On this
web site with permission by:
Rose L. Bennett
Coordinator of Evangelization, Adult Initiation & Catechesis
Archdiocese of Baltimore
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Evangelization in the Catholic
School
320
Cathedral Street
Baltimore,
MD 21210
Evangelizing
means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to
convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself. (Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for
Catholic Evangelization in the United States)
If
a ministry is not an evangelizing ministry, then the essence of the ministry
itself must be questioned and challenged, redefined and transformed.
Evangelization is not just an item on the agenda of any parish or any ministry;
evangelization is the agenda. It
becomes the way for Christ to say that he continues loving us today. (Lay Ministers, Lay Disciples: Evangelizing Power in the Parish)
Although
every ministry in a parish is an evangelizing ministry, Catholic schools have a
unique opportunity and a grave responsibility to evangelize. One of the reasons
for the Church’s influence on the Christian formation of Americans is her vast
presence in the field of education…the large number of Catholic schools makes
possible a wide-ranging evangelizing effort, as long as there is a clear will
to impart a truly Christian education.
.
I. Introduction
A. Evangelization in the Catholic school context
1. The evangelizing Catholic
2. The holistic meaning of evangelization
II. Goals, Objectives and Strategies for Evangelization in a Catholic school
A. GOAL I. “To bring about in all Catholics…
1. Objectives and strategies for principals
2. Objectives and strategies for teachers
Jesus Christ was the first and greatest evangelizer. Through his life, his sacrifice and his parables Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God and liberating salvation.[i] The essential mission of the Church today is the same as it was for the first 2,000 years, to proclaim the Good News, to bring the message of salvation and the Kingdom into every facet of human life and to transform our culture through the power and love of Jesus.
Many of us grew up in a church that defined evangelization as the art of “making new Catholics”. Today the Church sees evangelization as a call to conversion in Christ. Conversion is not a once in a lifetime event, but a series of dyings and risings, through which we strive to proclaim, “It is no longer I, but Christ lives in me.”[ii] Each Catholic, by virtue of his/her baptism shares in the evangelizing ministry of the Church.
Ø The evangelizing Catholic challenges those who are baptized and catechized in the Catholic faith to grow in their knowledge, understanding and practice of their baptismal calling.
Ø Secondly, the evangelizing Catholic reaches out to those baptized Catholics who are alienated from the Church, and welcomes them back for reconciliation with the Catholic Church.
Ø Thirdly, the evangelizing Catholic seeks those who have no church affiliation and invites them to “come and see.”
Ø to deepen our own faith,
Ø to call our faculties, students and families to a deeper conversion to Jesus Christ,
Ø to reach out to inactive or non participating Catholics,
Ø to invite those seeking a faith community to explore the richness of the Catholic tradition, and
Ø to transform our culture in Christ.
Purpose of Document
The
purpose of this document is to support Catholic schools in their evangelizing
role. Go and Make Disciples is the
plan of the United States bishops for evangelization. We look at its three goals from the perspective of the Catholic
school. Then we offer some objectives and strategies to realize these goals;
this is not an exhaustive list, rather a start. We challenge each school to set
its own objectives for evangelization and to strategize to bring about their
accomplishment.
Goal I, “To bring
about in all Catholics such an enthusiasm for their faith that, in living their
faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others.”[iii]
This
goal reminds us that every baptized Catholic is called to holiness. Faith is a
gift from God and calls forth from us a response,[iv]
discipleship. To become a true disciple of Jesus is a life long process, which
we know as conversion.[v]
This ongoing conversion of deepening faith is nourished by prayer, reading of
scripture, learning more about the Catholic teachings, sharing our faith
stories with others, leading a sacramental life and reaching out to others in
service and justice. The Church
challenges Catholic schools to foster a climate of conversion among faculty,
staff, students and families.
§ The principal of a Catholic school is the faith leader of that community of believers. In Go and Make Disciples, the bishops point out that, Schools and hospitals, (are) often the only face of the Church some people see…Ways in which people can be invited to know Jesus and the Church through these institutions should be constantly explored and reviewed[vi].
§ The principal views the school community through the lens of evangelization and communicates the vision of an evangelizing school to faculty, staff, students and families.
§ The principal strives to build a faith community with the following characteristics:
+ An evangelizing school is welcoming. Everyone in the school sees himself/herself as a “Christ bearer”.
+ An evangelizing school has a distinct Catholic atmosphere. The environment makes a clear statement that this is a Catholic faith setting.
+ Prayer permeates an evangelizing school. Prayer is not limited to the morning announcements.
+ Liturgy is appropriate and vibrant in an evangelizing school. The school recognizes itself as a Eucharistic community which gathers in faith and is sent forth to proclaim the “Good News” of Jesus Christ.
+ Faculty, staff, students and families exemplify moral teachings by the way they relate to and respect one another.
+ The school acknowledges and acts upon the truth that its responsibility reaches beyond its door to the community and to the larger world.
q Provide for on-going instruction in the Catholic faith through in-service, workshops and conferences, and encourage participation in diocesan sponsored catechist training and formation.
q Schedule days of reflection, incorporating prayer and reflective sharing in meetings of faculty and staff.
q Gather regularly to pray for each other and for the needs of the school.
q Encourage formation of scripture sharing or faith sharing groups among the staff. These groups could meet throughout the academic year or during Advent and Lent.
q Challenge faculty to grow in their understanding and appreciation of the Eucharist as the “source and summit of the Christian life.”[vii]
q Provide a Catholic physical environment in your school; displaying good religious art.
q
Recognize and celebrate liturgical Feast Days with the
same, or more enthusiasm and attention as secular holidays.
q
Involve students in the planning and celebration of
joy-filled liturgies that speak to the heart; teaching the children to sing
with gusto appealing liturgical music. [viii]
q
Encourage daily classroom prayer of different
types—meditative, guided imagery, intercessory, spontaneous, etc.
q
Provide bibles in each classroom and incorporate bible
study in lessons; ensuring that children learn how to use bibles.
q Insure
that religious
instruction in schools appear as a scholastic discipline with the same
systematic demands and the same rigor as other disciplines.[ix]
q Invite families to participate in school liturgies; for example, inviting families with military members to participate in a Veteran’s Day Mass, with a reception afterward.
q Insist on integration of the religion course of study with other academic areas.
q Support a parent prayer group that meets to pray for the needs of the school and the school families.
§ Teachers
realize that their first responsibility is to be attentive to their own
relationship with Jesus Christ. Every
catechist must constantly endeavor to transmit by his teaching and behavior the
teaching and life of Jesus…What assiduous study of the word of God transmitted
by the Church’s magisterium, what profound familiarity with Christ and with the
Father, what a spirit of prayer, what
detachment from self must a catechist have in order that he can say: “My
teaching in not mine![x]
§ Teachers
understand and put into practice the counsel of Pope Paul VI when he said…(People) listen more
willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if (they) do listen to teachers,
it is because they are witnesses.[xi]
§ Teachers
see their vocation as expressed by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, You have been taught by
those who have given their whole lives to Christ. By their example, they have
kindled the light of Christ in your lives. The time has come for you to
likewise kindle the same light of Christ in the lives of those around you.
§ The
evangelizing Catholic school teacher sees each student as a child of God and
seeks to foster each child’s spiritual growth.
§ In
every religion class, the teacher attempts to connect faith with life.
§ The
teacher attempts to relate the moral, ethical or spiritual ramifications to
each area of study.
§ Realizing
that catechetical instruction is always about formation and transformation, as
well as information, the teacher acknowledges the varying levels of faith in
students.
§ The
teacher proclaims her/his own faith by words and actions and seeks to bring
others to Christ by the witness of her/his life.[xii]
§ The evangelizing teacher reaches out to families to engage them in the religious formation of their children.
§ The evangelizing teacher is aware of non Catholic parents and makes them welcome in what can seem an alien environment.
Strategies
q
Set
aside time each day for personal prayer and spiritual reading.
q
Pray
with your students.
q
Set up a prayer space in each learning center.
q
Pray
for each of your students by name each day.
q
Use
the “Family” or “At Home” pages of your religion text as class assignments.
q Involve families in religion curriculum by giving children assignments that promote family discussion of faith and moral life.
q
Explain
to non-Catholic parents the purpose and meaning of liturgical year or
sacramental celebrations in which the Catholic students are participating.
Invite them to participate in appropriate ways.
q
Use
the current religion course of study as part of planning each subject area—“planned
integration.”
Goal II, “ To invite all people in the United States,
whatever their social or cultural background, to hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ so they may come to join us in
the fullness of the Catholic faith.”[xiii]
This goal is all about invitation and sharing.
§ All who come in to the school feel welcomed. Each student and visitor is treated with respect and caring concern.
§ All in the school community are so excited about their Catholic faith and their relationship with Jesus Christ that they want to pass it on.
§ Teachers,
especially those who do not belong to the parish where they teach, are familiar
with the resources available in the parish.
§ Teachers
have a basic understanding of the RCIA process.
.
q
Make your school reception area an obvious place of
welcome. Provide places to sit for those waiting,
q
Make sure the person sitting at the reception desk or
answering the phone is able to put people first. Often it is the school secretary
or receptionist whom is the first person one encounters when entering a school
building or calling on the telephone. Whether it is a fifth grader arriving
late for the third time in a week, a first grader who forgot her lunch, a
publisher representative, or a family moving into the area, the
secretary/receptionist sets the tone for all who approach school offices. Subtle tones of voice say, on the one hand,
“We are here to serve you,” or on the other hand, “We are very busy and you
have just intruded on our work.”…A receptionist can communicate openness to the
caller or visitor, or the receptionist can send out vibrations that say, “We
don’t want to be bothered”[xiv].
q
Offer simple rules and procedures to all students and
faculty on being hospitable to guests and visitors. They could be as simple as
“Be welcoming and courteous to every guest,” or as specific as instruction on
how to hold the door for someone..
q Be aware of the various groups represented by the families in your school and develop plans to reach out appropriately and sensitively to each. These groups may include:
§ families where one parent is not Catholic or Christian;
§ single parent homes,
§ Catholic families who are not actively practicing their faith or are not members of a faith community;
§ families that are struggling with serious illness, employment or financial needs;
§ families
of cultural and ethnic diversity.
q
Invite a member of the parish staff to in-service
faculty concerning the parish resource such as ReMembering Church or Landings
that is available for those Catholics who have been away from the Church
and may wish to return to full participation.
q
Schedule a faculty in-service on the RCIA process.
q
Use the school newsletter to share the “Good News”;
include aspects of religion course of study.
q
Provide workshops to inspire parents to be the primary
religious educators of their children.
For example,
§ Guide
young families in forming young children in faith, creating family traditions;
being media literate and aware;
§ help
parents of preadolescent and young adolescent children understand their
children’s moral and faith development;
§ raise
awareness of social justice issues and how families can respond to the needs of
the community.
Teachers
Objectives
Many of the objectives listed for teachers under Goal I also apply here. (See pages 4 and 5.) The Catholic school teacher is called to continually deepen his/her faith, so that he/she becomes a natural, living witness to faith .
§ While remaining deeply respectful of those who belong to other faiths, the teacher freely shares the transforming message of Christ through words and lived example. The teacher encourages students and their families on the journey of Christian discipleship.
§ Teachers are educated in the principles and goals of adult faith formation.
§ Teachers insure that the non Catholic student finds a hospitable and welcoming environment in which to grow and learn.
§ Teachers help children understand that there is one baptism and by it, we are claimed for Christ.
§ Teachers
instill in students an appreciation for the gifts and heritage of different
faith traditions.
Strategies
q Participate in archdiocesan and parish sponsored adult faith formation classes.
q
Know the religious preference and background of your
students and their parents.
q Reverence and celebrate the stories of everyone’s baptism.
q