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PAGE 2 — The Southern Cross, November 2, 1972
Catholic Schools and Minority Group Students
FATHER WALTER DIFRANCESCO, Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Warner Robins,
accepts a check for $4,732.41 from Mr. Frank Dauby, President of the Sacred Heart Home
and School Association. The money was raised over a two year period mainly as a
result of the School Fall Festival, which is held each year on the last Saturday in
October. The money was placed in the Father Brennan Memorial Fund and will be
used to help defray cost of an addition to the Sisters’ Convent, presently under
construction. (Photo by John’s Studio)'
(Ed. note: One of the chief concerns of
Catholic School administrators and
diocesan education officials throughout
the nation in recent years has been the
relationship which should exist between
Catholic schools and minority group
students. It has also been a topic of
debate and dialogue at parent-teacher
meetings, especially those involved in
operating schools in inner city parishes.
At a meeting held earlier this month in
Omaha, Nebraska, the Department of
Chief School Administrators of the
National Catholic Education Association,
adopted the following position
paper on “Catholic Schools and
Minority Group Students.” We print the
document in toto in the hope that
parents and educators may find in it
“food for thought” to aid them in their
own deliberations on the subject.)
MISSION
One of the more challenging goals
before U.S. Catholic schools is to provide
an educational setting within which each
student, whether a minority or majority
Former Priests Find New
Home in Phoenix Diocese
By NC News Service
PHOENIX, Ariz. (NC) - Laicized
priests, once considered outcastes, have
begun to find new homes in the Church
here.
Former priests who now live in the
Phoenix diocese have formed their own
organization and heve begun to hold
meetings with Kshop Edward A.
McCarthy.
And two laicized priests are now
working full time in parish religious
education offices, while a third has a
part-time job teaching religion, according
to Alive, the monthly magazine of the
Phoenix diocese.
The Priests’ Senate invited inactive
priests and former Sisters to a meeting
last May at which plans were made to
begin a dialog between Church officials
and its inactive ministers.
Since then two general meetings have
been held, the group has elected officers
and a liaison section has held additional
sessions with Bishop McCarthy.
While he maintains that “it’s pretty
clear from the world Synod of Bishops
that (the practice of priestly celibacy)
will be maintained in the immediate
future,” Bishop McCarthy says he is
“trying to lean over backwards” to help
priests through the laicization process, he
said. A six-month wait has been average
in this diocese. All 25 priests who have
applied for their dispensation through the
Phoenix diocese have received it.
The obvious niche into which the
majority of laicized priests try to find
their way is religious education.
“Some priests, especially the younger,
ones, have graduate degrees in religious
education,” said Sister Mary Jane Belfie,
director of the diocese division of
religious education. “These priests may
apply like anyone else.”
“The problem is that opportunities in
the field of religious education are limited
at the moment,” Sister Belfie added.
There are only a certain number of places
available and there are also many
qualified lay people who never were
priests or Sisters.
Mrs. Bonnie Danowski of the Christian
Family Movement pointed out another
area where inactive priests could help the
Church immesaurably.
“It’s very hard to find a chaplain for
CFM,” she said, “because the priests are
all so busy. The inactive priests still have
all their background and we have so many
discussions where we need someone who
knows the Bible more than the average
person . . .and the inactive priests know
the Bible. We’d like them to become
involved in CFM.”
Such programs as CFM and marriage
encounter are non-paying, of course, and
ultimately the inactive priest must find
some way of supporting his family.
Savannah Deanery Pastoral
Council Holds Oct. Meet
The Savannah Deanery Pastoral
Council held its monthly meeting Oct. 24
in the community room of the Rose of
Sharon Apartment complex, with Father
J. Kevin Boland, Vicar General and head
of the Savannah Deanery, presiding. The
council includes 18 elected parish lay
representatives, nuns from each order in
the deanery, and three
priest-representat i ves.
The council adopted a Constitution,
two years in the making, and elected a
chairman. He is Mr. James Finnegan of
Nativity of Our Lord Parish.
Father Patrick O’Brien was appointed
chairman of the council’s Jail Committee.
In other actions, a committee was formed
to coordinate an agenda for Bishop Frey’s
Savannah Deanery ‘live-in’ beginning next
Feb. 11 and continuing to March 4. The
Parliamentary Procedures Committee
volunteered to conduct workshops on
parliamentary procedure for interested
parish organizations.
Two resolutions were adopted. One
recommended that all parishes of the
deanery encourage and collect voluntary
contributions from individuals to aid a
scholarship fund at Savannah State
College, established in memory of a
student slain early this month while
collecting funds for the college’s
scholarship tuition program.
The other resolution was one strongly
backing Amendment No. 10 which will
be presented to voters in the Nov. 7
general election. The amendment will
specifically exempt private not-for-profit
hospitals from ad valorem taxes on their
properties directly related to care of the
sick.
If religious education positions are
filled, other possibilities remain open.
“Some of the inactive priests have
marvelous backgrounds in counseling and
would work beautifully as pastors’;
assistants,” said Sister Belfie. “Some have
made a real effort to go to school
summers and get their master’s degrees in
marriage counseling or adolescent
counseling.”
“The problem is,” she added, “that
they require lay salaries.” This would
often put too high a burden on a parish.
At the first meeting of the inactive
priests, Bishop McCarthy offered several
ideas for using laicized priests in the
diocese.
The use of these men as
“priest-workers” was one of his ideas.
According to this concept, the inactive
priests, working at an outside job, would
give the Church a “cutting edge into
society.” They could continue with their
work as ministers while leading secular
lives.
As a further step, Bishop McCarthy
offered the idea that the priests could be
reduced to the diaconate rather than to
the laity as a practical measure. In this
way the men could actively carry on all
the functions related to this level of
sacred orders.
At the moment, however, the dialog is
still in its organizational stage.
“I’m trying to find the right
relationship . .,.one that I can work with
them,” the bishop said.
In the meantime, the inactive priest
lives his floating life. Many, despite all
their years of study and experience, find
that degrees in theology don’t help them
much in the tight job market.
“The real catastrophes are the men
who worked for years in powerful
positions,” said McCauley, “and then can
find nothing better than jobs like that of
a janitor in an apartment complex.”
But everywhere the rays of hope shine
through. As McCauley pondered the
problem of his fellow inactive priests and
their troubles finding employment, he
chanced to meet a representative of New
York Life Insurance Co. The New York
Life man wanted to get a line on the
whereabouts of married priests.
“The best insurance salesmen we’ve
ever had are “former clergymen,’ ” the
representative said.
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group member can achieve
self-identification as well as to become an
integral and productive participant in
society.
Schools were one of the principal
vehicles which carried 19th and 20th
century immigrants into the American
mainstream. In practice this transition -
popularly called the “melting pot”
process - caused the immigrant to
become more like “native” Americans
rather than having the earlier immigrants
descendants adjust to the newcomers.
Emerging minorities - Blacks,
Chicanos, Indians and the rural-urban
Whites as well as the “old” minorities -
the White ethnics - are questioning the
value and effectiveness of the “melting
pot.” They are resisting the conscious and
unconscious attempts of society to blend
their cultural hertiage into insignificance.
Some feel that self-identity must precede
any significant entry and contribution to
the mainstream.
As Catholic educators we should do for
minorities that which we hope to do for
all children - promote their intellectual
and personal development in order that
they become not only productive citizens
but good Christians as well. Beyond this
the Catholic school should create a
climate in which each child’s cultural
heritage is honored.
Although we are not expected to
resolve all social ills which past treatment
of minorities has created, Catholic
educators should develop Christian
attitudes and native talents in all students
so that they are equipped to respect
cultural differences while working
effectively toward the total community
good.
We must devise programs that are
flexible enough to meet the minority
group needs within our community while
recognizing that leaders of these groups
often disagree among themselves on
which approaches are best.
It is necessary to firmly and honestly
outline our resources so that minority
groups can in some tangible way know
what to expect from us.
We have a moral obligation to combat
injustices against minority groups.
Through the best use of our resources, we
should attempt to do this. However, to
promise more than we can honestly or
hopefully deliver becomes a frustration
both to us and to people that we profess
to serve.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Human resources - administrators,
teachers and students - are THE most
valuable asset of any school system. How
we use these resources is one of our more
complex problems.
We recognize that our personnel’s
individual response to minority groups
needs might run the gamut from apathy
to empathy.
Teachers and administrators must be
sensitive to various cultural heritages and
minority goals if they hope to work
effectively with today’s students.
As Catholic school administrators we
should work closely with sources such as
the National Office for Black Catholics
and the USCC Division for the Spanish
Speaking and their counterparts in the
ethnic communities. We should seek not
only more minority group personnel but
also to see that all teachers and
administrators are sensitized to minority
group goals.
Until we can place sufficient numbers
of minority group representatives in
administrative and teaching positions we
should draw teacher aides from the
communities that we serve. It is
important to every child’s proper
development that he or she be able to
fully identify with some authority figure.
As chief administrators we must see to
it that all personnel have not only the
academic background but also the
attitudinal preparation for their
assignment.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
As contributory services diminish and
costs continue to rise, we must assess
anew our financial resources. We have
several options. None are either exclusive
or sure-fire solutions to all budgeting
woes.
Tuition: We can ask parents to pay a
portion of our per pupil costs. Some
argue that the fee system is better than
“free” schools because it gives parents a
stake in the school. However, when we
serve families with limited incomes it is
obvious that tuition is not the total
answer.
Scholarships: We can solicit groups and
individuals to provide tuition payments
for individual students.
Parish and Diocesan Subsidies:
Outright grants from diocesan wide
collections or by twinning well-to-do
parishes with poor ones.
State and Federal Aid: Minority group
pupils in Catholic schools have been
helped, principally with auxiliary services,
by various government programs. We
hope that the recent recommendations of
the President’s Commission on School
Finance which included help for Catholic
as well as public schools will become a
reality. State and Federal grants to
parents either through GI-Bill style
stipends for tuition payments or through
some form of tax credit are possible
vehicles.
Private Sources: We can ask local, state
and national foundations, service
organizations, industries and individuals
to help finance particular schools and/or
programs that serve minority
communities.
PHYSICAL RESOURCES
Catholic school buildings can be
invaluable to minority communities. It
would take huge cash outlays to duplicate
the facilities which could be used outside
the regular school day for early childhood
education, adult education and as
community centers. We must also
consolidate our schools where it means a
Catholic education for a greater number
of students. Due to the financial
autonomy of most parishes, the
equipment available is in direct relation
to the income generated. Taxpaid aid has
improved the quality of material and
equipment available in some areas.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
We recognize the parental role as chief
educator. We would be derelict not to
encourage parental input for formal
education. Public schools also make
important contributions and we must
continue to share our resources and
experiences. Non-school agencies, a
valuable adjunct to school systems,
should be encouraged to continue and to
expand services in minority communities.
A special effort should be made in the
spiritual community - the parish - to
involve parishioners in the school system
even though they have no children.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Planners must be super sensitive to
integrate minority needs into the total
curriculum. Programs which recognize
and emphasize racial and ethnic
contributions are being developed. A
continuing exchange on such programs
would be helpful.
Teachers must be given opportunity
for continuing in-service training with
such programs as those designed by the
National Catholic Conference for
Interracial Justice. These workshops can
not only sensitize teachers but also have a
spin-off value by providing opportunities
for parents to dialog on educational and
other community goals.
Special attention should be given to
teaching methods in all curriculum areas.
Although not exclusive, the individually
guided approach seems to be especially
useful for classrooms with a cultural
heritage mixture.
As chief administrators we must
recognize the scope of our resources -
their limitations as well as their strengths
- and lead the way in setting realistic
objectives and goals to serve the minority
student.
MANAGEMENT
Leadership is decisive management
coupled with an adequate decision
making process. As school administrators
we must recognize the need for sufficient
input from all levels of involvement -
parents, staff, and supportive institutions
- before decisions are made that will
effect significant changes in the system.
Superintendents should not abdicate
ultimate decision making.
We must continue to work for better
communications both within our systems
and with those whom we serve. Perhaps
the most important factor in good public
relations is the superintendent who must
be open and honest. He must be
personally available, as difficult as it may
be, to parents’ groups as well as to
community leaders. This honesty and
availability is especially necessary in
monority group relations.
Credibility increases in direct relation
to the degree of honesty and openness of
administrators. We must continue to
improve our communication and
feedback systems if we want our
positions and programs to be known and
effective.
Traditional means of communicating -
news letters, press releases, workshops
and public appearances may not be
sufficient to get our message across or to
encourage intelligent input from either
staff or parents.
Especially in minority communities,
where trust must first be established, care
must be taken to insure that programs
and positions are clearly understood. This
may require special parent-teacher-ad
ministrator inter-group work. Means must
be established to get representative
feedback on a regular basis from the
community rather than sporadic and/or
isolated reaction.
As Christian educators we agree that
the primary responsibility for the child’s
education rests with the parents. Policy
making which establishes either long
range or short range educational goals for
children must involve their parents. We
must continue to examine our use of
authority, our leadership, in the light of
the child’s needs as seen by informed
parents.
Ultimately decisions are made by the
chief administrators. These decisions
must be made, mindful of our mission,
mindful of the limits of our resources and
after sufficient inter-action between
administrators, teachers, parents and the
supportive community.
66
Love without Frontiers”
(Continued from page 1)
In the more developed areas we
experience the spirit of an African-style
Christianity. We recognize the missionary
in his white cassock and safari hat,
celebrating the MISSA LUBA to the beat
of drums and wooden sticks. We meet
black Sisters dancing with Bantu children
in the playground clearing of a new
mission school. And we see the mothers
and children waiting patiently at the
thatched roof maternity clinic.
If Latin America poverty recalls its
slums, and Asian poverty its starving
masses, African poverty reflects the
burdens of disease and illiteracy. New
words are added to our common
vocabulary: leprosy, fever, kwashiorkor,
intestinal parasites. We meet a missionary
in Northern Dahomey who is the only
dentist for its one million inhabitants. We
travel the Congo, Sudan, and Uganda and
find approximately seven doctors in each
caring for every 10,000 people.
Visiting a leprosarium, a missionary
Sister tells us that Hansen’s Disease
afflicts probably 15 million people in
Africa and that they are only able to
reach the minority because of lack of
medicine, mobile units, and personnel.
A further look at Africa shows us the
missionaries’ efforts in attacking the
disease of undernourished minds -
illiteracy. A catechist tells us that of the 5
million children 16 years old this year -
almost 4 million are illiterate. We see this
cause of underdevelopment at its worst in
regions such as the Sudan where the
illiteracy rate is as high at 95%.
At the same time in every mission area
we visit, we see the result of years of
service where the missionary has been
present. We see schools, hospitals,
vocational training centers, and a growing
spirit of self-help and energetic
development. We see the Church very
much alive and dynamic in the new
Christian communities where young men
and women are becoming the new priests
and sisters who one day, hopefully, will
replace the missionaries. We see lay
groups active in parish and social
activities. And uppermost, we see
thousands of Catholic catechists who go
out to the bush country and villages to
teach the Good News of God’s love for
men.
The struggle for development -
spiritually, intellectually, or materially -
is a slow enduring process, but one to
which our missionaries have been
dedicated since the day Christ
commanded His first missionaries to go
out to the whole world with His message
of love and salvation through a live of
service and love for others.
For 150 years, the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith has dedicated
itself to this missionary service of the
Church by begging the prayers and
sacrifices of all Christians for the urgent
needs of the poorest missionaries. Today,
over 135,000 missioners are dependent
on this support to continue their service
for the poorest of the poor and the new
Christian communities of the developing
countries. Through the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith all Christians
can share and participate in the Church’s
mission -- Christ’s mission according to
their means.
For this shared responsibility, the
entire Church observes MISSION
SUNDAY around the world, begging each
of you to celebrate your Faith and
brotherhood with all God’s People by
your prayers and sacrifices for the
present-day needs of your missions.
Please be generous this MISSION
SUNDAY, November 5, by making’your
love for Christ’s poor.. .a LOVE
WITHOUT FRONTIERS!