Category: Catholic School Matters

Last month at NCEA’s Catholic Leadership Summit in Jacksonville, I was privileged to hear John Vitek, the CEO of Saint Mary’s Press, about their research in Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics. I had heard about the study but was struck by Vitek’s presentation and his explanation of why young people […]

Today’s Catholic School Matters Radio Hour has a variety of guests.  We talk about the abuse/leadership crisis with a journalist who is covering the crisis.  We talk to a former inner-city Catholic school principal about the value and challenges of inner-city Catholic schools.  And then we have a broader conversation about pluralism and school choice with the […]

Earlier last month, I was struck by a brazen act of cheating by Mets 3rd baseman Todd Frazier.  Look at it here.  I know that baseball has a long history of condoning cheating to a point (see spitballs, emery boards, pine tar, etc) but this act seemed to cross the line and Frazier’s explanation (“It’s […]

This week, I am highlighting the Synod of Bishops which is taking place right now in Rome.  Perhaps because the topic is not ostensibly Catholic education or because Catholics are tired of hearing about bishops or controversies, the Synod seems to be flying under the radar.  In my mind, the disagreements which have emerged surrounding […]

The following article is  re-post of The Native American Experience in our Catholic Schools by Dr. Tim Uhl. Last week, I toured 8 Native American Catholic schools.  It strikes me as exceptionally appropriate to study these schools in these turbulent times.  First, the number of Indian Catholic schools have plummeted to around 24 from a high […]

Last week, I toured 8 Native American Catholic schools in Montana and South Dakota.  It strikes me as exceptionally appropriate to study these schools in these turbulent times.  First, the number of Indian Catholic schools have plummeted to around 24 from a high of over 100 at one time.  Second, Native American Catholics have suffered […]

I know that the current abuse/leadership crisis is sucking all the oxygen out of the room. If you want to learn more, I recommend this podcast, these resources from Bishop Barron, and this reflection from Archbishop Gomez.  But we need to turn our attention to issues and events surrounding Catholic schools in order to improve […]

I took a little extra time this summer before publishing the first issue of the eNewsletter.  I thought the extra time would allow me to better articulate my thoughts & feelings regarding the ugly revelations which have plagued the American Catholic Church.  But I can’t.  We are still in the middle of this mess and […]

Happy September!  The Catholic School Matters eNewsletter is back!  This issue, I’m sharing the best articles and links I came across this summer.  This year, I plan to publish fewer editions of the newsletter and make them more focused on one theme.  Next week, for example, I plan to catch up on news and events from […]

Last Tuesday, I had the privilege to witness the installation of Bishop George Leo Thomas as the 3rd Bishop of Las Vegas.  My former boss from Helena made a powerful call to the vision of Vatican II and becoming a church which challenges us all to holiness.  On my way home, I began reading the […]