1. Faith Formation: Catholic education places a strong emphasis, rightfully so, on knowing, loving, and living the Catholic Faith bequeathed to us by our Lord and the Church which He established. Without the Catholic Faith, it is not possible to be saved. Thus, everything must support Faith Formation in Catholic education. As a result, catechism classes are extremely important as is living out the Faith in practice each and every day.
2. Character Development: Catholic schools often prioritize the holistic development of students, focusing not only on academic achievement but also on character formation. This includes cultivating virtues such as compassion, integrity, and social responsibility. This will show as well in extracurricular activities and in sports.
3. Academic Excellence: Many Catholic schools are known for providing a high-quality education. They often have rigorous academic standards, dedicated teachers, and a supportive learning environment that contributes to academic success. At CatechismClass.com, our focus is on making our students both saints and scholars.
4. Community and Family Involvement: Catholic schools often foster a sense of community and support among students, parents, and teachers. The emphasis on community helps create a nurturing environment where students feel valued and supported in their personal and academic growth. The Church teaches that Parents must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children. Their role as educators is so decisive that scarcely anything can compensate for their failure in it. Hence, a strong community centered on the family is essential.
5. Service to the Less Fortunate: Catholic education often promotes a commitment to serving others. We will be judged by our actions, and we have a responsibility to aid others in their need. Hence, Catholic education must always emphasize both the physical and the spiritual works of mercy.
6. Integration of Faith and Learning: Catholic schools strive to integrate faith into all aspects of education, connecting the Catholic Faith with various academic subjects. This integration contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the world and one's role in it. There are so many achievements of Catholics in science that are never taught in public school. And Public schools will also fail to teach the many wonderful achievements of Catholics in history while at the same time failing to mention things like the Protestant persecution of Catholics in England, the Spanish or Mexican Revolutions that led to thousands of murdered Catholics, or how Catholicism was even illegal in some of the original 13 colonies. A Catholic education is essential for a truly holistic view of all subjects.
7. Sense of Purpose and Values: Catholic education provides students with a sense of purpose and values that extend beyond academic and career goals. It aims to prepare individuals for a life guided by principles such as love, justice, and compassion with the ultimate aim of helping everyone make it to Heaven.
The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884, in a shift from merely exhorting parents to send children to Catholic schools, laid it down as a command in the United States. And the Council obliged parishes to build a school near each church which did not have one. While exceptions were permitted, those who failed to build the schools or support them were to be "induced to contribute the necessary support." On a similar reason, Fr. Heribert Jone notes in “Moral Theology” of the necessity of sending children to Catholic schools – exceptions withstanding:
“Parents have the natural and inviolable right and duty to give their children a good education. In virtue of this duty parents must educate their children according to their own social standing, accustom them to work and to help themselves at an early age, and provide especially for their physical, moral and spiritual welfare. This latter includes, therefore, the parental duty to set a good example and exercise correction and watchfulness. In the interest of a Catholic education attendance at Catholic schools is obligatory. According to canon 1374 Catholic children may not attend non-Catholic, non-denominational or mixed schools. Only the local Ordinary can decide under which circumstances and with which precautions attendance at such schools may be tolerated.”
It is important to keep in mind that Baltimore III occurred at a time when Catholic schools were actually teaching the Catholic Faith and were staffed primarily by faithful Religious (priests, brothers, and nuns) and the schooling was free (or at a very low cost). Sadly, most Catholic schools today are no longer handing on the fullness of the Catholic Faith and cost an exorbitant amount which makes them out of reach for most families.
Consequently, while parents are no longer obligated to send their children to parochial schools, they must ensure that their children receive a good Catholic education.
There can be no true education without formation in both the truths of the Catholic religion and Christian morality. The errors of today from critical race theory to so called “gender” identity to the litany of sins crying out to Heaven for vengeance all flourish when society ceases to preach, teach, and enforce unchangeable moral truths. These truths must be affirmed. And the Catholic Religion must be taught. On such a salient matter, Pope Leo XIII declared:
“Without religion there can be no moral education deserving of the name, nor of any good, for the very nature and force of all duty comes from those special duties which bind man to God, who commands, forbids, and determines what is good and evil. And so, to be desirous that minds should be imbued with good and at the same time to leave them without religion is as senseless as to invite people to virtue after having taken away the foundations on which it rests. For the Catholic there is only one true religion, the Catholic religion; and, therefore, when it is a question of the teaching of morality or religion, he can neither accept nor recognize any which is not drawn from Catholic doctrine” (Affari vos).
And to those who claim that Catholic education would run counter to the advances in medicine, architecture, astronomy, physics, or any other field, Pope Leo XIII succinctly countered, "there is no class of study, no progress in human knowledge, which cannot fully harmonize with Catholic doctrine and teaching” (Affari vos).
Sadly, while in theory public education is not condemned, the actual public education in place in schools nowadays is contrary to the Catholic religion and no parent should, without grave reason, send their children to these schools. Yet due to the modern crisis in the Church, parochial schools with exorbitant costs, are often not appropriate either. Finding good Catholic schools or authentic traditional Catholic homeschooling programs and communities is the best option for today’s children. And that is where our courses at CatechismClass.com come in. We are here to make Catholic education affordable for everyone - children and adults alike!