Catholic schools, non-Catholic teens: How the twain meet

Christsonthy Drellos isn't Roman Catholic, but she goes to a Catholic school.

"The year is still young, and we're learning interesting things already," said Christsonthy, an Orthodox Christian who is a 12th-grader at Saratoga Central Catholic High School. "They're very respecting of everyone's differences and beliefs. You get to learn a lot about other people's faith, and that's cool -- to look at your own background, and compare and contrast."

These days, a Catholic education isn't for Catholic students alone: Methodists, Presbyterians, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist families have representatives in the hallways of Catholic high schools across the Albany Diocese.

Mixed groups

Parents and students of all faiths say they turn to Catholic schools for a community-based, service-oriented education; in turn, they provide their schools with a greater cultural and social diversity.

At Spa Catholic, for example, a full 20 percent of students come from other denominations and faiths. At the Academy of the Holy Names's Upper School in Albany, 10 percent of students are non-Catholic. At Catholic Central High School in Troy, the number hovers around eight percent.

According to Michael Piatek, principal of Catholic High, non-Catholic families send their students to Catholic school for a "number of reasons," including the academic program, smaller classes and individual attention. He likes the "interchange" among the school's Catholic students and those of other faiths.

Values education

Christsonthy's parents "wanted all of us to be instilled with morals and values, and not be just a number," she explained. Like her parents, she feels that going to Spa Catholic is teaching her "respect, loving one another, being true to yourself and understanding others."

At all diocesan high schools, non-Catholic students are incorporated fully into the program and are expected to participate in everything their Catholic peers do.

At Spa Catholic, for instance, they are required to attend liturgies, prayer services and gatherings, and to take theology courses "so they're not excluded in any way," said Edwin Hammond Jr., principal. "There is no distinction."

Big picture

Jacqueline Tyner, who attends Bay Road Presbyterian Church in Saratoga Springs, sends her children, Canaan and Caris, to Saratoga Central because she sees "the church as a greater picture than just our denomination. I want them to be able to defend their faith. The Catholic school emphasis on community and work -- it's a huge piece, just being in a school where they are teaching that you give back to your community -- we like that."

Canaan, 14, calls his experience at a Catholic school "pretty normal." Currently, his theology class is studying the Old Testament, which is "the same in both Presbyterian and Catholic faiths. There's not too much of a difference at all."

At the Academy of the Holy Names in Albany, Upper School principal Mary Anne Vigliante recommends that students take theology courses, and most do. If a student chooses not to, the school expects her to "be involved in a formal program of faith formation in her own tradition."

At Holy Names, religious services are "community-creating experiences;" and "we expect that, to be a fully incorporated member of the community, it is important to become part of community events," said Ms. Vigliante.

Jewish perspective

Corin Trachtman, a junior at Spa Catholic, is involved in an independent-study program that will lead him to a career in the culinary field. He is Jewish.

"At first, I thought it would be a little bit weird going to a Catholic school," he said. "But a portion of the kids there aren't Roman Catholic. I don't feel like an outcast or anything. Most of the religion stuff isn't that tough. I have a good background, because I've been going there since seventh grade."

Ali Coletti and Anya Molesky, both 16, are Methodists at Catholic High in Troy. Anya's favorite part of her time at Catholic High is "the friends I've made."

She prays with her Catholic friends during morning prayer but switches to silent prayer during the "Hail Mary." Ali likes her smaller classes and said that her life at Catholic High is "normal."

Pluses of diversity

All diocesan schools have processes in place in case parents are concerned about matters of differing denominational or interfaith theologies, such as interpretation of the Bible or the nature of the Eucharist.

"There's lots to be learned about getting along with faiths other than yours," said Ms. Vigliante, "and much to be learned about the understanding, tolerance and compassion that we need to bring to the discussion of world events. There are wonderful aspects of other cultures that non-Catholic students bring to us."

(11/11/04)