Interesting article about the state of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of San Jose. Catholic education needs to be re-evaluated especially with regard to the different modalities providing a “Catholic” education. One thing that should happen is that all parties should be brought to the table, i.e. diocesan schools, private Catholic schools, religious education for children in public schools and homeschool families. That they all exist is a fact of life and a diocese should see them as a single responsibility, but different modes. An understanding should be there as to why families choose the particular setting.
One other point to note from the article is the particular mention of Catholic identity. My personal experience with various aspects of parish and my experiences in our local community has been that often people in the parish schools want to keep the Catholic identity on the light side and the schools choose to show off “PowerPoint” skills versus a curriculum with a firm basis in theology and Catechism. For example, a Catholic school presentation by a star student will get their definitions from a dictionary versus the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (Marketers should take a note of this)!
And, of course, the eyebrow raises when the expert is from Notre Dame University and the event occurs at Santa Clara University…not your most stellar Catholic institutions. I am grateful the clergy of the diocese are asking the necessary questions.
The Valley Catholic Online
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