Put Out Into the Deep
Bishop DiMarzio's weekly column
THE TABLET
October 25, 2008
A Road Map to Catholic Schools
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Offering a Catholic Education to the children of Brooklyn and Queens is one of the most important ministries of our Diocese. By Catholic Education, I mean the ministry of teaching the Catholic faith to all of our children, whether they attend our Catholic schools or the programs of faith formation sponsored by each of our parishes. We, as a Diocese, have educated generation after generation of students founded in the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the values of our Church. We are firmly committed to continuing this mission into the future for all of our children.
Since our Catholic schools play a unique role within the larger ministry of Catholic Education, and to preserve our commitment and insure that Catholic schools will always be available, we must take firm steps now to create a new road map for all of our schools. Developing this vision must involve all who play vital roles in educating our children -- parents, pastors and principals, clergy and religious, and our teachers.
This is why we have developed a process that we have called “Preserving the Vision.” The name means exactly what it says: preserving what has always been an integral part of Catholic life, the education of our children.
“Preserving the Vision” is our roadmap for strengthening and enhancing Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens, now and for the future. If we expect our schools to endure and flourish, it is necessary that we adapt to the challenges we presently face. We must take firm steps that will maintain Catholic schools that teach our Catholic faith without compromise, that reflect our tradition of academic excellence, and are responsive to the changes in our communities. Let me describe what “Preserving the Vision” is and how all members of the Diocese are vital to the process.
Parochial schools celebrate the tradition of faith, family and community. But today, the parish schools that were such an enduring symbol of Catholic Education are grappling with a number of significant challenges. Currently, approximately 16 percent of the seats in our parochial schools are unfilled. This puts a significant financial burden on the local parish. As Catholic families continue to cope with ever greater economic challenges, the Church must make sure that costs associated with Catholic education remain affordable and that the resources available to us are put to the best use.
Over the last several years, parents have sent their children to the parochial school that best meets the needs of their children as well as their own. Sometimes it was not their local parish school, but another school in the neighborhood or even a school close to the parent’s workplace. At the same time, schools have begun to develop stronger bonds within and across communities.
This new, emerging way of education tells us that the future lies in creating multiple relationships that extend beyond the parish.
Here is how the process will work:
First, as people of faith, we begin in prayer and reflection, asking the Lord’s grace to understand what is His will for us as a people. From this starting point, we begin the process of re-imagining our schools. Let me emphasize that every parochial school in the Diocese will be involved in this effort, with no exception.
We will gather data from every school in the Diocese and together reflect on what trends might be developing within each community. We will also solicit feedback in a number of ways. These include meetings with key constituencies; analyzing data provided to us by each and every school and - this is the key - providing an opportunity for feedback through your local school. Once these efforts are completed, we will go back to our constituencies again to solicit more opinion and gather more data.
Finally, using what we have learned, the Diocese will create a blueprint for the future of our schools. A “Blue Ribbon” panel has been established to make sure that the integrity of the process is maintained and the recommendations that are made, effectively address the challenges revealed by the data we have used.
Once this is complete, a plan for the re-alignment of our schools will emerge that will establish a bond between every parish and school throughout the Diocese.
Finally, over the next four years, the Diocese of Brooklyn will introduce a new model of governance in our schools in Brooklyn and Queens, based upon what was learned through the input of those most concerned.
What will be the benefit of this new blueprint? Our schools will have more resources to insure that children have greater access to Catholic education. Our schools will be better able to meet the diverse and changing needs of students and parents. And, we will provide thriving Catholic schools that are better able to offer teachers and staff competitive compensation and benefits, while remaining vibrant institutions for generations to come.
Let me assure you now that we are not entering into a process with forgone conclusions. Our decisions will be made to address the reality that is before us, after meaningful consultation. Again, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of all involved making their voices heard and participating in the process.
The Diocesan website (www.dioceseofbrooklyn.org) will provide updated information as we go forward and information on how our constituencies can continue to remain informed.
We are taking the most vital and important steps in our history in regard to our schools. We are putting out into the deep. In the next phase of the planning, we will tackle our religious education programs for children not in Catholic schools. I cannot emphasize enough how important preserving and strengthening Catholic education is to the future. The time is now for us to take the bold and innovative action that we need to preserve our finest and most enduring traditions.
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