In wrapping up Catholic Schools Week, Word on Fire staffers and contributors share some memories and reflections of our experiences with Catholic education. Tyrannical nuns and uninspired uniforms? Hardly. Think inspiration, dedication and life-altering guidance, today on the Word on Fire blog.
Rozann Carter, WoF Creative Director: My first encounter with formal Catholic education was at the university level when I began my freshman year at Notre Dame. Transitioning from a graduating class of 47 members in a one-stoplight town in rural New Mexico to the sprawling metropolis of South Bend, America, meant that there were "holy moly!" moments occurring quite often for the 18-year-old me ("What? This movie theater has 10 screens? What are these things you call 'pedestrians'? Where is the bonnet store at this mall?"). However, the most significant of these were within this newly-experienced, Catholic educational setting.
Chapels in every dorm, the campus' Grotto constantly glowing with candles representing endless prayers and late-night-study petitions, students gathering for class Masses and small-group rosaries, discussions about things-of-ultimate-importance over a tall cone of fro-yo from the dining hall dessert bar—the environment at ND was the the perfect juxtaposition of the daily-ness of life, relationships, studies, and the task of growing-up, and the transcendent call to lift our hearts and minds to the things of God. Theology was a requirement there; Philosophy filled a couple of spots on every transcript. But, within this comprehensive educational context, theology and philosophy presented themselves as far more than simply disciplines. They infused our prayer, informed our service, gave meaning to our vocational pursuits, and provided the foundation for relationships that will last a lifetime (and one particular Relationship that will take us directly into the next). I'm so grateful for my Catholic education.
Peggy Pandaleon, WoF Marketing Director: Our children did not attend Catholic elementary schools. However, they did attend Loyola Academy, a Jesuit college prep school. The “hidden” value from a Catholic high school is that just at the time your kids are becoming independent and sometimes rebellious, Christian family’s value’s are reinforced by the whole environment of the school. Even though our kids have had questions, drifted a bit and are still making the Faith their own, they have never abandoned Christ.
Kerry Trotter, WoF Content Manager: Candles and Carols, the annual Christmas pageant, was a highlight of our year at Sacred Heart School in Winnetka, Ill. Not only was it a festive showcase of cute little songbirds dressed in our uniformed best, we got to miss class for practice. And the closer we got to the big night, the more class we missed. It was glorious. Practices moved from the school basement music room to the adjacent church, the sounds of children singing about Jesus' birth filling every inch of the sacred space and infusing it with this energetic innocence, as though cherubim had been heaved in with fireplace bellows.
Then someone would throw up...
A trip to the Holy Land can be an overwhelmingly rich experience, but a pilgrim's journey is more spiritual than physical. Seminarian and Word on Fire blog contributor Scott Nolan recounts some of his journey for us today on the Word on Fire blog.
Narrow, winding streets. The occasional square that opens before you from the alley that seemed to go nowhere. The shouts of shopkeepers selling their wares. A totally foreign language. The fragrance of something you can’t quite identify, but you are pretty sure is delectable.
Jesus walked here.
True, when I walk here the streets are different and certainly the buildings are no longer the same, yet something remains the same—something of the Jerusalem, the Bethlehem, the Galilee of Jesus’ day remains. And for me, long after the jet lag wears off and it stops being the most exciting thing in the world to meet another American, I remain in the Holy Land, I remain on a pilgrimage.
In my experience, most of the pilgrims who come to the Holy Land have only a few moments at a particular site before they must move along. They take a few pictures, reverence the spot, maybe sing a song, and then continue on their way to the next site. Much of the reason for this is due to simple necessity: when one has only seven or 10 days in the Holy Land, he or she must fit as much into those seven or 10 days as possible. And while this does seem to be a logical, and quite common way to go about conducting a pilgrimage, I’m not so convinced...