Catholic School Matters
October 15, 2017
Educating Together; Protesting Apart
As I’ve watched the controversy swirl around football players kneeling during the national anthem, I was struck by the message of Educating Together in Catholic Schools (2007), the last Vatican document pertaining to Catholic education. As you might know, I’ve been immersing myself in Church documents to prepare for the Church Documents podcast series beginning on October 30th.
Since Vatican II, the documents mark the shift from Catholic school as institution to one of community. Yet,Pope Francis has challenged us to become missionary disciples, evangelizing Catholics and non-Catholics alike. This has brought challenges to our concept to community. Do the mores and norms of the majority (often white, middle-class) dominate the school culture? Do our alumni—many of whom are prominent donors—shape the norms and mores? Frankly, many of our schools need to confront the fact that we celebrate minority athletes but believe they need to respect their place in the community. Majority rules, minorities follow, in other words.
Educating Together confronts this reality: "The implementation of a real educational community, built on the foundation of shared projected values, represents a serious task that must be carried out by the Catholic school. In this setting, the presence both of students and of teachers form different cultural and religious backgrounds requires an increased commitment of discernment and accompaniment." (Paragraph 5)
In other words, when we admit students of different cultural and religious backgrounds, our community changes. It’s like the arrival of a child. If a daughter arrives in a family of sons, it changes the family. As our schools become more diverse, the culture will change. It is our job to accompany and discern those changes as we strive to educate and form young people.
Don’t know what I’m talking about? Here’s a quick rundown:
· Last week, Philly Catholic and the Catholic News Service published a great summary of the controversy
· Diocese of Lansing sits four players who planned to protest during national anthem
· The Diocese of Camden announced last year that players who kneel during national anthem will be suspended
· The Diocese of Rockville Centre announced possible discipline for students who protest.
· New York Times article detailing bans in Rockville Centre and Louisiana
· The Diocese of Toledo announced a ban for their players who kneel.
· Bellarmine (CA) HS football players kneel during national anthem
Take a look at the reasoning behind the Camden Diocese’s position banning any protests:
Our schools are founded on the teaching of respect and honor; respect and honor for God, country and duly appointed authority. It is expected that our administration and coaches as well as our athletes will show respect during prayer, pledges and the playing or singing of the National Anthem. The best approach is helping our young people understand that blood was sacrificed so that we all can enjoy the gifts of our faith and our country. However, let me be clear. We are not public institutions and free speech in all of its demonstrations, including protests, is not a guaranteed right.
Notice the mention of the non-guaranteed right of free speech. This is a consistent theme in private school law. But just because something is permitted doesn’t make it right.
Educating Together explains the type of education that must take place in Catholic schools. “The Catholic school is committed to guiding its students to knowing themselves, their attitudes and their interior resources, educating them in spending their lives responsibly as a daily response to God’s call.” (Paragraph 40) We want our students to develop a response to God’s call in their lives. And we want them to have courage in their convictions. Vatican II calls us to dialogue—a theme supported by Pope Francis in Joy of the Gospel. When one of the students at Lansing Catholic was told he would be suspended if he protested, this is how he responded:
“I get they are a private school and they can do what they want," Lynn III said. "They are right, they can. But that doesn’t make it humane and that does not make it OK that they can do that because that still is my right to peaceful protest. Not only am I peaceful protesting, but I’m protesting as a primary source. I am a young black man in America. I’ve had to deal with certain things that other people will never have to deal with.
“I said this in the meeting (with the school). I said this feels like oppression. This feels like you’re trying to silence me and it feels like you’re not giving me the right to do what Americans should be able to do."
Does that sound like someone who has heard “God’s call”? Does that sound like someone who has developed convictions? And has courage? We should be proud of this young man for his well-articulated set of beliefs. And read this statement from the student protesters at Bellarmine High (CA):
“We have chosen to kneel for the national anthem tonight in an act of peaceful protest against injustice. The act of kneeling during the anthem originated with sitting and progressed to kneeling as a sign of respect for our flag, as suggested by former Green Beret, Nate Boyer. “As students of a Jesuit institution, we are taught to be men for and with others and to seek justice and truth. In light of our summit on understanding race in the 21st century, along with our personal experiences with discrimination both at Bellarmine and in our broader community, we feel compelled to raise awareness for the marginalized."
These student convictions might fly in the face of community norms. But they are well thought out, well-articulated, and they challenge us to become more inclusive school communities. Part of educating young people is expecting them to occasionally divert from the path we would have chosen for them. We are called to dialogue with them, to challenge them to articulate their beliefs, and encourage them when they have shaped beliefs out of response to God’s call in their lives.
Want to keep up with the conversations surrounding Catholic education? Set up your own Google Alert, subscribe to this newsletter by clicking "follow," subscribe to the Catholic Schools Daily, or subscribe to the Catholic School Matters podcast. Keep reading.
Dr. Tim Uhl
What I'm Up To
With one week to go before the Catholic Leadership Summit (CLS), I have one more preview to share tomorrow. Kimberly Cheng, the dynamic superintendent in the Diocese of Monterey, discusses the collaborative efforts of the California superintendents.
Here is the link to the podcast on iTunes. Here are videos showing you how to download and subscribe to a podcast on iTunes and how to download and subscribe a podcast on Android.
I'm continuing to develop a "Church Documents" podcast study series. The series will kick off October 30th and will trace Church documents on Catholic education from Vatican II until today. I recommend you order At The Heart of the Church so that you can read along.
Here's what I'm working on this week:
- Monday: Great Falls meetings; CLS Preview Podcast Episode #79: Kimberly Cheng
- Tuesday: Office (Helena).
- Wednesday: Great Falls & Billings meetings; Wed book blog Leaving to Learn.
- Thursday: Sophia Catechetical Workshop & kickoff to Catholic Teacher Days with Roy Petifils (Butte).
- Friday: Catholic Teacher Days (Butte)
Miles this week: 870 road miles
Miles travelled in 2017-18: 9,853 road miles; 4,866 air miles
Catholic School Matters
Email: superintendent@montanacc.org
Website: www.montanacatholicschools.org
Location: PO Box 1708 Helena MT 59601
Phone: (406) 442-5761
Facebook: facebook.com/montanacatholicschools
Twitter: @mtcathschools
American Catholic News
Leadership Links
Teaching & Instruction
Miscellany
NCEA News
- Catholic Leadership Summit October 22-25, 2017
- Convention, April 3-5, 2018 Cincinnati
Awards
- Nominations for the spring awards are now open: Lead, Learn, Proclaim Awards; President's Awards; and Youth Virtues, Vision and Valor are now open. Click here for more information.
Professional Development
- Click here to register for webinars
- Oct 16: Many Gifts, One Nation: A Day of Giving to Catholic Schools
- Oct17: Strong Catholic Families: New Paradigms in Play
- Oct 18: What Stem Is and What It Isn't
- Oct 19th: Soul of Youth Sports: The Coachable Athlete
What I'm Reading
- You Don't Have Say You Love Me (2017) by Sherman Alexie.
- Queen Sugar (2014) by Natalie Baszile
- When Breath Becomes Air (2016) by Paul Kanalithi (finished)
- Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night (2017) by Jason Zinoman (finished)
- Wait, What? And LIfe's Other Essential Questions by James E. Ryan. (finished)
Click this link for a full list of my professional reading along with links to Wed Book Blogs
For Montana Administrators & Teachers
- Since the University of Notre Dame jumped on board with two different presentations--one on Science & Religion and another on reaching high-risk students by the American Indian Catholic School network--here is the new flyer.
- Here is the flyer for the Sophia professional development for religion teachers on October 19th in Butte, America
- Here is the slideshow for the Oct 3rd Admin Virtual meeting, including the login info and agenda. Please read pp. 41-54 of Redeeming Administration.
Past Issues of Catholic School Matters
October 8, 2017 Classroom Managment Special Issue
October 1, 2017 "The Un-Themed Issue"
September 24, 2017 "Joy of the Gospel"
September 17, 2017 "ESSA"
September 10, 2017 "On Leadership"
August 27, 2017 "American Catholic News"
August 20, 2017 Back to School Issue