Priest: Catholic schools essential for Church

Catholic schools are the heart and pulse of the future of the Church: That message was brought to diocesan teachers and pastors last week by Rev. Ronald Nuzzi of the University of Notre Dame.

He was the keynote speaker at the diocesan teachers' conference, held at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. He also met with pastors in Latham.

As director of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Program, he is dedicated to preparing qualified, faith-filled leaders to serve as principals in Catholic schools around the country.

Message to pastors

Father Nuzzi's talk with pastors focused on "Why Catholic Schools Still Make A Difference," which is the title of a book he recently co-authored.

Father Nuzzi considers himself not an advocate for Catholic schools, but of what works, "and research shows that Catholic education has a discernible, measurable impact on the Church and nation as a whole."

Three keys

He pointed to three important aspects cited in a recent document by the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education:

* Catholic schools participate in the evangelizing mission of the Church;

* Catholic schools are an environment where Christian education is carried out; and

* Catholic schools are the heart of the Church.

Given those ideas, he said, Catholic schools are not optional or extra for the Church.

Future of Church

In his talks, Father Nuzzi reminded pastors, principals and teachers that the ministry of Catholic education is important because they "walk into the heart of the Church every day [and] put their fingers on the pulse of the future of the Church."

When Catholic education is not available, he said, "you run the risk of having a Church without a heart."

He noted that studies have found that "the longer one is in Catholic school, the greater the correlation between adult religious behavior and the Church." In addition, Catholic school students tend to be more generous than their public school counterparts.

Achievements

Father Nuzzi noted that academic success in Catholic schools surpasses that of public schools, an achievement that is reached in a fiscally efficient manner.

The cost per-pupil in Catholic schools is considerably lower than in public schools, even when controls are in place for special education consideration, he said.

Civic engagement, including voting, volunteerism and political activism, is another area where Catholic school graduates excel. In a study of recent high school graduates, Catholic school seniors were the most civically engaged students, followed by Jewish day-school students.

(10/14/04)