Keeping Catholic Education Alive
Comment:
The above film reveals the theory of Catholic education in action. It is happening now, in our time, so it gives the lie to the claims that this kind of Catholic education is no longer possible in a secular society. Where, on this earth, is there a more secular society than in the USA? No offence to our American bloggers!
What is the key to the success of a genuine Catholic education such as that shown in the film, if not the deep Faith of the priests and teachers? Is there another ingredient that you would argue is “the key”?
Comments (34)
Excellent, thank you Editor!
Pleasure, Lionel!
I’ve had an email from a reader in the south of Scotland asking if I know of anyone from Scotland going on the SSPX national pilgrimage to Walsingham (September)
I had to reply in the negative, but if anyone else has information, please let me know and I’ll get back to him.
Editor,
I believe Leprechaun makes that pilgrimage annually.
Yes, RCA Victor, but the clue is in the name – Leprechaun doesn’t live in Scotland 😀
Americans, eh, folks?
Editor,
I never get distracted by those minor details…. 🙂
A key ingredient is money! Interestingly, I believe schools such as this one, get no government funding in order to be free of the imposed noxious elements of state education.
Summa,
Precisely. The almighty dollar has become tainted with the depraved filth of the New World Order, esp. abortion, homosexuality, contraception, and now, “transgenderism” (whatever that is). Each one, of course, has become a “right.” And what are the American bishops doing about it? Either twiddling their thumbs or collaborating behind the scenes with the enemy.
Thank you for posting this video, Editor, it brought tears to my eyes. I was at St. Mary’s for a Third Order retreat in 2013 – you would scarcely believe the number of people who flock to every Mass. SRO.
RCA Victor,
The tears came to my eyes as well, watching that lovely video. If only the schools here in Scotland were half as good, we’d be looking at re-opening all our seminaries!
Exact, Margaret!
This made me so sad too! That this education model is now the very rare exception instead of the norm for our Catholic children. They ask for bread and we give them stones…
Elizabeth,
“They ask for bread and we give them stones” – dead right!
If only the schools here in Scotland were half as good, we’d be looking at re-opening all our seminaries!
That’s exactly it, the feeble presentation of the faith in Schools is a major issue as regards both lapsation and vocations.
I left school thinking the Church was an empty vessel, ignorant of why it even existed and why it should be of any relevance to me. It was just a background part of the furniture of life, not the guiding light it should be.
I agree it’s a lovely video but totally unrealistic for us in the UK in this day and age.
The average pupil today in this country will not be sitting obediently at their desks, paying attention and working like a beaver. Also, the teachers today are mirrors of what is going on in society – cohabiting, civil partnerships etc.
So, while it’s a very nice film and in the ideal world it would work greatly, I doubt if we’ll be seeing one of those in this neck of the woods anytime soon. To be honest, I think any bishops, priests or teachers seeing that film would LOL. Sorry, but that’s the reality, IMHO.
Allan,
Perhaps I ought to have made the blue comment clearer. When I said that the video shows the theory of Catholic education in action, I should have, perhaps, reminded readers that the theory of Catholic education requires that all those involved in Catholic education are truly Catholic; the theory that if “home, pulpit, school” work together to raise Catholic children with a Catholic view of the world, then, young people will leave school reasonably educated in the Faith and practising it. This theory is truly shown in all its glory in the video. That it is almost impossible to operate here in the UK any more, is due to the fact of the current crisis in the Church where priests, parents and educationalists do NOT hold to the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Faith.
The video helps to underline that and might enable us to consider what steps, if any, we can take to restore the authentic Catholic Faith in time for the next generation, if we must count the current school population as lost. Or perhaps you think we ought to surrender to the “reality” of the present time? White flags and all that jazz?
As expected, a put-down for holding a different opinion. Thanks for that.
No problem, Allan. Glad I didn’t disappoint – we aim to please…
Catholic Truth at your service 😉
Allan,
People always say that when they are given an answer they can’t contradict. It’s easier to shoot the messenger that say “I was wrong”.
Allan,
The secular situation and the state of the Church in St. Mary’s, Kansas, when the SSPX schools and center were founded there in the 1970s, was no better than the corresponding situation in the UK today. I was not in the Church during the 1970s, but from what I’ve read, the VII revolution was at its most euphoric at that time.
Yet the SSPX made it work – and it more than works, it is astounding. How did they make it work? They were busy passing on what they had received – with complete and utter fidelity, thanks to Abp. Lefebvre and the priests he trained, and thanks to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (abandoned by the Jesuits, along with their St. Mary’s campus!) and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose supernatural help and protection watches over all our works.
RCA Victor,
Well said. Once again, you’re on your way to that Christmas bonus!
Off topic… except to say these guys clearly didn’t enjoy a solid Catholic education…
Not sure if this will be reported in the USA so don’t want you to miss it – friends of yours, I presume 😀
What were they thinking?! (a purely rhetorical question…)
Editor,
I wonder if one of those pilots was Foster Brooks? (see first sketch of this:)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A6FHYTXbPY&w=854&h=480%5D
RCA Victor,
Very possibly!
Editor,
What is really scary about the drunk Pilots, is that its the second such incident at Glasgow Airport in only a few months.
One would almost think there was some kind of strong link between Glasgow and booze? Surely not! 😉
Gabriel Syme,
I’ve been thinking along those lines since I first heard the report! Hilarious!
Reminds me of a time when I lived in England, and there was a news report about a group of asylum seekers who were threatening to take the Government to the European Court of Justice because they were being sent to Glasgow! One of my colleagues tormented me all day about it, pointing out that it said something about my home city when folks would rather live under a foreign dictatorship than live in Glasgow! I had to laugh!
Getting back to the topic under discussion, ie Catholic Education, i have just watched the video and agree that St. Mary’s academy & college is everything that a Catholic school should be. If only we had more schools like that in our own communities! For sure, we would have fully believing Catholics leaving school at age 18 and I am sure that it would be very beneficial to those parents who homeschool because they have no choice; to send a child to a modern “catholic” school is spiritual suicide.
Did anyone else notice that the school uses blackboard and chalk (well, greenboard!); none of the fancy technological gadgets that are supposedly “nessecary” in modern education. This video would be enough to make me move there if I had a family!
This is indeed a wonderful exposition of a Catholic education. However, I believe that St Mary’s is not formally accredited within the American education system which means their exams are not accepted. It was an American SSPX supporter who informed my family of this. While that is not important for supernatural reasons it is important that boys in particular are able to pursue careers that will enable them to support Catholic families and the Church in the future.
Nora Day,
It wouldn’t be difficult to find a body to accredit that school.
I know a mother who home schools her kids here in the UK and the first thing she did was to check out the issues about accreditation with the qualifications authority here, She was told not to worry about it, the fact that they are home schooled would be an advantage and they would likely get interviews for college or university anyway, knowing that home schooled pupils are often more knowledgeable than the rest.
Spiritus,
“Did anyone else notice that the school uses blackboard and chalk (well, greenboard!); none of the fancy technological gadgets that are supposedly “nessecary” in modern education.”
That is exactly right, I couldn’t agree more. The more gadgets they use in lessons and at meetings (it’s the same in companies on staff days) the less anyone learns, LOL!
MM,
Well said. In my case, I nearly always had to get the pupils to help me work the gadgets!
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f1/01/38/f101383382d2119846dc1df0428f7941.jpg
Editor,
“What’s a pencil?” LOL!
I think that video is first class and I’m amazed that no teachers have come on to praise it; Shows how bad things are – they’re all justifying, in one way or another, what they are doing (or not doing, more like) in the so called Catholic schools.
A beautiful video. Reminds me of the kind of Catholic school I attended myself, many years ago.
Outstanding! This is how young Catholics should be brought up. Everything taken from the Catholic perspective. I would like to share a video which also presents this same atmosphere. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPCwUnA7L9A&w=854&h=480%5D
I would like to add that there is a quick scene in this clip of a lay person distributing communion. Pay no attention to this for Seton Home Study School do not encourage communion on the hand but rather what some of the families do anyway.
Aquinas,
Thank you for posting that video which is very interesting. I’m glad you highlighted, with disapproval, the Extraordinary Minister giving Communion, and note what you say about Seton not encouraging that – but why, then, did they include it in their video? It may put some parents off using their programme, which is a shame, because I know that the Seton materials and assessment system is very good.
Anyway, again, thank you for posting the video.
Glad to help!
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