Wisdom for our Catholic School

[walterfiat]

There are a number of things going on at my parish and our school that greatly concern me. I have spoken to the pastor a few times. Sadly, we don’t see eye to eye. Probably my most grave concern deals with the kindergarten teacher at our parish school. This is her third year with us and she is not Catholic but she has begun receiving Communion each week at the School Mass on Fridays. I am shocked and deeply saddened by this. Our pastor is of the mind that it is Jesus in the Eucharist and He wants all to receive Him and that our laws we have concerning reception of the Blessed Sacrament are man-made laws, not laws of God. After speaking to other priests in confidence I know that I need to send a letter to our Bishop to let him know about this abuse.

Furthermore, it has been on my heart that I should say something to the teacher to let her know that what she is doing is not permissible and is sending a confusing message to the school children. Yesterday, after Mass, I spoke with the principal to share my concern and to let him know that I planned to communicate with the teacher about the USCCB’s guidelines for reception of Holy Communion.

The conversation did not go well. He attacked my motives like a straw man and I ineloquently and ineffectively spouted off several other problems I have seen at the school in my defense.

His bottom line yesterday was that as he walks the halls daily he sees great love in the school and that is what is most important, as Jesus tells us whenever we serve the least we serve Him. I answered that such thinking would make our school no different than a protestant school and that I expected more from my Catholic school. He again attacked a straw man and accused me of denying the Church’s teaching on social justice.

I would like to respond to him, this time in writing, with some wisdom showing that as Catholics we can’t pick and choose our measures. As a church we are not a cafeteria and we don’t buy in to relativism.

What could I say to convince him that, like in a good examination of conscience, we do need to make sure we are serving the least, but we also need to be faithful to the Magisterium and the Sacraments? What evidence could I use to point out that we need to measure ourselves and our Catholic Institutions by all the teachings of the Church and that it is important to be faithful in all things, even the little things?

I believe that if I do nothing I am complying with an inadequate (at best) teaching of the Faith.

Am I completely off track? Please help.

 

[NoSurrender]

There are a number of things going on at my parish and our school that greatly concern me. I have spoken to the pastor a few times. Sadly, we don’t see eye to eye. Probably my most grave concern deals with the kindergarten teacher at our parish school. This is her third year with us and she is not Catholic but she has begun receiving Communion each week at the School Mass on Fridays. I am shocked and deeply saddened by this. Our pastor is of the mind that it is Jesus in the Eucharist and He wants all to receive Him and that our laws we have concerning reception of the Blessed Sacrament are man-made laws, not laws of God. After speaking to other priests in confidence I know that I need to send a letter to our Bishop to let him know about this abuse.

Furthermore, it has been on my heart that I should say something to the teacher to let her know that what she is doing is not permissible and is sending a confusing message to the school children. Yesterday, after Mass, I spoke with the principal to share my concern and to let him know that I planned to communicate with the teacher about the USCCB’s guidelines for reception of Holy Communion.

The conversation did not go well. He attacked my motives like a straw man and I ineloquently and ineffectively spouted off several other problems I have seen at the school in my defense.

His bottom line yesterday was that as he walks the halls daily he sees great love in the school and that is what is most important, as Jesus tells us whenever we serve the least we serve Him. I answered that such thinking would make our school no different than a protestant school and that I expected more from my Catholic school. He again attacked a straw man and accused me of denying the Church’s teaching on social justice.

I would like to respond to him, this time in writing, with some wisdom showing that as Catholics we can’t pick and choose our measures. As a church we are not a cafeteria and we don’t buy in to relativism.

What could I say to convince him that, like in a good examination of conscience, we do need to make sure we are serving the least, but we also need to be faithful to the Magisterium and the Sacraments? What evidence could I use to point out that we need to measure ourselves and our Catholic Institutions by all the teachings of the Church and that it is important to be faithful in all things, even the little things?

I believe that if I do nothing I am complying with an inadequate (at best) teaching of the Faith.

Am I completely off track? Please help.

The Catholic Church holds little sway over schools in this day and age.
Whether they are so called Catholic or not, Catholic in name is all they are.
They encourage people to not take the bible literally, for it to be ok to not believe in Adam and Eve, they promote Gay Marriage and insist their is nothing at all wrong with it, they educate the children in other religions.
In short, schools are the pits of hell.
Why do you think they are so common place, prelevant, and widely accepted and encouraged?
Because the devil wants it that way.

 

[zab]

There is nothing that you can say to convince the Principal. Since you have already spoken to the pastor and the principal with negative results, I recommend that you follow the suggestion of the “other priests” and write to your bishop. Let the bishop handle the matter.

 

[abon12]

Your parish priest is under obedience to the Bishop in your diocese. Talk to him. I bet he won’t like to hear that non Catholics are receiving God.

 

[murphjos]

The teachers at a Catholic school should be practicing, faithful Catholics. There are schools that are faithful to the magisterium, find one and take your tuition money there. Based on what you reported about the principle and pastor I doubt your children are getting the education you are paying for. Do report the whole nonsense to the bishop though.

 

[felsguy]

The Catholic Church holds little sway over schools in this day and age.
Whether they are so called Catholic or not, Catholic in name is all they are.
They encourage people to not take the bible literally, for it to be ok to not believe in Adam and Eve, they promote Gay Marriage and insist their is nothing at all wrong with it, they educate the children in other religions.
In short, schools are the pits of hell.
Why do you think they are so common place, prelevant, and widely accepted and encouraged?
Because the devil wants it that way.

You are entitled to your opinion. I am entitled to mine. In my opinion, your opinion is so much drivel.

 

[opus101]

Contact the Bishop, but don’t say anything personally to the woman unless you are sure you can say it in all charity, and with great love. It’s not her fault that the priest hasn’t informed her about Church teaching on the subject. The Bishop will tell the priest what to do, and he will be obligated to do it.

 

[walterfiat]

Thank you, opus101 (and others), for your advice. I was just getting ready to email the teacher and try to politely inquire about her understanding of the sacrament and her intentions–with sincere charity–but I am not sure it woul be received as such. I think I will go to the bishop now as my next step.