Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Catholic Schools are Catholic?

I must admit, that even though our little ones are no where near school age the prospect of sending them to a "Catholic" school raises my hackles.

Why?

For one, a number of years ago I met someone at the local Folk Festival. When I struck up a conversation with her, we talked about what she was doing. She was, it turned out, a teacher in one of the local Catholic schools. I played dumb and asked her if that meant she was Catholic and she went to church. She said that she was a Catholic, did not go to church but that she did have a relationship with God. I changed the subject and basically small talked until we parted ways.

That scared me. What exactly does that mean for the children that she was supposed to be witnessing her Catholic faith to in the school?

For the good and holy Catholic friends of mine who have finished their education degree I am not so worried about. However, since I also worked for a few years in and around the Catholic school system after my conversion I certainly believe that my concern for the spiritual safety of my children are valid.

Today, friends of ours told us how their 9 year old has been affected by one of his teachers reading True Ghost Stories in the class. This is in a Catholic school! The teacher is going to read the entire book! He is having nightmares and some pretty scary spiritual experiences.

Our children need to be equipped to deal with Satan and his angels by fully embracing the Cross and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Not fed garbage that takes them away from Him!

From the CCC:

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

"In him, in bodily form, lives divinity in all its fullness, and in him you too find your own fulfillment, in the one who is the head of every sovereignty and ruling force." Colossians 2:9-10

To me, a Catholic school should be focused on forming our children in the image of Jesus Christ. This means teaching them about the saints, teaching them about the Sacraments, teaching them to Adore the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, daily Mass, Scripture studies, the study of Patristics, modesty as they are gift to be shared with their future husband, wife, or kept for Christ, humility not self-esteem, the mystics and their methods of prayer, discernment of spirits, individual confession, spiritual direction by qualified priests, and most especially parental involvement in their studies, school, and spiritual life!

Is that too much to ask? Far be it for me to request a so called Catholic school teach my children to actually be a holy and faithful Catholic! (I am being only slightly facetious here) Bishops take note!

In my mind and heart the above ideal Catholic school would solve the vocations "crisis", the population decline "crisis", and maybe even improve the environment as the children would be learning to be good stewards of creation too! There would be so many other material and spiritual benefits!

Pray for our children who are in so called "Catholic" schools. Pray for our children who are being indoctrinated in the public schools. Pray for us parents who may have lost their perspective on who should be the most important in their lives and not the what. Pray for the teachers who try and buck the system by living a holy Catholic life in order to witness to their pupils. Pray for the teachers who knowingly or unknowingly bring Satan and his teachings into the school to poison our children.

Jesus, deliver us from evil please! Protect and guard us from the evil one and his minions!

Pax vobis,

J.E.

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