The following comes from an August 1 press release sent by the institute.
The first national conference [held in Canandaigua, New York] for educators who seek to renew the Catholic Church’s tradition of classical liberal arts education revealed a growing tide of enthusiasm among teachers and administrators from across the U.S. and even Canada.
“This is everything I believed that education could and should be,” said Anne Muntz, a 20-year veteran public school teacher who recently joined the faculty of St. Agatha Academy in Winchester, Kentucky, as it makes a transition to a classical model. “[It] renews my faith that I was called to be a teacher and that we can make a difference in children’s lives.”
More than 70 educators from 35 different institutions and dioceses in the U.S. and Canada gathered here in mid-July for a conference that established ties among dozens of Catholic schools that have adopted a classical model or are exploring ways to move in that direction. Sponsored by the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education the conference will be held next year in the Washington, D.C., area in response to clear demand for support of the growing movement. Designed to be both inspirational and practical, the program offers formation for administrators, teachers, board members, and superintendents.
“This conference is the start of something important for the Church,” said Dr. Kevin Roberts, founder of John Paul the Great Academy in Lafayette, Louisiana, and now President of Wyoming Catholic College. In his opening address, “Creating Order in a Chaotic World”, Roberts emphasized the benefits of classical education on the young while giving 12 tips for succeeding in what can at times be a difficult process.
Dr. Andrew Seeley, executive director of The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education [and tutor at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California], said his organization is poised to help Catholic schools join the wider classical school movement, which includes the 230 member Association of Christian Classical Schools and the burgeoning Great Hearts’ charter school network.
Seeley expressed his excitement in his closing remarks to the conference. “Non-Catholics in classical education ask me, ‘Where are the Catholics? This is your tradition.’ Now I can say, ‘Here we are!’ And we’re bringing the full tradition of the Church, her liturgical life and her educational experience to enrich the classical model.”
The institute plans to expand its services to offer more in-service programs, drawing on experienced teachers from established Catholic classical schools, according to Seeley. Collaborative relationships with institutions like the Circe Institute and the Institute for Excellence in Writing will help provide specific training where needed. Planned upgrades to the website will offer further resources and a job posting page.
“I believe our Institute will be an important instrument in forming school communities with a clear Catholic educational vision, whose examples will be a blessing for all Catholic schools and parishes,” Seeley said.
For more information:
Email: esullivan@CatholicLiberalEducation.org
Cell phone: 585/727-1566
All Seminaries, Convents, Orders, Universities, and Colleges that call themselves “CATHOLIC” should REQUIRE the study of the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” as one of their required texts for all freshmen and/or sophomores.
The CCC contains the Doctrine of the Faith – per Blessed Pope John Paul II.
It contains the truth – without error.
Every Catholic home should have a Catholic Bible and a CCC. – And don’t let them just collect dust.
“CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” as one of their required texts for all freshmen and/or sophomores.
The CCC contains the Doctrine of the Faith – per Blessed Pope John Paul II.
It contains the truth – without error.
Not sure about the “truth without error” Second edition. I’d prefer the Baltimore catechism.
Bring back the Baltimore Catechism also!
This is what Catholic schools should be about! It would be great if dioceses would all move back towards their roots and this type of education, instead of Common Core and whatever else the government comes up with in the future.
yes. yes. “Classical” curriculum–no more “dumming down” of our children! Everyone, pray for these educators, that they are successful in implementing this in all Catholic schools. Let your Bishop’s know how important this is for the welfare of our children and society.
Sandra,
I written this before, and I shall write it again “first we must pray for the conversion of most of our “bishops” to the true Catholic Faith!”
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
This is great news. I attended a high school that was heavy on the liberal arts, and taught in one. It has been a long time since young people have had true opportunities for learning, other than to get a job. I assume that these programs will teach Latin and a number of foreign languages, world history from the great books, etc. Don’t worry about the Core Program. If a school returns to the liberal arts format, the kids will pass the Core Program tests and all the AP courses as well.
“…and even Canada” [end of first paragraph in article]. At best, poorly phrased. Perhaps ‘ … and also Canada” would be better.
Liberal arts are vitally important. We should indeed, especially in our Catholic colleges, require a serious study of the Catholic Faith, and the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH is one important resource — but not the only one. Students should also be exposed to more ancient writings, which the CATECHISM often refers back to, including the Bible itself.
I’ll never forget the “dumbing down” of education proposed in Oakland when some nuts said that teachers should instruct the black students in so-called “Ebonics,” (an invented term for an imaginary language) as if that would help them in this world.
You make a good point, Sam. I think many Catholics treat the CCC like a sacred document. It’s not. It’s a compedium of many documents, written by councils, saints, doctors of the Church, popes and Biblical authors. While the CCC is an excellent introduction to the Catholic Faith, it is just that – an introduction.
A true Catholic Liberal education will have students go straight to the sources.
Yes!
” An education that does not have God
as it’s end is no education at all.”
Hey Skai there is that word again but this time in this article “classical”…..JonJ called you a classic….he was complimenting you…yay!
The Destruction of Catholic Education is a goal for many outside the Church, but even more disgraceful – far too many of the powerful ‘within’ the Church.
That Assembly Member Tommy ‘T.P.’ Ammiano is actually Welcomed at ‘catholic’ (small ‘c’) Parishes – shows the utter Depravity that has come home to Roost (even Mau Mauing from the Altar) – in the former City of Saint Francis, now better known as Sodom by the Sea.
The pogrom to Destroy Gender and enforce mandatory pandering throughout Catholic Education’ Violates the Greatest of Prohibitions of Christ on Mis-Treatment of Children – who was not at all a fan of such Child Abuse as TTP & Pals are pushing in the name of an ersatz fraud of ‘tolerance’.
Shame – Shame a Thousand Fold on those ‘guardians’ of the innocent – who allow such Predators amongst the Children of the Flock.
** Save California says: “Normally, every unnatural, unhealthy “LGBT” bill would become law under the rule of the Democrats. But AB 1266 is so out there — permitting biological boys into girls’ school restrooms and showers — you should push for a veto and push for it today.
ACTION STEPS: https://eepurl.com/Dq2tT
Cardinal Newman provided the link to the following article – about the Attack on Catholic Education, which mirrors the Trolls on this board.
The Tyranny of Sentimentality and the Advance of the Gay Agenda on Catholic Campuses
8/8/13 By Matthew Archbold
The advancement of the gay agenda on Catholic campuses was toasted recently by none other than the New York Times.
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, a faith-based alliance of Christians who monitor, comment, and report on issues affecting the Church, published a fascinating piece on how radical homosexuals have won so much in so short a time, even on Catholic campuses, namely by distorting and twisting religion.
The gay movement at Catholic colleges has attained such success precisely because it has couched itself in such religious terms. At Georgetown, this was evident in a series of articles…
in the student newspaper last fall, all essentially distorting the Church’s true teachings on homosexuality so as to demand the repeal of those teachings.
Those who shape the issue on campus are able to co-opt religious language by adopting an approach to religion that I will term the “tyranny of sentimentality.”
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman held sentimentality to be the acid of religion (see his discussion of liberalism in Apologia Pro Vita Sua). It is evident that the students Spencer writes about have reduced religion to the sentimentality of which Newman speaks.
– entire piece at IRD’s site Juicy Ecumenism.
https://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/2433/The-Tyranny-of-Sentimentality-and-the-Advance-of-the-Gay-Agenda-on-Catholic-Campuses.aspx?