Record Staff Report
In prepared remarks to visiting members of the Glob- al Researchers Advancing Catholic Education Project April 20, Pope Francis en- couraged them in their work. "In an age awash in infor- mation, often transmitted without wisdom or critical sense, the task of forming present and future gener- ations of Catholic teachers and students remains as important as ever," he told them. "As educators, you are called to nurture the de- sire for truth, goodness and beauty that lies in the heart of each individual, so that all may learn how to love life and be open to the fullness of life," Pope Francis said. "This involves discerning innovative ways of uniting research with best practices so that teachers can serve the whole person in a pro- cess of integral human de- velopment. "In short, this means forming the head, hands and heart together: preserving and enhancing the link be- tween learning, doing and feeling in the noblest sense. In this way, you will be able to offer not only an excellent academic curriculum, but also a coherent vision of life inspired by the teachings of Christ." He went on to describe a mutual nourishment of faith that can develop in a school setting. "Our faith is a great grace that each of us must daily nurture and help others to nurture as well. In the light of faith, educators and stu- dents alike come to see each other as beloved children of the God who created us to be brothers and sisters in the one human family," he said. "On this basis, Catholic ed- ucation commits us, among other things, to the building of a better world by teaching mutual coexistence, frater- nal solidarity and peace. It is my hope that your dis- cussions in these days will assist you in developing ef- fective means of fostering these values at all levels of your academic institutions and in the minds and hearts of your students. "At the same time, Catho- lic education is also evan- gelization: bearing witness to the joy of the Gospel and its power to renew our com- munities and provide hope and strength in facing wisely the challenges of the present time." After hearing from the group, Pope Francis added off-the-cuff remarks, noting, "What you do is good. We must leave behind that im- age of education, according to which educating means filling the head with ideas. "In this way we educate automatons, brainboxes, but not people," he said. "Educat- ing is risking in that tension between the mind, the heart and the hands: in harmony, to the point of thinking what we feel and do; of feeling what we think and do; and of doing what we feel and think. It is harmony." He also encouraged the researchers to consider the gifts of the elderly when ed- ucating the young. "The dialogue between the young and the elderly is important," he said. "This is very important. Even by- passing parents: not out of rebellion, but to seek out the source. The roots. Be- cause the tree, in order to grow, needs to have a close relationship with its roots. It does not stay fixed at the roots, no, but it is in relation to the roots."
Catholic educators are privileged to teach 'as Jesus did,' says archbishop
By BETH DONZE
Catholic News Service
NEW ORLEANS - In their daily striving to know and care for the young peo- ple in their midst, those who have a vocation to teach in Catholic schools and religious formation programs have the amazing privilege to teach "as Jesus did," said New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Ay- mond. He made the remarks at the April 19 opening Mass of "NCEA 2022," which drew 2,000 Catholic school admin- istrators, teachers, pastors and other education profes- sionals to the Crescent City. It was the National Catho- lic Educational Association's first large-scale, in-person event since the onset of the global pandemic. Referencing the Gospel from St. John in which Mary Magdalene frets upon discov- ering the empty tomb - and fails to recognize the risen Christ until he calls her by name - Archbishop Aymond said those involved in the ministry of Catholic educa- tion, too, must be forever will- ing to call every student by name. These educators also must model Christ's patient, un- wavering love to those who show up to school sad, fearful or confused, he said. "We can only imagine the range of emotions, in a few minutes, that went through Mary Magdalene's mind and heart," Archbishop Aymond said. "She was crying, she was confused (and) she was in shock when she finally saw (Jesus)." Once Mary Magdalene rec- ognizes him, Christ asks her to go out and tell others of his resurrection. Likewise, Catholic educators and form- ators are sent out daily to share the joy of the resurrec- tion with their students and to let them each know he or she is God's beloved child, Archbishop Aymond said. It is Catholic educators - no matter the title they hold or subject they teach - who are on the front lines with young people who are dealing with a myriad of challenges that could include illness, fi- nancial distress, divorce, spe- cial learning needs, bereave- ment, suicide and drug addic- tion, the archbishop said. They are the point peo- ple when their students and parents ask them, "Where is Jesus in all this?" "We walk with students; we walk with faculty, admin- istrators, parents and fam- ilies," Archbishop Aymond said. "We are called in our daily lives and in our dai- ly ministry to call others by name - in classrooms, in schoolyards, in our halls, in the cafeteria, the bus line and wherever we are ... to bring the risen Christ to others and to bring them to the risen Christ." Delivering opening keynote of the April 19-21 conference was Father Rodney "Tony" Ricard, pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in New Orleans and a teaching veter- an of more than 30 years. He urged Catholic educa- tors to not be overly harsh or dismissive of the children and teenagers in their care. Catholic identity, simply put, is convincing kids of their own God-given greatness, said Father Ricard, who also serves as chaplain/theology department head at St. Au- gustine High School in New Orleans. "Since we don't know the time, the place nor the hour when the Master will return, it's better that we treat every child as if he or she is the Christ coming back again," or risk learning on judgment day that we treated Jesus himself as "a nobody." "If we stay true to who God calls us to be, not only are we going to be safe in heaven (ourselves), but ultimately, we must convince our chil- dren that they will be there with us, too," Father Ricard said. "We need to convince them that one day they will put on a robe (in heaven); they're going to put on new shoes; and they definitely will wear a crown!" The priest said the main job of teachers and adminis- trators alike is to help their students "know who they are" and then to challenge them to follow in the unique path that God has laid out for them. "So many people are trying to convince them that they're not destined for greatness," said Father Ricard, noting that teachers and other school leaders often get so caught up in their own titles, power and preconceptions that they don't recognize the imperfect little saints in front of them. "(It's not about us) - it's about that little snotty-nosed 3-year-old coming into your pre-K," he said. "It's about that 'just-trying- to-find-herself' fourth grader with the attitude; it's about that high school young man who is trying to navigate his way between who he is and how God made him," he con- tinued. "It's about that high school senior who's so scared to graduate, because for the last 13 years of his life, the only time he got to eat a full meal was that breakfast and that lunch at school." Father Ricard said that even Mary and Joseph - Je- sus' earliest teachers - occa- sionally underrated the great- ness of their child. To make his point, he read St. Luke's Gospel account of Jesus being found in the tem- ple after a frantic search by his parents and "astonishing" the temple's elders with his knowledge of Scripture. Those listening to the 12-year-old Jesus "had no idea who that little boy was," Father Ricard said. "My brothers and sisters, my challenge to you is so simple: Remember who you belong to," the priest said. "When you walk through the doors of your school, remem- ber who you belong to; when you walk into your class- rooms, remember who you belong to - but don't think you're the only one who be- longs to God! "Never take for granted that Jesus - the Christ - just might be sitting in your classroom!" In his welcoming remarks, Lincoln Snyder, NCEA's president and CEO, thanked Catholic educators for being powerful examples of "serv- ant leadership" who loving- ly shepherded their students through the pandemic. Snyder noted that more than 100,000 Catholic edu- cators serving grades K-12 tenaciously taught students, in person, for the majority of the pandemic. Their sacri- fices and skills assured their students' continued spiritual, academic and social devel- opment as other school sys- tems remained mired in less effective, mostly virtual in- struction. As a result of Catholic schools' strong, in-person ac- ademics, spiritual backbone, stringent safety measures and family-friendly atmos- phere, Catholic schools have gained more than 60,000 new students over the past two years, with K-12 student en- rollment rising nationwide from 1.62 million to 1.69 mil- lion, Snyder said. "Catholic schools did better than anyone in preventing learning loss during COVID - our students kept growing (as though) there had been no COVID. Catholic schools led the way!" said Snyder. The collective wisdom needed to bridge learning gaps among students who didn't fare as well during lockdowns and quarantines "is right here in this room," he added. "No one is better prepared to model the way forward than we are," Snyder said. "We showed that it was pos- sible to operate schools safely and effectively in a pandemic, and limit the harm to our kids."
Pope Francis encourages work of Catholic educators and researchers
Educators are called to nurture the desire for truth and goodness, he says
CNS Photo by Beth Donze, Clarion Herald
Father Rodney Ricard, pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in New Orleans and a teaching veteran of more than 30 years, delivered the opening keynote April 19 at "NCEA 2022." The National Catholic Educational Association held its first large-scale, in-person event since the onset of the global pandemic, drawing 2,000 education professionals to New Orleans April 19-21.
B22 WWW.THERECORDNEWSPAPER.ORG GRADUATION SECTION THE RECORD MAY 19, 2022
Jake Borland
SAINT XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL
Austin DOuglas Weaver
SAINT XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 2022
We are so proud of you! Can't wait to see you chase your dreams at U of L!
Love, Mom, Dad, Braiden, Grandma and Grandpa
Founders, Faculty, Staff and Families
Congratulate
the 2022 Graduates!
Immaculata
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BEAUTY TRUTH GOODNESS 440 Zorn Avenue Louisville, KY 40206 (502) 365-3545
Brendan Baunach
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UTH G
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C O N N E C T
A recent study by the Springtide Research Institute shows that over half of young people (ages 13 to 25) still identify themselves as having some affiliation with a faith tradition, even if they're not regularly going to church. It shows "71% consider themselves to be at least slightly religious," and "55% say having faith in a higher power is important." Relationships seem to be everything to young people - relationships with peers, teachers, parents, mentors, etc. Yet many young people have trouble developing those relationships. The study shows "46% say that their closest relationship(s) makes them feel like they have meaning and purpose in their life." The Newman Connection - newmanconnection. com - helps Catholic students in college find a Catho- lic community on or near the campus where they go to school, including more than 2,600 Catholic, public and private colleges nationwide. Statistics show there are 1.8 million Catholic stu- dents entering college each year in our country. And 80% of those students stop practicing their faith while in college. We can change that. The Newman Connection has connected more than 450,000 high school graduates with Catholic faith communities across the country. Let's do what we can to keep our college-bound youth in touch with their Catholic faith and a Catholic faith community. Families wanting to help their college-bound students stay connected to the Catholic faith can encourage their students to download the "Newman Connect" app and be directly connected to the campus minister at their prospective college. Alternatively, you can submit the student's name, along with the name, city and state of their college to the Archdiocese of Louisville Office of Youth and Young Adults. Students' information is passed on to the Newman Connection, a national initiative to keep Catholic college students connected to their faith. For more information or to submit student names, contact Karl Dolson, Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adults at 636-0296, ext. 1210, or KDolson@ archlou.org, or contact Chuck Lynch, V.P. for Com- munications for the Saint Serra Club of Louisville at 442-9302 or ChuckLynch4782@gmail.com.
STAYING CONNECTED
Keeping the faith through a college campus ministry
KARL DOLSON AND CHUCK LYNCH
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