But today, I wanted to write about a serious and important topic--related to the Brown and White.
Boys Catholic High Schools are expensive! Many range between $8,000-$12,000 a year. There are certain student aid programs that help of course. If a boy finds a job, he may be able to contribute a few thousand himself, but for the most part, parents have to pick up the cost. And once the student finishes his education at his college prep school, he and his parents have a bigger financial fish to fry with a college education. Still, Catholic High Schools are surviving, but it just can't be easy.
If
a parish feeds students into a Catholic High School, they may be able
to have a collection or two for the program, but chances are they are
having a hard enough time as it is themselves. Never-the-less, I believe
that a high school, a grade school, the local Catholic bookstore,
parish organizations and the parish church itself are all part of a
faith continuum. The distinct pieces need to be fed for the health of
the whole. I can't help but believe that when the schools fall off the
radar, that church membership is likely to drop over time. When schools
are healthy, I suspect the church is going to do well. A local Catholic
bookstore that carries merchandise also helps support the faith
continuum. Catholics who pass by the Catholic gift and bookstore for
their Communion and Confirmation gifts are not helping the cause. In
this troubled time, you must be "in for a penny, in for a pound."
I
think it's funny that many people think that the Catholic Church is
rich. I suspect they have this belief based on the Vatican treasures
and properties in places like Rome. But frankly, if they get to Rome,
they will find that these treasures are for the entire world not church
property like a parish bank account. When some of the great Catholic
churches have burned and needed costly rebuilding and renovation, it
might surprise many people that donations frequently came from people
from many different faiths--including Jews and Moslems.
And
on some level, Catholic Schools have also been very ecumenical as well.
In some ways, this can be disturbing to some Catholics, but by doing
so, it supports an opened mindedness and does not put the breaks on true
charity. When I was a kid way back in the dark ages, we had a couple
Jewish kids in Catholic School with us. The nuns did their best to teach
the Catholic program, but at the same time tried to be kind to the
students of other faiths. This must have been difficult when you
consider there was a Catholic slant built into practically every subject
in its textbooks and curriculum.
As
neighborhoods changed in Chicago, for example, it became more difficult
in that Catholic Schools sometimes served more Protestants than
Catholics. Many of the schools were serving middle class people, but
some found themselves in poorer areas. I find it disturbing when a
Catholic home for children, a hospital or some other institution that
serves mostly non-Catholics, receives government funds to help it
provide for services (at much cheaper rates than the public
organizations) and people have criticisms for the serving organization.
When
schools came to serve poorer minority populations, the Sisters and
other teachers shifted their curriculum somewhat and wanted so badly to
make a contribution to help these poor kids move up and out of poverty.
In some cases it worked and if it didn't work, it had more to do with
society at the time than the teachers. My sister taught in schools like
this in Detroit.
At
the same time, you can find yourself in a no-win situation. At my high
school, one of its most prominent Protestant students remarked that
there was a certain teacher who harassed him (I suppose like in racism).
The kindest thing he had to say was that "the teachers did not try to
convert him." A generous man no doubt.
Most
Catholic institutions have come back to tighter Catholic curriculum,
but they retain their respect for the other faiths of their
non-Catholic students. Catholics criticized schools when they found
their kids were graduating without even a fundamental understanding of
the "Roman" faith. To maintain their appeal however, the schools today
must show their academic excellence. Producing good Catholics with bad
ACT scores is not an option.
But
if the whole Catholic Faith continuum is to survive, people have to
support all the Catholic institutions. The people that whine about this
institution is too liberal or this one is too conservative are just
expressing their views and it's their right. But again, I think we need
to be "in for a penny and in for a pound" on Catholicism. If you are
waiting for just the right pope, bishop or priest to come along before
you support the Church, good luck with that.
I think Catholic High Schools can use some help. I have a hard time thinking that we will be judged by whether we gave to a conservative or liberal one. We might be judged if we could have given and didn't because they were too liberal or conservative for our taste.
I think Catholic High Schools can use some help. I have a hard time thinking that we will be judged by whether we gave to a conservative or liberal one. We might be judged if we could have given and didn't because they were too liberal or conservative for our taste.
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