In more and more parish schools, non-Catholics are becoming a larger part of the population. As more than one local priest has told me. The parish school is “no longer viable in many cases without our non-Catholic students and their parents.”
- Strike the word “heretic” from your vocabulary.
I have never had a problem with myself or my children being called heretics. That is one thing that I must say in favor of Catholic Schools, the students and teachers learn the Word, grow through the Word and love each other unconditionally… isn’t that what every person whether Catholic or Christian (Protestant) really wants.
- Don’t pretend we’re not there.
Again, this has never been a problem in my children’s school… the teachers and administration know about our faith background and have never tried to exclude either of my children or myself from school functions or school masses. The LCC (Lutheran Church Canada) and the Canadian Catholic diocese have allowed mixed communion between our two churches for years now. I am free to commune during Catholic mass and Catholics are welcome to the Lord’s Supper during my church service.
In fact, after talking with my son’s principal last spring I came to see exactly what unconditional love is… She said that she cared about Caleb with all of her heart and was happy that he was actively living for Jesus. She told me that she would rather have a school full of non-Catholic children who regularly heard the Word and attended church, then to have a school full of Catholic children who never attended mass and who only got to attend the school because their parents claimed to be Catholic.
- Do your best not to use the words “in error” when it comes to discussing other faiths. If a non-catholic child is in a catholic school (like my children are) it should not be expected that the school would back down on doctrine or tradition in order to make a child “comfortable”.
My son’s teachers have been very good at letting me know what my son is learning in religion class… they have never told him that “he is wrong” but have let him know that he is loved by his classmates and ACCEPTED FOR WHO HE IS! So far in three years at that school, my son has not been treated differently for his beliefs. He is loving learning about the Catholic faith and has asked me to take him to Mass… of course I have never refused a request of any of my children to get closer to God.
4) Do not assume protestants of any denomination would certainly be Catholic if they just knew
My children have learned so much about their faith and have grown because of what they have been taught in the catholic school system. If I remember my history correctly, Martin Luther (who founded the Lutheran faith) was originally a Catholic priest. Much of what takes place in my congregation’s services is almost exactly the same as in the Catholic Mass.
5) “One true church” is a term protestants will always pull back from. Instead, consider saying the Catholic Church, we believe, delivers the full measure of God’s truth and grace in a way that is like no other…"
In the Apostle’s Creed, which is said in both the lutheran and Catholic Church, the third stanza states “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of Sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.” Note that it says “Holy Catholic Church”… I have never heard anyone in my Lutheran Congregation complain about those words.
One True Church means the body of believers, it should not be seen to mean “we are right and you are wrong!”
7) You have every right and expectation for non-Catholics to show respect for your beliefs and for them to FULLY participate in your school’s religious instruction and to participate in your religious services up to the point allowable under both faiths.
Even as a Lutheran parent of children attending a Catholic School, I would never expect the school to water things down or dummy things up for my children. My son has never had a problem with participating in religious life at his school… he loves the Lord with all of his heart and takes every opportunity he has to learn and grow in the Word. He has been asked by teachers to read from the Word during school “celebrations”.
9) Some protestants have a hard time with the title “father.” It’s not meant as a sign of disrespect if a protestant calls a priest Pastor or Reverend.
Again, I do not see what the problem is… no one gets upset when we address the President as President Obama or the Prime Minister of Canada as Prime Minister Steven Harper. These titles and the title of Father are a sign of respect. I know that my Pastor has been called “Father” on occasion and he has never once felt like someone has disrespected him. My son accidently addressed the Father at our local parish as Pastor and he was not reprimanded or made to feel bad about his mistake. Both the Father and myself explained that the proper term was Father and that it was great that he was respectful enough to give the Father a title.
I think that it’s one thing to make students all feel welcome (which of course is a good thing, and should be expected) but another thing entirely to change the premise of a Catholic school, which is to foster the teaching of the Catholic faith, in order to not make people feel uncomfortable who are not Catholic. *
I hope you have misunderstood something you were told or read.