School as Church

1. To what extent is your school a church for your students?

To explain my answer, I first want to define 'church' in the context of school life. Even though
schools are composed of a very mixed population of believers and unbelievers, religious and
non-religious, I chose to use as a working definition, Lavin's image of church as those,
"gathered in the name of the triune God, [and that] ekklesia refers to a people who have been
transformed to a new way of being human in relationship to God and others. It identifies a
community characterized by love, mutuality, interdependence, forgiveness and service." (Lavin
2009, p.131)

The Circular Letter To The Presidents Of Bishops' Conferences On Religious Education In

Schools, (Sacred Congregation For Catholic Education), refers to the Vatican II document,
Lumen Gentium, and highlights church as the "People of God,' emphasising the relationships
between members as the Body of Christ. This is more of an organic image of church as a living
body; the emphasis is not so much on the institutional or hierarchal dimension as the primary
definition of church. Using documents such as Gravissium Educationis, Familiaris consortio and
Dignitatis Humanae, the letter views the Catholic school as an ecclesial subject because of its
teaching activity, in which faith, culture, and life unite in harmony. I think it is fair to say that
Catholic schools aim to offer a holistic approach to the formation of the young in its care. It
recognizes that cooperation and collaboration with a number of agents is vital in a truly
educational process; the collaborative community includes the wider community of parents,
clergy, administrators, auxiliary staff, wider board members, and health care professionals who
come in to serve the different types of needs students sometimes have. This has been my
experience of the schools that I have worked in.

To a certain extent, the liturgical year of the church - Lent and Easter, Advent and Christmas,
feast days and Ordinary time - has beat a rhythm that has guided the school Collective Worship
Policy. This has helped keep non-church attenders in touch with the church year. The school
through its educational curriculum, liturgies, assemblies, special events, promote the Gospel
values of Christ-like attitudes, virtues, and behaviors; this in turn has helped to define the
quality of relationships between the school members. Students are encouraged to live out that
witness in every dimension of their life, including life outside of school. These are a few of the
ways school has been church for our students.

2. How can your school come to resemble church more closely?

In the book of Acts 2:26 we are told that the early church gathered each day to pray, worship
and break bread and that their numbers increased daily (which implies that the formula was
attractive and spoke to the needs of people). So, our churches are supposed to be places of
welcome, gathering, safety, prayer, reflection - all, hopefully, leading to a place of encounter
with the living God.
Catholic schools, likewise, are communities of 'gathering.' Prayer and worship usually start our
school day which can create a 'sacred space' that sets the tone for the rest of the day. Simple
rituals and symbols, such as a lit candle, a bible, crucifix or religious picture can help promote
this space. Prayers can come straight from the scriptures such as the psalms, or maybe a
poem, or reflective piece of prose. The importance is to slow down, mark the moment, and
offer a quiet time for reflection and meditation.

Breaking bread together can be as literal as a class Mass, but due to shortage of priests, that is
a rarity these days. But students can still 'break bread' by sharing their thoughts on some of
the deeper themes in life, especially in class discussions. As teachers, we should be intentional
and spot those moments when we can help students 'hold' a meaningful thought, process it,
and let it sink in. Those are the moments that can be 'spiritual,'(I do appreciate that for more
technological subjects that is not always easy - but not impossible!).

Here is my very ideal picture of how the schools that I have worked in, have been church for
students. In my experience, Catholic schools - perfect by no means - have strived to create the
following environments: a place for students to feel part of a community, where they trust that
the leaders and authority figures are 'for them' and 'not against them;' where they witness,
firsthand, a leadership that exercises power in love, understanding and care. Schools are places
where they are encouraged and empowered to grow, learn and flourish; places where they are
not judged but developed, supported and led forward. As Catholic schools, our challenge is to
expose and promote the faith dimension in life, allowing the Gospels to inform all that we do,
all that we teach and the goals we set. Students come to see that they are part of universal
church that adds its gifts to all of creation and to the human family in all its beautiful, diversity,
and complex reality.