TO BOLDLY GO…. EXPLORING THE CHALLENGE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION

WHAT IS OUR MISSION? …TO EXPLORE NEW WORLDS … TO ENCOUNTER NEW LIFE FORMS … TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE the Magi and the Enterprise

The Gift of the Magi We dont know how many or who They figured that Jesus wanted to be found They kept at it They trusted in their vision They read the signs of the times They showed up They returned a different way

TO EXPLORE NEW WORLDS... What is it like to live in the post-modern world? How is this world different from the one in which we grew up? What will we face in the future?

Old Church/ New Church Old: –Memorize catechism –No meat on Fri. –Never question –Value religious, priesthood –Pray, pay, obey New: –Scripture, social teaching –Fast at your own discretion –Question, question, question –New roles for laity –Be discerning

The difficulty: We are supposed to: –Communicate –Lead instruction –Facilitate Faith –Create institutional climate –Achieve Catholicity –Bring vision, planning –Support everyone We are judged on: –Avoiding conflict –Completing paperwork –Being popular w/parents –Getting volunteers –Doing good fundraising –Getting classes covered, lunches served.

TO ENCOUNTER NEW LIFE FORMS Converting the baptized Coping with the definition of family Coping with generation why Meeting new needs for Church

Beliefs of Young Catholics 91% believe that bread & wine become Body & Blood of Christ 62% take seriously Papal pronouncements 77% say they can be good Catholics and not attend church 56% say they have no obligation to donate money to the Church 7% dont believe Jesus was the Son of God 45% believe Catholicism is the same as other religions 72% disagree on birth control; 65% believe in divorce & remarriage; 53% disagree with Church teaching on abortion.

Whats on the minds of youth? 56% school performance22% my parents might divorce 53% looks21% I may die soon 48% others like me19% sexual abuse 47% one parent might die18% trouble from friends 45% how Im treated by friends 38% societal ills15% parents drinking 36% violence at school12% getting beat up at school 35% I might lose a friend11% I might kill myself 35% drugs/alcohol 30% might not get a good job 26% body normality 25% US nuked

What are the challenges with kids? Preparing students for the workplace; Providing a range of services to children and families Serving children w/o adult advocates Teaching children w/special needs

What are our challenges with Church? Accountability Disaffected adults Disconnect with organized religion Parish no longer a focal point Training persons for leadership

To Boldly Go….To Face What? Life-long learning Aging facilities Staffing shortages Decoupling from parishes Teaching social justice Market/entitlement mentality Religious identity-as Catholics Alienation from organized religion Technology: alienation and anomie New models Disenchantment w/Church

How do we follow the message and example of Jesus? Lack of resources Lack of recognition Lack of involvement Lack of support Teach them always Dont worry about… I send you out as lambs among wolves They will flog you in their synagogues Behold I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

To boldly go…. We cannot stand still We need to ask ourselves: –Who will go? –How will we go? –Where are we going? –How will we know we got there? –How will we know its place were supposed to be?

As leaders, we need to ask: How will we re-capture the day we said yes? What does the Church need now? What kind of people does the Church need? How will we recognize the future? How will we not get discouraged?

When will we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the burning desert as did the Magi? Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or brood over the coming of the child as did Mary? For each of us There is a desert to travel A star to discover And being within ourselves to bring to life. (Raymond Hunthausen)

We will need courage We will need energy We will need vision We will need to be at ease with ourselves and our decisions. Above all, like the psalmist We will need to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord, our God Until God lets us rest And then we will know As we have always known That the effort was worth The gift of our lives The best of our years The length of our days