The Catholic School at the "Heart" of the Church
"No child should be denied his or her right to an education in faith, which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation.”
– Pope Benedict XVI, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, April 17, 2008 with Superintendents of Catholic Schools and Presidents of Catholic Colleges.
"Our Catholic schools must, without compromise, be living witnesses to the unity we have in Jesus. We must celebrate the legacy of Catholic school education and embrace a future with great confidence in our young people. We, the Catholic Church of Hartford, must mobilize ourselves to strengthen the ministry of Catholic school education and to profess confidently that, together, we produce great people."
-Archbishop Henry J. Mansell Pastoral Letter,
Together, We Produce Great People, January 2008
"Young people of the third millennium must be a source of energy and leadership in our Church and our nation. Therefore, we must provide young people with an academically rigorous and doctrinally sound program of education and faith formation designed to strengthen their union with Christ and his Church.”
-Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium, 2005, USCCB, Washington, DC.
Twelve habits for fostering the Catholic school's identity:
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Daily prayer 
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Participation in the sacramental life of the Church
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Moral education
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Infusion of Catholic social teachings
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Attitudes and beliefs
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Content knowledge of the faith
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Service learning and experiences
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Human communication
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Discernment of vocation and spiritual leadership
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Symbols of our faith
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Sacred Art and Sacred Music
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Home-School Partnership
Seven areas in fostering the Catholic Identity of those ministering in our Catholic schools:
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Pastor’s approval of Catholic candidates for teaching/administrative positions
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New Teacher Orientation Program for teachers focusing on Catholic Identity of our schools
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Annual school/regional religion in-service
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Annual faculty retreat days
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Network-wide annual Catholic Educators Conference
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Certificate in Faith Formation
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Professional Certificate in Pastoral and Catholic School Administration for Catholic school administrators/aspirants to administration
Documents on Catholic Education
Sacred
Congregation for Catholic Education. (1977) The Catholic School
Sacred
Congregation for Catholic Education. (1982) Lay Catholics in
Schools: Witness to Faith
Sacred
Congregation for Catholic Education. (1983) Educational
Guidance in Human Love
Sacred
Congregation for Catholic Education. (December
28, 1997) The Catholic School on the
Threshold of the Third Millenium
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC (USCCB)
To Teach as Jesus Did, 1972
Empowered by the Spirit:
Campus Ministry Faces the Future, 1985
In Support of Catholic
Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1990
Sharing Catholic Social
Teaching: Challenges and Directions, 1998
Welcome and Justice for Persons with
Disabilities, 1998
Sharing Catholic Social
Teaching: Challenges and Directions, 1999
Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A
Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States, 1999
The Application of Ex
Corde Ecclesiae for the United States, 1999
Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium 2005
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