No Catholic Schooling Sinful..An Update

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dundas

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Originally I had questioned whether it is a SIN to NOT send our children to a catholic school. There was alot of great discussion on this forum, and I received alot of valuable advice. The overwhelming response was that it is NOT a SIN to NOT send our children to a catholic school.

UPDATE: Our priest still maintains that it *is *a SIN. Yesterday some parents had a meeting with our priest, because the issue has upset alot of the parents of children NOT attending our Catholic school. (We have 150 families enrolled in the PREP, (Parish Religous Education or Cathecism program). This is what our priest maintains:
  1. Any parent of a school age child is morally obligated to send their children to a catholic school. It is not a personal choice, it is a moral obligation.
  2. If a parent has a good reason to not send their child to a catholic school, they basically need to clear that with the priest. It is his decision as to whether your reason is appropriate.
  3. If any priest advises you differently, that priest is misguided, or uninformed.
  4. That if one truly places GOD first, above all else, one would send their children to a catholic school. No amount of faith formation at home can compensate for the lack of GOD in a public school system.
  5. The reason so many parents are upset is because parents don’t want to hear the truth.
  6. The purpose of PREP is to provide faith formation for those who have legitimate reasons for not attending catholic school.
These are not my opinions. This is what our priest has told us very clearly and very explicitly. Please do not question my credibility, or my interpretation of our priest’s decision. Our priest insists that he has discussed this with Archbishop Miller.

My concern right now is: Who do I speak to about this? What is the hierarchy in the archdioecese?Why isn’t this being presented in all parishes to all parents? How do I found out if this is just one priest’s opinion, or a position that the Church holds? Does the parish priest have the final say?

Can anyone direct me to some Scripture which addresses our committment to our faith despite the people and politics (not oppressors or enemies)which stand in our way?
 
WOW… that’s frightening.

I would definitely make an appointment to meet with the Bishop (or the Archbishop, whoever leads your diocese)…

I don’t know of any references off the top of my head to help you out… but I’ll keep my eyes open…

Amazing… I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. 😦
 
“Thanks for the info Father. Can you point me in the direction of Church documents that support this so I can read more?”

I’d try something charitable before I got antagonistic.
 
Wow… just wow.

I can’t imagine what I would be told. There’s now way I could afford it for all five of my children.

It’s frightening that a priest would outwardly express this. Shocking.
 
Wow. I can only imagine the letters the Bishop is about to receive.
 
“Father, if you do the math, in our diocese it is not possible to send every school-aged Catholic child to a Catholic school, as there is not enough capacity. Since capacity is planned by the Bishop, you will be happy to know I am contacting the Bishop and calling him out on his sinful behavior. I certainly will mention that you are telling your parish that he is causing all of us to sin by not providing enough capacity for all of us to send our children to a Catholic school.”
 
PaulinVA said:
“Father, if you do the math, in our diocese it is not possible to send every school-aged Catholic child to a Catholic school, as there is not enough capacity. Since capacity is planned by the Bishop, you will be happy to know I am contacting the Bishop and calling him out on his sinful behavior. I certainly will mention that you are telling your parish that he is causing all of us to sin by not providing enough capacity for all of us to send our children to a Catholic school.”
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👍 👍 👍
 
Perhaps your priest is looking to this section of Canon Law
Can. 226 §1 Those who are married are bound by the special obligation, in accordance with their own vocation, to strive for the building up of the people of God through their marriage and family.
§2 Because they gave life to their children, parents have the most serious obligation and the right to educate them. It is therefore primarily the responsibility of christian parents to ensure the christian education of their children in accordance with the teaching of the Church.
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While his interpretation seems extreme, I have a couple of questions:

Is there something wrong with your local parish school?

If your parish school has the capacity to educate all of the parish children, then one would think that the parents of school aged children would want to send their children there? Parishioners must have sacrificed to build the sschool in the first place. Have you ever wondered why this would be so? Parish schools did not fall from the sky without financial support and students to fill the classes. And while more religious in earlier times meant that tuition was less, the cost of the construction probably offset that ‘tuition break’.

Our parish school is not large enough to provide for all of the potential students fro the parish. I find this very sad. Our parish school provides an excellent K-8 education in a catholic setting, with weekly mass attendance and daily prayer …

When you as a parent consider the anti-God education that yoru student receives in the public schools [where there seems to be greater emphasis on teaching sexual ‘freedoms’ begining with the kindergarden classes then in teaching reading, science and mathematics] why would you choose that over the parish school?

I am just curious … and I know that a catholic education requires a commitment to time and tuition. But there are fund raising and scholarship oppportunities … And if more catholics believed in the value of the parish school, support [financial and other] would follow … human nature is such that you will invest in all that is perceived as providing a “value” … [IMHO]

So again why don’t you send your children to the parish school? Is it a horrible school? If it is, why is that the case? Can you work to turn the school into a top notch place of learning? Why would you not want you child to learn to read in a Christian environment?
 
Please don’t hijack this thread and turn it into another public school versus Catholic school debate.

The homeschoolers will feel left out.

Seriously, this thread is not about WHY we send our kids where we do, it’s about whether there is a moral obligation to send our kids to Catholic school.
 
dundas said:
Originally I had questioned whether it is a SIN to NOT send our children to a catholic school. There was alot of great discussion on this forum, and I received alot of valuable advice. The overwhelming response was that it is NOT a SIN to NOT send our children to a catholic school.

UPDATE: Our priest still maintains that it *is *a SIN. Yesterday some parents had a meeting with our priest, because the issue has upset alot of the parents of children NOT attending our Catholic school. (We have 150 families enrolled in the PREP, (Parish Religous Education or Cathecism program). This is what our priest maintains:
  1. Any parent of a school age child is morally obligated to send their children to a catholic school. It is not a personal choice, it is a moral obligation.
  2. If a parent has a good reason to not send their child to a catholic school, they basically need to clear that with the priest. It is his decision as to whether your reason is appropriate.
  3. If any priest advises you differently, that priest is misguided, or uninformed.
  4. That if one truly places GOD first, above all else, one would send their children to a catholic school. No amount of faith formation at home can compensate for the lack of GOD in a public school system.
  5. The reason so many parents are upset is because parents don’t want to hear the truth.
  6. The purpose of PREP is to provide faith formation for those who have legitimate reasons for not attending catholic school.
These are not my opinions. This is what our priest has told us very clearly and very explicitly. Please do not question my credibility, or my interpretation of our priest’s decision. Our priest insists that he has discussed this with Archbishop Miller.

My concern right now is: Who do I speak to about this? What is the hierarchy in the archdioecese?Why isn’t this being presented in all parishes to all parents? How do I found out if this is just one priest’s opinion, or a position that the Church holds? Does the parish priest have the final say?

Can anyone direct me to some Scripture which addresses our committment to our faith despite the people and politics (not oppressors or enemies)which stand in our way?
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I agree with others–WOW.:eek: It is not a sin to not send one’s children to Catholic school. How sad to misguide people and abuse one’s authority as a priest like this. 😦 There really will be people of that Diocese/parish who end up taking this to heart, and feeling sinful over it.😦
 
Yada - not everyone can afford thousands of dollars every year for tuition, uniforms, etc.

As for fund raisers paying that huge tuition - don’t know about where you live, but, I’d have to work 40 hours each week to sell THAT MUCH wrapping paper.

From what I read on these boards, many if not most Catholic school teachers are not Catholic. Read here about Catholic schools that have parties during holy week, only have school Mass on HDOs, heck - not exactly the idealized version of Catholic school.
 
Man are we spoiled in Kansas, all we are required to do is live the stewardship way of life and be active members of the parish for our kids to attend our parish school, and with 4 kids that would be the only way we could afford it.

If your priest is dead set on calling you a sinner for not being able to send your children to the parish school the least he could do is make it a no tuition school.
 
dundas said:
  1. Any parent of a school age child is morally obligated to send their children to a catholic school. It is not a personal choice, it is a moral obligation.
  2. If a parent has a good reason to not send their child to a catholic school, they basically need to clear that with the priest. It is his decision as to whether your reason is appropriate.
  3. If any priest advises you differently, that priest is misguided, or uninformed.
  4. That if one truly places GOD first, above all else, one would send their children to a catholic school. No amount of faith formation at home can compensate for the lack of GOD in a public school system.
  5. The reason so many parents are upset is because parents don’t want to hear the truth.
  6. The purpose of PREP is to provide faith formation for those who have legitimate reasons for not attending catholic school.
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I don’t think the priest is too far off on any of these points, especially #4. As far as the money situation, I think #2 would cover that question. If a family feels the school tuition is too high, clear that with the priest and see what he can do. I think the only reason to talk to your local bishop would be to question practices at a catholic school that go against the teachings of the church.
Parish schools are run completely on the prayers and donations of the parish. It is up to members to decide how much to contribute, unlike the public school system who basically decides for people how much they will contribute whether they belive the schools are doing a good job or not.
Parish schools by definition are a part of the parish. Why on earth would you live in a parish and entrust your soul to it and not trust in the school?
 
I am running out the door but a quick google shows a document from 1887 where the US Bishops ordered every parish to have a school and said that parents were obligated to send their kids there. Of course, in those days, the schools were free or almost so. :confused: I can’t find where this was “officially” changed but I am sure it must have been since only about 1/10 of the parishes around here has a school. I will look more when I get home.
 
The issue is not about finances, or reasons for and against catholic schools. The issue is whether or not this is my personal choice, vs. something I am morally obligated to do. For example, we all know that not attending sunday mass is a mortal sin (with a few exceptions). I don’t have a personal choice, (well, I do have a personal choice, but I accept that it is a sin and also accept the consequences). One may convince themselves that they have a perfectly good reason for not attending Sunday Mass, but they know in their hearts whether or not they are being honest with themselves. It is a Precept of the Church, and whether we agree or not, we must accept that. For me, this whole issue of Catholic schools is not so clear. Is this a parish by parish interpretation of the CCC, determined by the priest. Is it a doctrine, a dogma, a rule ??? I’m digging pretty deep in my moral conscience and I keep hitting mud.
 
dundas said:
The issue is not about finances, or reasons for and against catholic schools. The issue is whether or not this is my personal choice, vs. something I am morally obligated to do. For example, we all know that not attending sunday mass is a mortal sin (with a few exceptions). I don’t have a personal choice, (well, I do have a personal choice, but I accept that it is a sin and also accept the consequences). One may convince themselves that they have a perfectly good reason for not attending Sunday Mass, but they know in their hearts whether or not they are being honest with themselves. It is a Precept of the Church, and whether we agree or not, we must accept that. For me, this whole issue of Catholic schools is not so clear. Is this a parish by parish interpretation of the CCC, determined by the priest. Is it a doctrine, a dogma, a rule ??? I’m digging pretty deep in my moral conscience and I keep hitting mud.
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It is clear to me that you must provide a Catholic education for your children. It is a moral obligation to do so. The other threads covering this topic have links to Church documents outlining this very point. Yes, it is a rule of the Church.

It is up to you as a parent as to the means to provide that Catholic education.

Can your child receive a Catholic education at your local public school? It is possible if the education develops the intellect and supports Catholic moral principles.

**Does your local school support contraception, gay marriage, divorce and remarriage, social justice, pro-life principles? If so, then you cannot send your child to this school. **

It is definitely possible to use a public school for academic subjects and do the catechism and faith formation at home. But, if your school teaches things opposing the Faith, then you must withdraw your child and use the parish school or homeschool.

If you can’t afford tuition and the school won’t provide assistance, then it would qualify as a just reason to continue with public school.

What is a Catholic education? It seems to me that is the key question.
 
PaulinVA said:
Here’s what the US Bishops say about Catholic schools:

Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium.
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thanks for posting that paul–i scanned it, but very interesting. nothing in there about it being a sin if one doesn’t send one’s child there, and i don’t believe any priests should be stating such. the tuition for nearby Catholic schools here in florida is $15k per year. it just isn’t reasonable, and the “marginalized” are not going there…so, as that document is insightful, it needs to really put into practice what it states…because at the local levels, the schools are hurting in many areas because the tuition is just too high–and bake sales are not going to cover it. and my husband and i make a good living, but $15k for one child is just not feasible . My sister went to Catholic school–so did my husband–he said it was worlds different than today–he grew up one of nine children and all nine kids went because it was affordable, and nothing like today, he said. I wonder why that was? :confused: I don’t get how things have changed so drastically financially, when it comes to Catholic school funding??
 
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