Building Faith and Evangelizing in a Catholic School

Being called on to be a spiritual leader and evangelizer isn’t only a part of my job; it is the part that gives me hope, energy, and purpose.  It is the part of my job I feel most unworthy of but most called to.  It is the part of my job that I notice God most frequently intervenes to make sure His work gets done.

I thought I’d share some of the things we do at Cloverdale Catholic School to evangelize and form our students and their families in the faith.  I am grateful to have inherited many of these practices and to have been a part of a team that has helped bring others to life.

Staff Morning Prayer

Our staff gathers every day for morning prayer.  While it has taken a variety of forms over the years, it has always been a time for personal reflection, silence, and sharing.  We share our intentions and pray for each other and our students.  While this wasn’t the practise at other schools I have been to, I can’t imagine starting a school day without it anymore.  Praying together gets us all on the same page and gives the Holy Spirit a chance to enter into our day.

Sacramental Life

Regular participation in the Sacraments is essential for any Catholic to grow in faith and stay close to God.  I am grateful to the priests who have supported our school with weekly Mass each Friday morning and Adoration and Confession every Friday afternoon.  I know our kids have a long way to go in fully appreciating the Real Presence in the Eucharist (don’t we all), but having the opportunity to be in silence in His presence is invaluable. 

Smiling

As a leader, particularly in a Catholic School, a smile goes a long way to spread God’s love.  As Pope Francis said, “We need smiling Christians, not because they take things lightly, but because they are filled with the joy of God because they believe in love and live to serve.”  A smile can show so many things; I love my job, everything is going to be OK, you are welcome here, etc…  By sharing my joy I demonstrate for everyone that God is good.  He brings me joy, even when my circumstances are less than perfect.

Prayer as a School

Each day our school prays the Angelus at noon.  I don’t think it matters much what prayer you say, as long as you are praying together, but I like the Angelus because we can imagine all the Catholics around the world joining us at that moment.  Demonstrating that prayer is central to our day once again shows the kids that our faith is more than just words in a book, but a real part of our lives.

Sharing Personal Stories

When I get a chance to spend time with students in a classroom, I often stray from the prescribed day plans.  I know this happens much to the chagrin of teachers I am covering for, but I think it is really important for kids to see the Principal as a real person who has been in their shoes.  My personal witness to Jesus’ role in my life is of much greater evangelical value than just the lessons I may teach.  As Pope Paul VI wrote in Evangelii Nuntiandi,  “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”

Discipline with an End in Mind

Every time a student enters my office is an opportunity to share with them the love of Jesus.  As in parenting, discipline is done with love and with an end in mind.  That “end” is helping the student understand his or her inherent dignity and value as a child of God.  Rather than feeling shame, I want the children who are sent to the office for discipline issues to leave feeling loved, forgiven, and hopeful, despite the wrong they may have done.

Faith Development as a Staff

Each year our staff selects a program of study that we work on throughout the year or during special liturgical seasons.  Programs like Chosen, The Wild Goose, Bishop Robert Barron’s Catholicism, and Real Life Catholic’s I Am are easy to use and become engaged in.  I have always been pleased with the level of vulnerability and openness in the discussions that have been a part of these programs.  They keep us connected to our higher calling and to each other.

Building Relationships

Evangelization is difficult without trust.  To build trust, it helps to have a positive relationship.  At our school, I try to emphasize the importance of having an open-door policy.  Being open, listening, and having a comfortable, trusting relationship is the fertile ground in which evangelization can occur.  The opposite of this; a distant, cold, and closed approach, would obviously not be helpful.

Hiring

There are a lot of very faithful, dynamic, and energetic young Catholic teachers out there!  It is absolutely vital to the life of an evangelizing school to seek out and hire these people.  Corpus Christi College at UBC and Catholic Pacific College at TWU are a great source of vibrant young Catholics.  I’m moved by people who have been a part of CCO, Youth Ministry, or Young Adult groups in their parishes.  We need to encourage these young people and nurture their ambition for evangelizing our students.  Hiring well is essential to forming an evangelizing school community.

The list goes on and on.  What other suggestions do you have for forming an evangelizing school community?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.