At this time of year, many families of Catholic children are choosing a school for September. Whether the child is a preschooler, a potential transfer student, or an eighth-grade graduate, parents have some homework to decide on their child’s educational setting.
Incomparable Faith-Filled Experiences
Costs and geographic distance may make Catholic school impractical, or even impossible for some families. In a previous column, I suggested strategies for parents of Catholic children in public schools. When public school is the only option, prayer, involvement in the parish, and scheduling family time can help keep children grounded in the faith. When there is an option, though, parents need to recognize the incomparable, active, faith-filled experiences provided by the Catholic school.
Catholic schools foster spiritual growth with daily prayer, frequent Mass, and the Sacraments. Textbook activities, Scripture reading, and studying saints’ lives combine with hands-on activities in the corporal works of mercy. The student body may be diverse, but classmates share Christian values and school families love the faith. Charity is fostered in student interactions from study buddies to playground conflict resolution.
My experience directing a Catholic school play provides a glimpse at this spiritual richness. After months of work on Willy Wonka Jr., the middle school students stood on stage behind the curtain, with opening night jitters. Unexpectedly, a young priest, Fr. Mike, appeared in the wings. The students were elated to see him and gave a hushed cheer. Fr. Mike led a prayer, and I sensed the students’ confidence, energy, and joy building. It was electrifying to feel the Holy Spirit, welcomed so naturally into our extracurricular activity. This is the Catholic school experience.
A False Sense of Security
Some parents, particularly those of Catholic elementary graduates moving on to high school, feel that their children have received a solid foundation in the faith, and no longer need Catholic schooling. This may constitute a false sense of security. Public schools are not a neutral environment in terms of religion. Rather, children are almost certain to encounter attacks on their faith in public school. In fact, twenty-first-century public schools seem designed to deconstruct the Catholic foundations of children.
Faith-Infused Curriculum Vs. Another Ideology
Over a span of thirty years, I was privileged to teach in a Catholic school, in two public high schools, and briefly as a home-schooling parent. As a Catholic school teacher, I had a principal who directed teachers to infuse the faith into every course in the curriculum. It was a fascinating task. Material from Catholic artists and with Christian messages works well for art, music, and Language Arts. Science illustrates the wonders of God’s creation, and Social Studies can include the history of Christian missionaries. Religion class expands into all subject areas, to offer students multiple opportunities within the school day to remember and honor the Lord.
Ironically, ten years later when I taught in a public high school, educators were encouraged to include another ideology across the curriculum: that of LGBTQ+. History classes studied the contributions of illustrious LGBTQ+ individuals. Literature introduced LGBTQ+ authors and themes. Mathematics teachers were encouraged to include gay couples in word problems. Whereas the children in the Catholic school had monthly school liturgies, the public school sophomores attended student-led assemblies where various questions like, “How do I know if I’m gay?” were posed.
While the mere exposure of their children to youngsters with same-sex attraction or gender confusion will prompt some Catholic parents to avoid public school, others may not see this as a deterrent. Children are going to meet LGBTQ+ individuals in society; isn’t it better for this to happen before college so that meaningful conversations about it can happen at home? Moreover, public schools strongly oppose bullying and strive to teach empathy, which is in harmony with Christian charity. In families where public school is the only option, these kinds of lessons can be the good which God brings out of the situation.
Bias Against Church Teaching
Unfortunately, though, attitudes that many children glean from public school experiences conflict with Catholic morality. At the root of the problem is the hypersexuality fostered by the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Public schools took on sex education, and eventually the perception to the student in health class was that sex before marriage was the norm, and one needed only proper “protection”.
A development of this hypersexuality is conflict relating to marriage and gender. Simply put, Catholics and other Christian sects define marriage differently than the current culture, and we believe that gender is by God’s design. A public high school ought to be able to accommodate varying religious beliefs. That does not happen with these two issues. Here, public school philosophy is decidedly biased against Church teaching.
Although public schools claim to celebrate diversity, there is little tolerance in the classroom for students expressing Christian beliefs regarding sexuality. In a faculty meeting, I once witnessed a young teacher complaining about Christian students who had stated in her class that marriage should be between a man and a woman. I was surprised that she publicly criticized a specific religion. To my disappointment, the response she received did not defend students’ rights to deeply held religious beliefs.
At another faculty meeting, a student was invited to speak to teachers about gender. She informed us that there are hundreds of genders, and that gender is fluid. Afterwards, teachers applauded her and returned to their classrooms remarking how impressive the presentation was.
Disregarding Parental Rights
With faculty immersed in cultural norms regarding sexuality and marriage, a school can serve to dismantle the faith foundation of Catholic students. Most disturbing is the issue of gender dysphoria, which causes students to question their very identity. Current practices for students with gender dysphoria undermine children’s faith while disregarding parents’ rights.
Initially, school policies for students wishing to transition to a different gender involved parents meeting with school officials to request that their child’s name and pronouns be changed on school records. Teachers were informed and expected to make those changes. Later, many schools revised their policies to allow students to transition without a parental request. Within a few more years, teachers were not allowed to reveal to parents when a child transitioned or “came out” at school. The result? Students can effectively be living a double life, and parents have no clue how their child identifies at school.
In an attempt to diagnose gender dysphoria, some schools have presentations encouraging students to analyze their feelings about their gender. The goal is to identify problems, but the effect can be to create them. Often, these gender-exploring activities are not reported to parents.
Disturbing School Clubs
Periodically, new concerns arise for Christians in public schools. In 2023, schools in several states were approached by a non-profit group, The Satanic Temple, who requested to form clubs on school grounds. Districts who block the clubs face lawsuits. The group claims that they do not believe Satan is a person, that they only want to promote independent thinking, that they aren’t proselytizing. This, from a group named after the Father of Lies.
Another school club is formed by the Secular Student Alliance, a group for atheist students. Recently, a chapter of this Alliance recruited students in a New Jersey school with this announcement: “Are you Catholic? Protestant? Jewish? Do you question your faith? Come to the Secular Student Alliance and learn the truth.”
Daily Reminders of Jesus’ Love
Parents need to consider seriously the effect of daily interactions on a child. Constant assertions that Catholic morals are incorrect or that God’s existence is a matter of opinion can wear down faith foundations that seemed firm. In a Catholic school, the daily reminder of Jesus’ love and the Holy Spirit’s guidance are nourishment for developing faith.
Not every Catholic school is ideal for every student, nor orthodox enough to suit everyone. However, Catholic schools abide by Church teaching that gender is a gift, and the Sacrament of Marriage is modeled on Christ’s love for the Church, his bride. In Catholic school, a child learns the full meaning of charity, as modeled by our Savior. Catholic schools recognize the dignity of each person, heterosexual, homosexual, cisgender, gender dysphoric, Christian, Jewish, atheist, born, unborn, and elderly.
Besides, Catholic schools know the One who invented science. And before a test, no one thinks it’s weird to pray.
Works Cited and Consulted
Fox News. “Pennsylvania School District agrees to $200K settlement with The Satanic Temple for After School Satan Club. 20 Nov 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/us/pennsylvania-school-district-agrees-20k-settlement-satanic-temple-after-school-satan-club . Accessed 21 January 2024.
Meo, Mary Ennis. “Catholic Kids in Public Schools: Tips for Parents.” Catholic Stand, 17 August 2023. https://catholicstand.com/catholic-kids-in-public-schools-tips-for-parents/
