Catholic School, if it is not a good school [emphasis added]. Good Catholic schools have to be good schools, not privileging one dimension, nor sacrificing another: academic, religious, Intellectual and spiritual must be Intertwined and mutually supportive to underpin the vision.

for the Church…. as it is ultimately an invitational community. The 2022 document from the Vatican states that the Church’s education project is clearly inspired by the Gospel: … the gift for searching…guided… the mystery of being and reality that surrounds them, living the vision…

Costelloe continued that, protecting the identity of Catholic Schools is the ultimate goal which rests with educators. In regard to Christian anthropology, one cannot take the religious dimension out of what it means to be human formators of human persons The God question has to be an essential dimension of all our endeavour. This extra dimension recognises values-based education as essential for the full flourishing of children. Many people look for employment for same reason – to contribute to the well-being and harmony in people’s lives. The presence and stability of these values must be underpinned a by Catholic world-view that first, God exists; second, God is fully made known in Jesus Christ and third, inspite of the limitations of Church it remains God’s preferred instruments of sustaining the Christian mission.

Archbishop Costelloe added that If we are called to be the face of the Father’s mercy, the pattern of school’s encounters needs to reflect the way in which Jesus encounters people. This pattern becomes the model of discovering the mind and heart of Jesus and provide opportunities for renewal and healing. The patterns of schools’ encounter should follow the Emmaus encounter with two disciples running away, but Jesus invites and listens.

A genuine listening Jesus leads them to a deeper truth by invitation, listening, accompanying, recognising one’s own identity and is deeply respectful of diversity. Failure to listen means you might miss a key message of the Holy Spirit in relation to discernment. This gospel model provides deep respect as opposed to tolerance. Respect is central to culture of dialogue. Pope Francis’ dream missionary impulse revolves around customs, times, schedules - language should be evangelising rather than self-preservation. It should elicit positive responses. All renewal in church and school must have mission as a goal. Otherwise it is social-cultural self-preservation, or introversion, not a community

Further, values cannot be notional, but must be solidly based and lived.

Catholic schools should never be, or appear to be, reticent about their Catholic identity – where the spirit and presence of Christ is known. There is the possibility of an option for Christ and an option

The fundamental questions to be asked is first, is Catholic education creating a spiritual psychological and physical space context in which the God- question can be engaged?

Second, is it clear that the spiritual dimension is celebrated and valued rather than tacked on? Third, is it clear that everyone is celebrated and welcomed? Practice the grammar of dialogue. Dialogue combines attention to one’s identity and a commitment to understanding different points of view… trust… harmony [emphasis added] provide tentative answers to realising vision.

which puts itself at the service of the students, which is the culture of synodality.

Archbishop of Perth, Timothy Costelloe, SDB speaking at the conference

Dr Caroline Healy, St Mary’s University, Twickenham also presented a keynote On the ‘hands’ theme on Day 3: ‘The Role of Formation in a Contemporary Context’.

Outline of Presentation •

Role of a distinctive formation programme in building mission

•

Aspects of programme distinctiveness for teachers and leaders in Catholic schools

Masters in Catholic School Leadership at St Mary’s University, Twickenham •

Long-established formation programme since 1997 and has currency in Catholic schools – students promoted during and after the MA;

•

It has taught structured modules and a short dissertation

•

Content bridges education and theology making it unique and only such formation programme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

•

Delivered in full-time and parttime modes – mainly in Saturday seminars or twilight seminars and increasingly online

•

International reach across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Africa and Asia

•

St Mary’s as a university has been training teachers since 1850 – Ofsted Outstanding Provider

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about to celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2025.

Aspects of Formation Programme Distinctiveness Healy then continued to outline key aspects of programme distinctiveness, amongst the many generic education and leadership Masters programmes available and first discussed the Catholic Church’s distinctive mission in education:

Upholding Distinctiveness Catholic Bishops' Conference of England & Wales (1996) states the five characteristics of Catholic Distinctiveness: The search for excellence; The uniqueness of the individual; The education of the whole person; The education of all; Moral principles.

Witness In addition, Healy added bearing witness to the faith: leaders and teachers must model their ministry on that of Christ – via invitation, inclusion, presence, building community, challenge. Leaders and teachers must, in the first place, be witnesses to the presence of Christ in their lives.

Inclusion Further, Jesus’ ministry is not addressed to an elite group. In fact, in Chapter 2 of St Mark’s Gospel, following the call of Levi, Jesus emphasises that he has come ‘not to call the virtuous but sinners’ (Mk: 2:19). The parable of The Good Samaritan is a characteristic example of the nature of inclusion – the basic message is that everyone should be a neighbour to everyone else.

Presence Jesus was present with his disciples in a distinctive way. This is, perhaps, encapsulated in the story of the Good Shepherd (John 10), in which Jesus models his relationship with his disciples on the Covenant relationship between God and his people spoken of in the Old Testament. Two elements of this account are particularly significant

in the context of the ministry of teaching – the care of the shepherd and the interrelationship between the shepherd and the sheep.

Building Community This is encapsulated in the call of the Twelve. Jesus asserts that he has called the apostles ‘to be with him’, connoting a call to form a community, demanding a commitment that goes beyond the relationship between Rabbi and disciple. Jesus is, in essence, demanding solidarity around a common mission or a shared vision [emphasis added]. Throughout the Gospels Peter, James and John form part of an inner group, present with Jesus at key moments in his ministry, e.g. the healing of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5: 21-24 & 35-43); the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8) and Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42).

Disposition In a section entitled Taking the First Step, Being Involved and Supportive…Rejoicing, which sounds like a maxim for a Catholic Head Teacher, Pope Francis suggests that ‘the disciple is ready to put his or her whole life on the line, even to accepting martyrdom, in bearing witness to Jesus Christ’. Referring specifically to teaching, Pope Francis insists ‘we need to remember that all …teaching ultimately has to be reflected in the teacher’s way of life [emphasis added], which awakens the assent of the heart by its nearness, love and witness (Source: Pope Francis, 2013, Evangelii Gaudium, London, CTS, n. 24).

Inter-Connectedness of Vocation and Profession: A Sacramental Perspective In her concluding remarks, Healy stated that in her view in a Christian institution, in the light of a sacramental perspective, ultimately there can be no separation between the sacred and the secular, no divorce between the human and the divine, no opposition between having a vocation and being a professional [emphasis added]: ‘All the tasks of education, together

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with all the support roles that help create the conditions such that education can proceed, seen with the eyes of faith, may be considered as elements in the pathway of discipleship…’ (Source: Astley, J., L. Francis, J. Sullivan, Eds. (2004) The Idea of a Christian University: Essays in Theology and Higher Education, Chester: Paternoster Press).

Challenge Finally, Healy closed with from the beginning of the Gospel Jesus makes it clear that discipleship will be challenging. This is, perhaps, summed up in the response of the first four disciples. (Mark1:16-20).

Mark tells us that the disciples ‘left their nets immediately’. The word ‘left’ translates the Greek word aphentes which means ‘a radical break with the past, a new beginning’, reflecting the fact that there could be no greater challenge.

The disciples were, in essence, deserting a secure lifestyle for an uncharted future, demonstrating the commitment of these first disciples.

This can be equated to entering senior leadership in contemporary Catholic schools.

Dr Caroline Healy presenting at the conference

The next GRACE Conference will take place in 2025 at St Mary’s University, 16th-18th June.

Some conference delegates on a walking history tour of Fremantle, where it was over 90 degrees centigrade in the Australian summer!

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PROFESSOR JOHN LYDON CATSC TREASURER PRESENTS AT THE ACISE CONFERENCE What is ACISE? ACISE, the Association of Catholic Institutes of Education, is affiliated with the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU). Its members are Catholic institutions which offer university qualifications in educational sciences. ACISE aims to stimulate exchange, cooperation, and research in education between the members. Founded in 1989, it gathers its members for three days every year in order to think about themes of common interest concerning education in a broad sense. This is achieved through an international conference. ACISE also publishes Educa, an online journal.

Three Year Research Programme In 2023, ACISE embarked upon a three-year research project on the educational and anthropological foundations of Educating in Trust - Educating for Trust, affording a unique possibility of research, discussion and scholarly exchange.

The first stage of the project culminated in an International Conference in Rome entitled ‘Building Trust’. The second stage led to a second Conference in April 2024, organised by the Institute of Pedagogy of John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin entitled ‘Inspiring Trust’. There was an emphasis on the value of trust from the perspective of those values that serve the holistic development of the human person.

Pope Francis The words of Pope Francis from his encyclical Fratelli tutti (2020) became a special inspiration to make precisely trust – and hope – would be the subject of intense reflection.

In it, the Holy Father wrote: ‘I invite everyone to renewed hope, for

hope speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfilment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love’ (p. 55).

It should be noted that the Pope very clearly places hope and trust in the context of educational anthropology.

He sees it as a force, independent of socio-cultural conditions, that changes human life for the better.

In other words, the hope and trust inscribed in the heart of man is not so much conditioned by the historical circumstances of human life, but is realisable in all conditions of human life.

Lublin Conference, April 2024 Professor Philip Booth Four speakers from the United Kingdom featured, alongside a range of speakers from Europe and beyond. Professor Philip Booth’s (St Mary’s University) keynote, entitled ‘Trust in Economics and Politics’ represented a thought-provoking overview of the significance and impact of trust in business (and, de facto, Universities) contexts. Booth’ reference to positive features of competition is illuminative: In business, the process of competition, a word that means “strive together for” promotes co-operation in the service of others – in general, not in every instance. The process of competition is largely misunderstood by those who criticise it. Competition between different provides of a good or service allow trading partners to reward those they trust with their customer. The continual process of market transactions also gives us opportunities to learn about our trading partners. As I have noted, we cannot guarantee that this will be the case in all circumstances, but we should not ignore this tendency.

Booth cited Pope Francis in relation to the challenges of a lack of trust in organisational contexts. He pointed out that the Holy Father has been very critical of corruption and its catastrophic effects on the welfare of the poorest more than any other pope. For example, he wrote: All this becomes even more exasperating for the marginalized in the light of the widespread and deeply rooted corruption found in many countries – in their governments, businesses and institutions – whatever the political ideology of their leaders (Evangelii Gaudium, 2023, 60).

Professor Booth concluded by again citing Pope Francis in the context of the importance of our individual actions contributing to a change in culture: We must not think that these efforts are not going to change the world. They benefit society, often unbeknown to us, for they call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread.

Professor Leonard Franchi Professor Leonard Franchi (University of Glasgow) spoke to a paper on Universities, Trust and the Community of Scholars. In a tightlydefined paper, Franchi proposed the following definition of a University in the context of its community of scholars: A university is: •

A community of scholars seeking truth and wisdom through a shared life of scholarship, teaching and public engagement.

•

Where we encounter new ideas and where both the past and the present interact, hopefully in a positive and fruitful way.

•

A transnational network that unites and gives support to local communities of scholars and students.

•

A trust-filled professional and

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personal “home” where we make our own contribution to academia, the flourishing of students and the wider community.

Clare Fodey Clare Fodey, also from the University of Glasgow, presented a paper emtitled ‘Hope: Rekindling The Flame in a Time of Anxiety’. In a stimulating address, Clare outlined a range of resources engaged by the University of Glasgow in addressing challenges experienced by students during their formation as Catholic teachers and leaders.

She emphasised the value of the variety of pilgrimages organised by colleagues at the Universities including Rome and the Holy Land. Claire’s articulation of the way in which staff and students model Christ in serving the wider community, for example in participating in pilgrimages to Lourdes, was especially inspiring alongside examples of supporting the local community.

Mary’s University) presented on the topic of ‘The Perennial Influence of the Salesian Style of Accompaniment – A Pedagogy of Trust’. Lydon focused first, on the significance of the educative environment of Salesian schools which St John Bosco insisted was seminal if learning of any kind was to take place. Bosco desired to create within a school ‘the serene environment of a family’.

He then went on to comment that the familial relationships developed between educators and students would ‘diminish the inevitable tensions between teachers and students and allow the latter to achieve their full growth as persons’.

In such an environment TRUST [emphasis added] was central. Bosco was absolutely clear how such trust could be engendered. Reflecting the initiative of Jesus in inviting the two disciples to share their story on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24), St John Bosco’s advice to one of his key early collaborators, Vespignani, was to ‘Go to the Pump’ At the water pump in Valdocco, Turin, near the site of Bosco’s first Oratory, boys often came together. Bosco expected his educators to be where the boys were. Such encounters in a non-formal context have the effect of building up trust which forms the basis of every educational practice or encounter. As Carlo Loots suggests ‘this practice teaches that it is best to follow first to be allowed to guide later’ demonstrating proactive presence among young people constituting the catalyst for formation, particularly in the context of inspiring TRUST [emphasis added].

Professor John Lydon Finally, Professor John Lydon (St

Bosco’s idea was that the boys would be inspired, through these

Like Professor Booth, Franchi concluded by citing Pope Francis: But this is sheer illusion. Fear devours the soul. Never encircle the university with walls of fear. Don’t let a Catholic university merely replicate the walls typical of the societies in which we live: those of inequality, dehumanization, intolerance and indifference, or models aimed at promoting individualism rather than investing in fraternity (Pope Francis, IFCU Centenary Gathering, 19 January 19 2024).

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initial invitational encounters of ‘going to the pump’, to join his Oratory, a name which reflects the influence of St Philip Neri (1515-95), the founder of the Oratorians. Don Bosco took over the basic features of the Oratory including catechism lessons and opportunities for recreation. He would often make the point that oratories without some element of religious instruction were simply games rooms. Luciano Pazzaglia (1993:282) is insistent on the latter point, cautioning against a reductionist view of the first Oratory as a playground or a meeting place for children: ‘what Don Bosco had in mind was a school…where…religion was practised and youngsters were inspired to live a Christian life’.

Following the academic presentations, the ACISE General Meeting took place, including a presentation by Professor Lydon on the journal of International Studies in Catholic Education, encouraging Conference colleagues to submit papers for publication. Elections took place at the end of the General Meeting and Professor John Lydon was elected to the BOARD of ACISE.

The New Board of ACISE including second from left Professor John Lydon and third from left Professor Leonard Franchi

Professor Lydon presenting at the ACISE Conference, John Paul II Catholic University, Lublin

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Dynamite in the Classroom The new Catholic Inspection Framework moves Catholic social teaching to the centre of the life and mission of the Catholic school.

Peter Maurin, the co-founder with Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker Movement, once described the social teaching of the Church as like dynamite which Catholic scholars had wrapped up in nice phrases, placed in a sealed container and sat on. For the Church to be the dominant social force it should be, he said, we need to blow the lid off.

That’s a bit harsh on Catholic scholars, especially some of our current crop such as Anna Rowlands and Tony Annett, who’ve done their best to light the fuse.

That Catholic Social Teaching still bears the tag “the Church’s best-kept secret” can’t be blamed just on academics.

When was the last time you heard Catholic Social Teaching mentioned from the pulpit? The formation of our clergy over the years has paid scant attention to a powder keg at the heart of Church teaching that is still waiting to explode.

The Church’s social teaching is rooted in the Gospel and the Tradition of the Church. Its modern phase began at the end of the nineteenth century in response to the brutalities of unfettered capitalism. It was preceded by a new consciousness of the need for a Christian response to social injustice. Perhaps in reaction to the traumas of the French

Revolution, Church leaders were wary of social reform and overwhelmingly sided with the forces of hierarchy and conservatism. In England, Cardinal Manning, the Archbishop of Westminster, broke out of this in spectacular fashion in 1889 with his dramatic intervention in the London dockers’ strike. He condemned the refusal of the dock owners to negotiate with the striking workers. The misery suffered by dockers and their families because of low pay was “not a private affair; it is a public evil”, he said. Manning was from a wealthy background, so the owners listened to him; he was a prince of the Church, so the Irish dockers looked up to him.

Reports were being fed back to Rome about these and similar episodes in France and Germany. On 15 May 1891, with the publication of the encyclical Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII set the bomb which - Peter Maurin believed - has yet to be detonated. Its major theme, and indeed the recurring motif running through all the social encyclicals that followed, is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the human person: “No-one may with impunity outrage that human dignity which God treats with great reverence.”

By Raymond Friel CEO of Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN)

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New sticks of dynamite have been laid at regular intervals ever since, from Pius XI’s Quadragesimo Anno in 1931 and John XXIII’s Mater et Magistra in 1961 through to John Paul II’s Laborem Exercens of 1981 and Pope Francis’ Laudato si’of 2015. Each reads the signs of the times in the light of the Gospel and encourages action to build a more just and compassionate world.

clear that the purpose of a rounded education is to form young people who will “become actively involved in various community organisations, open to discourse with others and willing to do their best to promote the common good.” There’s the link: Catholic schools are at the service of humanity; their goal is to form generations of young people inspired to build a better world.

Now, with the introduction of a National Inspection Framework in England and Wales, the dynamite has been delivered to every Catholic school. Leaders and governors, if they aspire to be outstanding, need to show to the new Catholic Schools Inspectorate, which brings together the diocesan school inspectors of England and Wales into one body, that they are “inspirational witnesses to the Gospel and to Catholic Social Teaching in their direction of the school at every level”. We know from our experience with Ofsted, that an inspection framework does not just evaluate what’s there but acts as a lever to encourage what should be there, in the opinion of those running the framework. However, this is no imposition by a political minority.

The decision to bring Catholic Social Teaching to the front and centre of the life and mission of the Catholic school is very much in line with the recent Magisterium of the Church.

Leaders and governors, according to the new inspection framework, will now be expected to demonstrate in every one of their decisions, “an exemplary commitment to care for our common home, to the pursuit of the common good and to service of those in greatest need”.

The second Vatican Council’s declaration on Christian education, Gravissimum Educationis, makes it

This extends to how staff are treated, including those in services that may have been contracted out, such as catering or cleaning. The legacy of Leo XIII always points us to the dignity and the treatment of workers.

In the classroom, we need more than a poster of a Catholic scientist on the wall. We need the curriculum to be in constant conversation with social justice. Some Catholic schools are already undertaking this with energy and creativity. I have seen a Maths teacher delivering a lesson on percentages, as required by the curriculum. So far, so much like any other school. The difference comes in the example the teacher used to illustrate percentages: a lone parent who worked on a zero hours contract

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(along with about one million other people in the UK). There was no more work after Wednesday, so no more pay. This person has children to look after. They go online and borrow money from a payday loan company or go to the loan shark on the estate.

They borrow £100. A month later they owe £500 and are being aggressively pursued for its payment. As a result, the person’s children are going hungry. The pupils are learning about percentages - but in the context of learning the human cost of social injustice.

With the overall numbers of Catholic pupils and teachers in Catholic schools on a downward trend, Catholic Social Teaching is an ideal “way in” to Catholicism for staff, and it’s engaging for the pupils. It is not a peripheral or optional aspect of the faith. As Pope Francis has said, the social doctrine of the Church “comes from the heart of the Gospel. It comes from Jesus himself. Jesus is the social teaching of God.” In this election year, it’s time to detonate the dynamite hidden in plain sight. The force of this explosion of Church teaching will not be destructive, but rather an eruption of solidarity and love. Catholic schools are called to raise a prophetic voice: to stand up for people living in poverty, to re-weave the fabric of communities, and to offer to all, inside and outside the Church, a compelling vision of the common good.

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Social Action & the Power of Collaboration ‘Catholic Social Teaching’ – three words which have become a hot topic in all Catholic schools in recent years. This growing emphasis on what it means to live the mission of the Church has come directly from the top. Since the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis has been clear about what is asked and expected of Catholics throughout the world. He calls us to be activists. In the opening chapter of Fratelli Tutti, ‘Dark Clouds Over a Closed World’, Pope Francis paints a desperate but accurate picture of the state of the world but he does so with the intention of reminding us that when we see a problem we must respond with action. Using the parable of the Good Samaritan, he reinforces the need for solidarity and for a continual focus on the ‘common good’. So, if we are called to act, there is obviously no better guide on how, when and where to act than Catholic Social Teaching. The question we must consider, however, is how do we act most effectively to challenge injustice and to work for the common good?

Central to the Church’s mission is Catholic education. Schools are packed to the rafters with activists whose enthusiasm knows no bounds and who are fearless in the pursuit of finding new ways to get stuck in and to make a difference on the ground. Many Catholic schools, working hand in hand with parishes, are thriving hotbeds of social action, staffed by leaders who know it is part of their job to live the mission of the Church by leading the communities they serve to respond to the needs and injustices they see on a daily basis. With Mass attendance having reduced significantly since Covid, there could be a tendency to view the future of the Church with some trepidation. Yet, just one look at a Catholic school which has social

action at its heart and we are reminded that the Church is alive and kicking and ready to respond to Pope Francis’ call to action.

The Covid pandemic undoubtedly changed the world. Arguably the world didn’t learn the lessons from the pandemic that might have benefitted society, the planet and humanity most but it has changed us nonetheless. The pandemic shone a light on the great inequality that exists in society and the impact of poverty. From people working on zero hours contracts who suddenly found their income stopped to those living in crowded conditions without the luxury of outside space or the ability to adequately socially distance – the pandemic crystalised our understanding of the potential consequences of poverty. Seeing the need of those around them, many Catholic schools (alongside many non-Catholic schools and various other organisations) responded swiftly. Whilst there were few things to celebrate from the effects of the global pandemic, the extraordinary lengths Catholic schools went to to meet the needs in their community, is one. Ironically, most schools weren’t talking about Catholic Social Teaching at this time but many were walking the walk with gusto.

Despite church buildings having to close during Covid, the mission of the Church was therefore very much alive and evident in Catholic schools. Given the enormity of the response needed in local communities, it was necessary for schools to work closely with other agencies and organisations to provide a coordinated response. School based foodbanks quickly became the norm, with staff delivering shopping and other essential supplies to families. School leaders and staff recognised the vital

By Sinead Smith Senior Executive Principal The Holy Spirit Catholic MAC

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role they played at the heart of the communities they serve and so extended their reach beyond the care for children and young people.

In some cases, they saw the growing need for people living alone and isolated, for whom Mass attendance and parish life was a lifeline, to be supported through the loneliness they were experiencing. Some months on from the pandemic we could be tempted to ask what the relevance of reminiscing on these unprecedented experiences is.

Perhaps it is because looking back allows us to plan most effectively when we look forward and we should be reminded that we are better and more effective when we work together.

Catholic schools undoubtedly get involved in a great deal of social action. Yet, we tend to miss a trick. Despite so often working in silos, social action in individual schools does of course make a difference. Like dropping a pebble into a pond, we create ripples that positively affect other people. But the question is, could it be better?

As Catholic schools, we are in the privileged position of belonging to a large network or family of schools within an Archdiocese, united by the mission of the Church.

For many years we have made good use of our family of schools because we recognise the impact of collaboration on improving standards. We recognise that sharing expertise on how to do things well and challenging each other to be better makes things better for the children and young people in our care. Yet, we rarely apply the same principle to the coordination of high quality collaborative social action. In the Archdiocese of Birmingham that is about to change.

The Archdiocese of Birmingham is one of the largest diocese in the country, with 245 schools serving 83,000 children and young people.

Recognising our collective ability to make great waves rather than small ripples if we work together, the Archdiocese has recently launched a first of a kind social action initiative which brings all schools together to work towards a shared social action project. The basis of the project is simple but it marks the start of a new way of collaboratively responding to Catholic Social Teaching. All schools in the Archdiocese have been asked to do one very straightforward thing – raise just £1 per child over a three month period. They can choose how and when to raise the money and the fundraising initiative sits alongside any other planned school based charities and social action programme. The aim of this project is to support one charity – Fr. Hudson’s Care.

Fr. Hudson’s Care is the social care agency of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Archbishop Bernard Longley is the charity’s president and many of the services they offer are fundamental to the life of many Catholics who need to avail of them.

For instance, Fr. Hudson’s Care provides one of the few Catholic residential care homes for people suffering from dementia. They also provide an essential lifeline for refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the country, along with providing residential and day care for people living with disabilities. They run a highly effective fostering agency and offer several services which directly support the children and young people in diocesan schools. Each year, schools in the Archdiocese of Birmingham do support Fr. Hudson’s Care through the Good Shepherd Appeal. However, as many charities find themselves in challenging financial circumstances, it was recognised that schools could play a more significant role in helping the charity further. Put simply, if all schools commit to raising just £1 per child for Fr. Hudson’s Care, the charity will receive £83,000. This will

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significantly increase their income from schools and will greatly impact their ability to continue the great work they do.

Whilst the immediate impact on Fr. Hudson’s Care from the money raised by schools will undoubtedly be beneficial, establishing a culture of collaborative social action across diocesan schools will be of far greater benefit. It will allow us to share best practice and to challenge each other to be better and to do better, just as we do in all other aspects of school life.

Pope Francis’ call to action is not a gentle suggestion, rather a clear account of what is expected of us as Catholics. If Catholic schools are to remain firmly at the heart of the Church’s mission, they must do all they can to unite and work together to challenge injustice and promote the rights of those living in poverty and with vulnerability. Catholic Social Teaching should not be a bolt on that supports improved inspection outcomes. Instead, it should provide a framework and the motivation for school leaders to push the boundaries to achieve great things.

In the Archdiocese of Birmingham, the practical journey of shaping a new future in which we no longer work in silos to drop our pebbles to make small ripples has begun. We have taken the first small step to test the water to see what a difference we can make when we work together but this is just the beginning. We have an army of 83,000 children and roughly 12,000 staff in schools in the Archdiocese of Birmingham who are ready to respond to the call to action and who know the benefits of collaboration on bringing about improvement and making a difference… this combination will allow us to take our response to Catholic Social Teaching to a whole new level. Watch this space!

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How should we be interpreting the 1944 Education Act? 70 years on is it time to revaluate the deal the bishops signed Catholic education up for?

A typical reading of the settlement achieved in the 1944 Act is that the Catholic Bishops successfully safeguarded Catholic schools, making them (largely) financially secure and under the control of the Church.

The Catholic bishops won for themselves a strong share of the State funded education system in post war England. It was something that was different to the County or Maintained schools, and thus served as a sign that a Catholic school was different to other types of state funded schools. The Bishops opted for the more expensive Voluntary Aided status, because it gave them two key advantages: more control over the RE provision and it allowed them to give school places in a way that prioritises the children of Catholic parents. There was a heavy financial burden, but the payoff was for greater control, and the sense that Catholic schools are in theory exclusively the preserve of the Catholic community. In many respects this is neat work.

The English bishops could consider themselves as having made good on the Encyclical of Pius XI, Divini Illius Magistri. This papal teaching from 1929 firmly anchored the justification for a Catholic education in terms of parental rights. The Church is involved with education in order to support parents who are the primary educators of their children. Through the 1944

settlement the bishops had ensured most Catholic parents in England (and in large parts of Wales) could access a largely free schooling in a Catholic school. This made it possible for the majority of Catholic parents to opt for a Catholic school. Following the 1944 Act attending a Catholic school became the default practice amongst a very large proportion of the Catholic community in England. Throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s the focus was on expanding the number of places so that it was possible for more children from Catholic families to attend a Catholic school.

This motivated the Bishops to support the drive towards comprehensive schools during the 1960’s and 1970’s.

The fact that Catholic schools were Voluntary Aided meant that this was a considerable financial burden on the Church, because the capitation on each church was originally set at twenty percent.

The settlement of 1944 is characterised as a partnership between the State and the Catholic community. The fact that the bishops were able to establish this partnership can be seen as a triumph of the soft Catholic diplomacy that had been at work since the restoration of the hierarchy in 1850. The Catholic bishops had engaged in what could be seen as a gentle campaign of assimilation. The Catholic community was in no way a threat to the broader society, and they could be regarded as

By Dr Sean Whittle Senior Lecturer in Catholic Education, St Mary's University

Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

loyal citizens. The post-reformation suspicions could be gently jettisoned. Just 94 years after the restored hierarchy, the Catholic bishops had been able to carve out a Catholic-friendly deal on free state denominational education.

However, from the vantage point of seventy years later it is possible to speculate that perhaps the bishops made a strategic mistake by entering into the partnership on education enshrined in the 1944 Âct. The levels of socio-political change over the past seventy years have seen issues of education raise up the political agenda. In the early 1970’s to be the education secretary in the Government was a junior office of state. By the time New Labour swept to power in 1997 the role of Education Secretary became a coveted role, central to the Government’s agenda, as reflected in the election slogan ‘Education, Education, Education’.

However, at the same time sociopolitical attitudes have shifted in terms of attitudes to ‘faith based education’. With the emergence of the ‘faith school debate’ after 2001, concerns were raised about schools of religious character. The central concessions of the 1944 Act started to be viewed with a degree of suspicion. Admission policies which favoured the children of Catholic parents started to be seen as deeply unfair to the majority of children who were not Catholic.

Also bubbling up at the same time there were increasing concerns over the potential of RE to impact on autonomy through attempts at indoctrination.

Another pivotal change was what came to pass with Vatican II. The importance of Vatican II is hard to fully grasp. The council sought to enter into a process of aggiornamento, this is the updating of the faith and a recalibration of

how the Church needs to engage with women and men today. This council moved on beyond postreformation, to a defensive vision of the Church, that was aptly summed up in the fossilised Tridentine liturgy which had dominated liturgical practices for four centuries.

Now, seventy years on from the 1944 Act these changes across society and in the lived theology of the Church indicate things are markedly different for the Catholic Church over matters of education.

There have been profound changes.

The contemporary situation facing Catholic education shows some profound tensions with the assumptions built into the 1944 Act. The most obvious assumption that both the Government and the Catholic bishops shared was who Catholic schools are for. It was in 1944 taken as a given that Catholic schools are for the children of Catholic parents. In 2024 very few Catholic schools are filled with just baptised Catholics. Over the past two decades there has been a noticeable decline in the proportion of Catholics who attend Catholic school. The CES annual census has shown a year-on-year decline, and whilst Catholic schools remain popular, they are increasingly being filled with children from non-Catholic families.

Why is it that seventy years later the vision of Catholic schools for every Catholic child lacks appeal to many in the English Catholic community? Even though papal encyclicals, declarations like Gravisimum Educationis and Canon law announce the rights of parents to bring up their children in their faith, and of the right and need for the Church to assist them (through providing schools), the parents of Catholic children are not exercising this right. If a right is no longer exercised this is suggestive of it not

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being an issue which needs rights to safeguard it. Aligning the primary purpose of a Catholic education with parental rights might turn out to be a flawed strategy, or one that fosters an overly narrow vision of Catholic education.

There is not yet enough empirical evidence to have a full grasp as to why Catholic parents no longer just routinely opt for Catholic schools.

It is hardly contentious to say that much of this is a result of the educational market place that the Thatcher and Major governments introduced, with the introduction of Ofsted inspections and League Tables of school performance.

Presumably the parents of Catholic children just wanted to choose the best performing school for their child. However, it might well be that there are aspects of the Catholic school which are no longer attractive to them. This is bound up with the Episcopal assumptions behind the settlement in the 1944 Act. The bishops just took it as a given that Catholic children need to be educated separately from other children. In this they were operating with the post-Trent vision of the Church. For centuries the conviction is that in Protestant countries, like England and Wales, Catholic children need a firm inoculation against dangerous protestant ideas. Although these ideas might have been readily accepted for a couple of decades after the the 1944 Act, they could no longer prove persuasive after Vatican II, and the way in which the Church embraced the Ecumenical movement. As Vatican II was received by ordinary Catholics in the pews, many dropped their suspicions over the so called dangerous Protestant beliefs and teachings. After all the pope was seen regularly meeting Protestant leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury. Vatican II drew attention to what all Christians

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held in common. This introduced the idea that perhaps the children of Catholic parents might not actually need to attend a Catholic school, to protect their faith from hostile Protestants.

The facts remain that in 2024 the proportion of Catholic children in Catholic schools continues to fall. Moreover, the numbers regularly attending Sunday mass have not picked up after the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the well has run dry when it comes to Religious Education teachers for Catholic school. All three of these contemporary challenges to Catholic education in England are surprising against the settlement of the 1944 Act. It might have been assumed that since 1944 Catholic schools would yield generations of young adults who are active in their Catholic faith. Presumably these active Catholics would automatically choose a Catholic school for their children (and grandchildren). With a tradition of seventy years of RE as an enhanced and valued part of the curriculum it is deeply puzzling why Catholic schools have not been able inspire a sufficient number of their students to become RE teachers, and in this way ensue enough RE teachers to meet its own needs. In the light of these issues, does the 1944 Act need a radical reassessment, and be reclassified as something damaging to the life of the Church in England? In retrospect, did the bishops make some strategic mistakes in the choices it made in relation to the 1944 Act? The remainder of this paper engages in a retrospective analysis. With the benefit of seventy years of hindsight, it is possible to argue for at least two dominant ways of assessing the 1944 Act. Stance one is a more critical one. We can look back now and

concede that the English bishops made a number of strategic errors in relationship to the 1944 Act. First, it was a financially costly error. Servicing the capitation fee costs the Church huge amounts of money over many decades. This meant there was not the provision for funding other aspects of the Church’s work, in particular for adult faith formation and furthering the community outreach of the Catholic community. It would appear that the English bishops were not attuned to what was going on in the wider life of the Church. Despite the liturgical movement which preceded Vatican II, and the emergence of Nouvelle theology across the channel in France during the 1940’s and 1950’s, the English and Welsh bishops rigidly stuck to the post-Trent vision of the inward looking and defensive stance to the world around them.

However, at a more significant level the bishop’s settlement with the Government indicates that they operated with rather low level philosophy of education. Namely, the much maligned tribal account of education in which the point of education is to hand on the tribe’s identity, rituals and heritage in order to ensure the tribe continues in the future. Hirst critiqued this philosophy of education as falling well below what counts as a genuine education. Through the 1944 Act the bishops brought in a separate system of schooling intended to hive off the Catholic children (tribe) from nonmembers. The desire to reinforce a Catholic identity can provide an effective foil for justifying the tribal approach to education.

The second stance in a retrospective analysis is to be less critical of the strategic errors of the Bishop’s 1944 settlement, and concede that after four hundred years of postTrent ossification the bishops in

one small part of the Church were unlikely to be expecting anything like Vatican II to come about just eighteen years later. Although there may have been strategic mistakes, what unfolded in the years after 1944 have been largely benign for Catholic education in England and Wales. The 1944 legislation brought several decades of stability in which Catholic education was able expand from primary and establish a wider network of secondary provision.

By the 1980’s a number of Catholic sixth form colleges were opened.

In many parts of the country the demographic shifts meant that there were not sufficient numbers of Catholics to fill all places. It became normal and unproblematic to have non Catholic pupils in most Catholic schools. Moreover, the inclusion envisioned by Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes, where the joys, hopes and fears of all people are those also of the Church, began to seep into the wider consciousness of those involved in Catholic education in England and Wales. With the publication of bishops guidance The Common Good in Education (1997) is indicative of a shift away from the Tribal account of education. The Church offers schools not for self serving desires, but as a service to the common good of society. Non Catholic students find a welcome in Catholic schools. The Church was to be in the world serving it, and in the years after 1944 this is what has tended to emerge in English and Welsh Catholic schools. It is, perhaps the ongoing reception of Vatican II that has allowed the advocates of Catholic education to mitigate the strategic mistakes made by the bishops in 1944. There is in effect an acceptance that Catholic education is not primarily about making Catholics, but offering a unique theory of education to society, to people – education underpinned by a particular vision.

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Book&Media Review - Cahokia Jazz Skipping certain genre sections in libraries and bookshops is a habit some readers, including myself, fall into because we’re not sure that we’ll find anything of great interest on their shelves. When it comes to science fiction, westerns, romances, detective stories, historical novels, or alternative realities we all have our preferences and dislikes. For Catholics who enjoy quality fiction this might lead to missing out on some superb contemporary writers.

The familiar canon of Catholic novelists includes the likes of Georges Bernanos, Shusaku Endo, Graham Greene, David Lodge, Brian Moore, Muriel Spark, Evelyn Waugh, and Morris West. There are, however, contemporary writers whose insights into Catholicism have much to offer us but whose choice of genre may risk their getting overlooked. In detective fiction, for example, the prize-winning novelist, James Lee Burke, has created a magnificent range of what the Jesuit magazine, ‘America’, has called ‘Godhaunted characters’. Burke’s New Orleans private investigator, Dave Robicheaux, a Mass-going, former alcoholic with a deep commitment to social justice, features in two dozen of his novels with titles as memorable as their content. Burke is a great writer: the New York Times ranked him alongside Hemingway and Hardy.

‘Cahokia Jazz’ published last year by British author, Francis Spufford also risks being sidelined, because in this case it is a detective novel which also falls into the ‘alternative reality’ genre. Spufford, an Anglican, has been inspired by the history of the Jesuits in the New World.

His novel is suffused with a Catholicism which - an increasing rarity in modern fiction - is portrayed in a positive light.

The novel is set in 1922 in a United States which is historically recognisable, but which has evolved in a slightly different way. The ‘what ifs’ of any alternative reality only work effectively when the writer can suggest a convincing trigger for why history might have been diverted along a different trajectory. The premise in ‘Cahokia Jazz’ is that European explorers and settlers brought with them to the New World a less lethal strain of smallpox [variola minor] than the one that brought devastation to the populations

they encountered. As a result, in the novel, the Native American population continues to be a significant presence in the twentieth century. The northeastern bank of the Mississippi is now the fully fledged state of Cahokia, the name of a pre-Columbian civilisation that really did exist in the region of what today is the state of Illinois.

The culture of Cahokia’s predominantly indigenous citizens is profoundly Catholic, the enduring influence of the Jesuits who have replicated there a mid-Western equivalent of what Spufford describes in his postscript as ‘their genuinely impressive’ missions in Paraguay. Cahokia has also held on to its indigenous roots, with its own language, social rites, religious syncretism, and a revered and influential dynastic family.

Sitting alongside these alternative realities are some of the ugliest features of the real 1920s, and indeed our present times, including racism, political extremism, fake news, and exploitative capitalism. To assist the setting and the plot there is a clearly laid out map of the city - a great reference point as this brilliantly immersive detective story unfolds.

An unlikely duo of cops has been given the brief of investigating what appears to be a racially motivated ritual killing. Drummond is a scrawny, deeply traumatised cynic who talks ‘with a hillbilly twang’. Barrow, in contrast, is a gentle giant, a talented jazz piano player of mixed Native and African American ancestry. As an incomer to the state, he is unfamiliar with the idiosyncrasies of Cahokian culture and so allows Drummond to take the lead. Fanned by far-right politicians and a sensationalist press, the murder rapidly becomes an incendiary event which threatens communal violence and so the pair must work in an atmosphere fraught with tension and mistrust. They also have to contend with different and conflicting hierarchies within the police force and at state level.

As they chase possible leads and interview potential suspects, fascinating details of life in the city begin to emerge.

One suburb of the city is the preserve of German heritage Protestants many of whom hold unsavoury racial views.

The densely populated centre is a maze of unnamed streets and unnumbered houses inhabited by indigenous Catholics where Barrow has some extraordinary encounters. In his postscript, Spufford applauds the Jesuits’ success in ‘nurturing a literate indigenous Catholic culture’. This is brilliantly captured via characters such as the prestigious scientist and poet nun, Sister Peggy, in sequences where religious orders preside over colourful processions, and in descriptions of a population equally happy packing a stadium to watch a Ballcourt game with echoes of its Mayan origins and the colossal central Plaza for a Mass celebrated in Latin. Earlier beliefs, of ancestral sun and moon worship, are held in tandem. The cathedral monstrance is always accompanied by an eternal flame, which the faithful believe is ‘the light of the sun brought down to earth’. At the highest level in Cahokia politics this duality is mirrored by two brothers; the powerful de facto monarch, ’The Man of The Sun’, Sebastian Cuauhtemoc Hashi, and his equally prestigious brother, Cardinal Louis Hashi, SJ, a close ally of the Pope. A second enjoyable strand to the plot is Barrow’s increasing involvement with Sebastian Cuauhtemoc’s austere and enigmatic daughter, Claire.

Spufford is the author of two more outstanding novels, ‘Golden Hill’ which won the Costa Book Award and ‘Light Perpetual’ which was listed for the Booker Prize. I bought ‘Cahokia Jazz’ on the strength of his previous writing, and this is of similar quality. A great piece of fiction, brimming with ideas, immersive in its setting, with fascinating characters, and a narrative tug that will sweep you along, is always a welcome relief from our present-day woes. Alternative reality is also a playful genre, and this is a tantalising vision of a vibrant culture with Catholicism at the heart of its social life.

Review by Anthony McNamara, retired Catholic Secondary School Headteacher and Consultant.

46 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

Do Justice Campaign Launch

By Raymond Friel CEO of Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN)

On 13 February this year - shrove Tuesday - Caritas Social Action Network launched its Do Justice campaign at the London Jesuit Centre. The aula magna was packed with visitors from the education, diocesan and charity sectors.

Do Justice had been several months in the planning and now we were ready to go public. What is Do Justice? Well, what Do Justice is not is a ‘top-down’ NGO-style campaign telling you what issues to support. Do Justice, rather, is a grassroots campaign to stimulate schools and parishes to discern the needs of their local community and “bring about the work of justice under the inspiration of charity” (Gaudium et Spes, 72).

It was my role on the night to welcome our guests and set the context for the launch. The first thing I wanted to draw attention to was the ‘core text’ of the campaign, entitled Do Justice: a vision for spiritual and civic renewal in England and Wales. This text, which can be downloaded from our website at https:// dojustice.co.uk/do-justice-renewedvision/, aims to provide a foundational resource for the campaign. It covers the basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching, rooted in the Gospel. It starts with an invitation to see the ‘good news’ in your community, an approach which is based on our theology that the Spirit of God is at work in everyone who is open to his presence. God is at work in the world, stirring the hearts of people to do good.

Where can we see that in our community, which projects can we support, be they religious or not?

There is of course ample evidence of what is not of God and this has to be challenged by Christians: people trapped in various types of poverty, the

isolation and loneliness experienced by the elderly, and increasingly the young, the way asylum-seekers are treated, the rising number of rough sleepers, the numbers of people caught up in human trafficking or modern slavery, violence among young people. The issues which affect your community may be some of these, they may not be. That is the work of discernment, which begins by asking the question, What is going on?

What is going on in the community, especially with people on the margins of our attention, people most cut off from participation and care? When any parish or school group has arrived at a full picture of what is going on, they can then refer to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. In what we see around us, what is humanising and what is de-humanising?

With the resources we have, what can we do about this to bring about a more just world?

One of the aims of the campaign is to shift the dial from compassion, to compassion and justice. In Catholic communities over the generations, the emphasis has been on compassion, on feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and so on. This work is rooted in the Gospel and the history of the Church as the corporal works of mercy. In those who suffer, we see the face of our suffering Lord, Jesus Christ. The Church will always be engaged in the works of compassion.

What we are being increasingly called to is the work of justice as well, the work of challenging the causes of human misery.

Pope Francis sums this up memorably in his encyclical, Fratelli Tutti: “Solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity.

It means thinking and acting in terms of

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community. It means that the lives of all are prior to the appropriation of goods by a few. It also means combatting the structural causes of poverty, inequality, the lack of work, land and housing” (para. 116).

Our first speaker was Sir John Battle, former Labour MP and minister in Tony Blair’s government. Sir John commented: “Do Justice, this new CSAN document, is not an election manifesto or a checklist of particular demands. It is a reframing of the issues, a resetting of the questions and a presentation of a new narrative to shape our politics and economics.

How much it is urgently needed in this dismal year of elections, here and worldwide, in which facts and opinions have sunk into false and fake talk. In the face of current ‘bad faith’ politics in the fullest sense of the expression it is up to us to try to change the context, the tone, and content into ‘Good News’ politics.

That’s the purpose of this resetting report to promote good faith practice and politics.”

Our second speaker was Jenny Sinclair, the founder director of Together for the Common Good. Jenny, exploring the concept of justice in the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching, commented: "Catholic social justice rests on the threefold cornerstones of human dignity, solidarity and

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subsidiarity. And ours is a transcendent vision of justice, where human beings are in relationship with each other and with God.

Catholic school. If you’d like to contact us and share your experience of engaging with the resource, please email us at admin@csan.org.uk.

To interpret this justice tradition in our own time, we have the “see, judge, act” method. But how do we see, how do we judge and how do we act?

These how questions are about social, political and economic choices. To make the right choices, we must be anchored in our tradition, or we’re at risk of mission drift.” Jenny’s charity also runs Common Good Schools which is well worth a look: https:// togetherforthecommongood.co.uk/ cgs.

More Do Justice worksheets are in the pipeline, so do keep an eye on the website. We’ve just published a worksheet on Human Trafficking Modern Slavery (HTMS), a scourge which is hidden in plain sight in many of communities, and in association with the Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ), we’ve published a worksheet on racial justice in parishes.

We’re only keen to co-construct worksheets where there is a need, so if you have any ideas, please get in touch.

After hearing from our two inspiring speakers, I shared with our guests the two resources which we had ready at the time of the launch: Do Justice for parishes and Do Justice for schools. You can find both of these resources on the website: https://dojustice.co.uk/resources/ downloads/. Do Justice for schools was developed in conjunction with the Oscar Romero Award. It is essentially an evaluation toolkit to help schools to embed Catholic Social Teaching in their governance and strategy, curriculum, and social outreach work.

It is written in the light of the new Catholic Inspection Framework which places the principles of Catholic Social Teaching at the heart of what is expected of a Good or Outstanding

Raymond Friel is the CEO of Caritas Social Action Network, the agency of the Bishops’ Conference dedicated to animating and supporting its members in the struggle against poverty in England and Wales. Before that, he spent most of his professional life in Catholic education, including fourteen years as a headteacher and three years as CEO of multi academy trusts. His most recent book is Catholic Social Teaching: an introduction for schools and parishes, available from Redemptorist Publications. Raymond is now doing one day a week freelance work. You can contact him via his website at: https://www.raymondfriel. com/

48 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

ATCRE Annual Conference Report

By Matthew Dell

The Association of Teachers of Catholic Religious Education (ATCRE) as an association was launched in March 2018 at Heythrop College and has gone from strength to strength. Membership of the association is 1,500 and many organisations within Catholic education, such as CAFOD and Aid to the Church in Need make use of the regular email communication to members to promote and signpost resources for the RE classroom. However, the key sign of ATCRE’s vitality is the fact that it is just had its fifth conference. Here is a list of the previous conferences: 1st – February 2020, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London 2nd – October 2020 Virtual Conference, (Covid restrictions) 3rd – October 2021, Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College, Altrincham, Manchester 4th – March 2023, Hagley Catholic High School, Hagley, Birmingham 5th – March 2024, Maria Fidelis Catholic School, Central London One of the delegates gave this feedback: ‘I have been to every person conference, and they get better and better. This is the best CPD I receive.’

This year’s conference took the theme of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). The new national inspection framework for Catholic schools, references CST numerous times and the new edition of the Religious Education Directory (2023) also makes more prominent CST in the RE curriculum for all key stages.

Therefore, a conference providing teachers with opportunities to develop their understanding of CST and engaging with resources was timely.

Over 150 teachers and educators, from up and down the country, descended on central London on Saturday 2nd March 2024. ATCRE was hosted by Maria Fidelis Catholic School, situated between Euston and Kings Cross stations. The school has recently been rebuilt and the staff of the school provided first-rate hospitality.

The feedback from attendees was that the school was an excellent conference venue.

The first keynote lecture was given by Susan Elderfield, Advisor for Chaplaincy and Staff formation for Schools and Colleges in the Archdiocese of Southwark Education Service and a lecturer in Chaplaincy and Youth Ministry at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Her theme was living what you believe and becoming what you live. She challenged conference delegates to consider the demands of CST and becoming authentic educators by living the CST teaching.

As well as keynote lectures, an array of seminars developed themes covering CST and the new Religious Education Directory (RED). Several of the seminars showcased new classroom resources, for example, from CAFOD present a suite of resources for primary schools and secondary schools. Pax Christi ran a seminar exploring what peace means and why it's an important part of CST, alongside discussing ways to bring learning about peace and peace-making into the classroom. There was a seminar on LGBT+ Inclusion for Catholic schools through the CST lens of human dignity and another seminar explored how the use of song in primary RE and worship can promote Gospel values and virtues, leading to positive relationships and action.

A regular and growing feature of ATCRE conferences has been the opportunity for

Former Chair, now a member of the ATCRE executive, Senior Lecturer at St Mary’s University , Twickenham

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delegates to network and engage with exhibitors and stall holders. A large number of Catholic charities were represented, providing information and resources to delegates as well as publishers. I ran a stall promoting the range of MA Education courses offered by St Mary’s University! I found it a useful occasion to encourage delegates to consider completing a higher degree.

The conference ended with a rousing presentation by Raymond Friel, a seasoned Catholic leader who has held a variety of leadership roles in the education and charity sectors for more than 20 years. He is currently the CEO of Caritas Social Action Network and has recently written ‘CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING – An introduction for schools, parishes and charities’.

Raymond took a biographical slant on CST by relating the teaching to his childhood experiences of school and his family home. Raymond spoke about the importance of CST being ‘translated into reality’ and not just remaining as a social doctrine. In the post conference evaluation, one person stated that they valued ‘Raymond’s wonderful insights, useful pointers for referencing CST and pure & simple reminder that CST is love.’

The conference was sponsored by Magister Resources for Catholic Education, who provide outstanding, engaging and modern curriculum content for the world of Catholic Education, which is linked to the Religious Education Directory 2023 (www.magisterresources.com).

Helen Bridges and Dave Legrand , CoChairs of ATCRE, commented: ‘We are delighted that so many busy teachers spent a day over the weekend to engage and reflect on the importance of Catholic Social Teaching. It was such a positive and vibrant atmosphere.

Teachers were grateful for the insights provided by Raymond Friel and Susan Elderfield on Catholic Social Teaching and how Catholic RE teachers can

embed CST in their schools and classrooms. Our national conferences are always the largest gathering of Catholic RE teachers in the country, and a great opportunity to network with colleagues. Along with the excellent seminar programme and exhibitors, this was a real feast for all those involved in Catholic Education.’

Sometimes it is easy to forget that conferences do not just happen.

The conference was organised and managed on the day by a team of ATCRE executives, volunteers, who fitted this into their other roles.

This was noted and appreciated by delegates: ‘Thank you. First time attending and enjoyed the day, will return next year, God willing Thank you for all the preparation.’ I left the conference particularly pleased and content as a past-chair, ATCRE has been on a journey over the last 6 years, it is secure in the landscape of Catholic education, this fifth conference demonstrated that fact.

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50 Networking Volume 25, Issue 2 Spring Term 2024

MISSION TOGETHER Alessandro, a nine-year-old-boy, has inspired Pope Francis to create World Children’s Day, to be celebrated on 25-26 May 2024. The Pope unexpectedly announced the day at the end of the Angelus on 8 December last year. A few months earlier, Alessandro wrote to Pope Francis with an idea to bring together children from different countries for a special event. Alessandro’s hope was that the children could get to know one another, play and pray together, and become friends.

The idea leans into the practise of accompaniment, which Pope Francis says is at the centre of being a missionary disciple. For the Holy Father, accompaniment means encountering others and listening to them so that we can form connections, build relationships, and reflect to them the love of Jesus.

Inspired by Alessandro’s idea, Pope Francis promptly arranged a gathering of over 7,000 children, entitled ‘Let’s learn from boys and girls’. This event, which took place in the Vatican in November 2023, provided children from around the

world with an opportunity to ask the Holy Father questions, to share their concerns with him, and to listen to one another.

During the gathering, Pope Francis underscored to the children the importance of listening and learning from one another. ‘I am always happy when I meet you,’ he said, ‘because you teach me something new every time. For example, you remind me how beautiful life is in its simplicity, and you also teach me how beautiful it is to be together!’

The gathering was so successful that plans were soon put in place to hold the Church’s first World Children’s Day. Having listened to the questions and concerns of the children, this event would provide a timely reminder of our shared place within God’s global family and encourage children to encounter, to listen, to pray, and to work together for peace.

‘World Children’s Day is an occasion to put children, who are the present and the future of humanity, back at the centre of the world’s attention…

It offers children the possibility to become protagonists through

moments of prayer, friendship, and formation.’ - Cardinal Mendonça (WCD Director) World Children’s Day invites children from around the globe, including those from areas of conflict and children of different faiths, to join together as sisters and brothers.

Although the event focus will take place in Rome, Pope Francis calls on Catholics around the globe to celebrate this special event in their own diocese, too.

Mission Together – the children’s branch of Missio, the Pope’s charity for overseas mission – is encouraging children to join with their global sisters and brothers and celebrate World Children’s Day in their school or parish. As Catholic schools in England and Wales are significantly more diverse than the national school average, World Children’s Day provides a great opportunity to celebrate the many cultures within Catholic school communities, and remind pupils, parents, and staff that everyone belongs to God’s global family.

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To help schools celebrate World Children’s Day, Mission Together has produced several free resources.

These include an introductory assembly, Celebration of the Word, Listening Activities, ‘Celebrating our Cultures’ ideas sheet, and Virtual Map Explorer Worksheets.

World Children’s Day also provides a good entry into other Mission Together resources, such as the ‘Words for our World’ reading challenge. This challenge invites pupils to journey through our global home by reading books based within each of the Mission Rosary continents (Africa, Americas, Europe, Oceania, 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, how children around the world also 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 going to support Mission Together’s overseas children’s projects.

All Mission Together resources aim to help children recognise themselves as members of God’s global family, working in solidarity for the benefit of all, and with a special concern for those living in poverty. This aspect of our mission is revealed clearly in our Catholic Social Teaching (CST) resources, our latest addition to which is a set of CST principles worksheets.

Each worksheet evidences how the different principles are lived out and witnessed by missionaries and the communities they serve. Our CST resources also include assemblies, films, and a set of CST principle prayers.

Facilitating and encouraging prayer is an essential element of Mission Together’s work. We continue to create new prayer resources to support schools, especially as they respond to guidance from the Prayer and Liturgy Directory. These new resources include a simple Five Finger Examen, to encourage the practice of silence, stillness, and personal reflection, and a collection of traditional Catholic Prayers for KS1 and KS2. Both collections include questions for discussion (with suggested responses for teachers), and ‘Did you know?’ facts.

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Whilst Mission Together resources are free, the overseas projects we support rely on your donations and prayers. By supporting Mission Together, you are helping to provide feeding programmes, residential care, educational, pastoral, and spiritual support to some of the world’s poorest children.

If you are interested in any of the resources mentioned above, and in supporting Mission Together, please visit missiontogether.org.uk

If you are interested in becoming a Mission Together volunteer, either delivering assemblies or being part of our Consultancy Board, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact Claire at missiontogether@missio. org.uk

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