In this thought-provoking podcast episode, esteemed global Catholic speaker, Jonathan Doyle, delves into the profound purpose and pressing challenges of Catholic education. Drawing inspiration from the insightful words of Pope John Paul II, the discussion centers on the transformative role of education as a process that seeks to form the whole child and elevate their gaze towards their transcendent destiny in heaven.

With a deep emphasis on the inalienable dignity of the human person, particularly their spiritual dimension, Jonathan highlights the urgent need for Catholic educators to identify and uphold the true aims of education. Regrettably, modern society often views education as a mere means to acquire information for worldly success and material comfort, neglecting the higher calling of nurturing the soul and fulfilling one's destiny to become saints.

The specific purpose of a Catholic education is twofold: first, to shape boys and girls into virtuous citizens of this world, who embody the love of God and neighbor, enriching society with the transformative power of the gospel; second, to prepare them as citizens of the world to come, guiding them on the path to sainthood.

As Pope John Paul II once addressed American Catholic educators in New Orleans, the podcast explores the pressing challenge of understanding the true essence of the educational enterprise. This challenge involves properly evaluating the educational content and diligently transmitting the full truth concerning the human person, who is uniquely created in God's image and called to a life in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

In a world that often overlooks the spiritual dimension of education, the episode reminds listeners that a Catholic education must always hold a high supernatural vision. Without this vision, all discussions about Catholic schools may fall short of their true purpose, lacking the transformative power they are intended to have.

Join us as Jonathan Doyle unravels the timeless wisdom of the Church's vision for education, inspiring educators, parents, and all those dedicated to this apostolate to rekindle their commitment to Catholic education. Discover how embracing a holistic view of the human person, with a focus on spiritual growth, can shape saints who will impact both this world and the world to come. Together, let us embark on a journey of deeper understanding and appreciation of the divine mission of Catholic education.

Find out about booking Jonathan to come and speak at your school or event

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https://choicez.txfunnel.com/catholic-leaders

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https://www.youtube.com/@onecatholicteacher/videos

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https://www.instagram.com/jdoylespeaks/

Well, hello there.

My friend, Jonathan Doyle with you, once again, welcome

back to the Catholic teacher.

Daily podcast have enjoyed the last couple of days of episodes.

If you haven't heard them, please jump back and check them out.

July 24, 25, it starts 26 today, but the last two days have been

as Bilbo Baggins would say.

Um, Episodes of a special magnificence.

So go check them out.

My friend today, we're talking about a really important.

Insight from, uh, Archbishop.

Uh, Michael Miller.

Who sometime ago, put about a small book called the five essential

marks of Catholic schools.

And I wanted to just.

Just spin you through them over the next few days, because I think they

are really helpful for us as we go.

About our work.

So let's just jump straight in.

Number one.

Well, before I jump in yesterday, we talked about.

Uh, the, I guess the.

Introduction was a great quote from the previous president of the national

Catholic education association.

Who yesterday told us that the first and most important task for Catholic schools

is to maintain and continually strengthen.

They're Catholic identity.

So the most important thing we can do is strengthen this identity.

So, what we want to do together over the next few days is work

out what this identity really is.

Now everyone's going to have a dog in the fight.

Everyone's going to have an opinion.

But, uh, what art's Bishop mill has put together here is pretty done.

Good.

So the first one let's do it inspired by a supernatural vision.

Let me introduce that.

So he's basically wants to tell us that.

If the education we're talking about is Catholic.

It's going to have a supernatural vision of the person.

So I talk a lot about Marxism.

If you see me on stage, you'll probably hear me reference, eats

the depredations of Mark Marks.

Marxism in some way.

But of course, one of the great problems with Marxism and its effect on

history was its scientific materialism.

So that the person was.

Uh, purely materialistic.

And there was no transcendent dimension or supernatural dimension

to what it meant to be human.

Hence you can get the Ukrainian famine.

Hence you can get the gulags.

Hence you can get a give or take 160 million people dying under

totalitarianism in the 20th century alone.

So.

If a school is Catholic, it is going to have a radically different vision of

what the person is, what a person is.

So let's let me quote this for you here.

I think it's really good.

And the last line is right up my alley.

You gotta like it.

So here we go.

I quote.

That a Catholic school will have an emphasis on the inalienable

dignity of the human person.

I love that word in early Annabelle.

Can't be separated from the identity.

It is intrinsic to the person, the inalienable dignity of

the human person above all.

On his or her spiritual dimension.

That's important above all.

So all the different things we could focus on in our students.

It's the spiritual dimension.

That's the most important than he says above all on his or her spiritual

dimension is especially necessary today.

Unfortunately far too many in government business, the media.

And even the educational establishment.

I perceive education to be merely an instrument.

For the acquisition of information that will.

Improve the chances of worldly success.

And a more comfortable standard of living.

Such an impoverished vision of education is not Catholic.

Okay.

There's a bit more quiet, but let me jump in here for a second.

Regular listeners.

Now I would talk about this all the time, the instrumentalist or factory

model of education, ship the inputs in process, the inputs, ship the inputs

out into the wider economic system.

Now we could argue that it is necessary in a society to be able

to educate people so that they can take on meaningful and useful work.

In the society, but as Bishop Miller here is pointing to something else.

He is pointing.

Too.

This instrumentalist view of education, he says, merely an instrument for the

acquisition of information that will improve the chances of worldly success.

And a more comfortable standard of living.

So that is the view that can creep so subtly into Catholic education.

I was at a party on Saturday night with the family and I

was talking to this great lady.

He's.

In works in a Catholic education.

And she talked about her school and she said, look, the leadership it's.

It's just all focused on, um, looking good to the outside world facilities

and just making sure that people think it's a really great school.

Now.

I get it.

That's important.

We don't want to obviously have a negative public perception of our schools, but.

What she was alluding to, was that the leader of the school.

Was simply concerned.

With making sure that, uh, more students came because that would

look good for the school and they could sort of process more students.

And look, I want to be fair here.

Look, there's obviously going to be, uh, some, some mixed desires here.

I'm sure people in leadership also cared deeply about kids.

But you see what I'm getting at?

It was, it was about the facade.

It was about how things look, because I think that already fallen a bit into

the trap of becoming instrumentalist.

Of becoming a place that attracted people to send the students to just

improve the bottom line for the school.

Perhaps I know this is going to sound really hard, but.

We really want to get away from this instrumentalist

utilitarian factory based model.

Because he says he really clearly that if all we're doing is.

Doing education, the students, because it will his quote improve the

chances of worldly success, animal comfortable standard of living.

Then.

That's not Catholic.

Yeah, a comfortable standard of living is a fine thing.

Worldly success is not inherently a bad thing.

But that's not why our schools were established.

Uh, schools were not established to improve worldly success and to create

a comfortable standard of living.

They are at best buy products.

They are at best buy products.

So, let me give you this final, uh, little sentence here where Bishop Miller

says if Catholic educators, parents, and others who dedicate themselves

to this apostolic, fail to keep in mind a high supernatural vision.

All their talk about Catholic schools will be no more.

Than a gong booming or a symbol clashing.

Of course that comes from one Corinthians 13.

So.

It doesn't matter.

Uh, what language we use, how wonderful our mission statements.

If we don't have this relentless Christological emphasis on the

dignity of the human person, a supernatural vision of personhood.

A supernatural vision of personhood.

So, what we're looking for of course, is this.

Disposition, this fundamental disposition as we go into our classrooms.

As we interact with our colleagues, other teachers, staff, parents, that we see.

This supernatural inalienable dignity of the person made in the image of god

the spiritual dimension I think if you begin to have that lens it really can

begin to change your experience your perception of your vocation completely

and entirely In the dustin battle of daily life and daily educational life it is

very understandable that we forget these things that they fall a little bit by the

wayside because we're overwhelmed we're busy we're trying to do the right thing.

But let's pray for the grace to not lose sight of these things they really

really do matter All right so that's it for today that's principle one in

our five principle journey so i want you to be back here tomorrow case and

make sure you Make sure that you have subscribed to the podcast make sure you've

got notifications on Check out all the links if you're on a book me to speak

live if i'm available i can do that.

Um grab yourself a copy of my book here tools and fuels it is the book

that describes so much of what we're talking about but tomorrow We're

going to be talking about a christian anthropology it's going to be really

important be a short episode but there's going to be some good stuff for you

But for now that's it for today my name's jonathan doyle this has been the

catholic teacher daily podcast and you and i are going to talk again tomorrow