Fr. James T. Mulligan, CSC, Catholic Education Raising profound questions.

Catholic education has its roots in the early Celtic monasteries of what we sometimes call "the Dark Ages." These early schools attracted hundreds of men and women who sought knowledge and a spiritual practice. They were islands of literate civilization in an otherwise harsh and primitive environment.

In our own "dark age," can Catholic schools exist as places where education and spiritual formation are carried out? Can Catholic schools continue to be islands of Christian tradition in a sea of secular materialism and moral relativism?

These are the profound questions raised by Fr. James Mulligan in his latest book. Far from being a work of philosophical reflection, this book is a rigorously honest description of the state of Catholic education in Canada today, and a clarion call to address the weaknesses at its core. The author draws on his own experience of over thirty years in Ontario schools as well as the accumulated experience of teachers from across Canada.

In her foreword to the book, Sr. Clare Fitzgerald, reflecting on a passage from 2 Kings 18:127, says a conversation must take place among besieged Catholics "behind the wall"--a conversation among all those entrusted with the stewardship of Catholic education: parish priests, trustees, teachers, administrators, and parents. If this conversation does not take place, we will not be able to survive the "conversation at the wall"--the encounter with the larger secular society which questions our right to exist. This book is the "agenda" for the conversation behind the wall.

One of the most disturbing chapters in the book is the one dealing with Newfoundland. There the battle for publicly-funded Catholic education has already been lost. There are many parallels between the Newfoundland scenario and the current situation in Ontario. A lack of leadership, in-fighting, and apathy are named as the main causes of the demise of Catholic education there. One Catholic high school principal with 27 years' experience reflects:

"Everything was watered down. Many schools became Catholic in name only with little or no reference to the realities of Catholic teachings, Church history and doctrine, sacraments, etc.... We reaped what we sowed. Apathy by teachers, board officials, Church authorities, led to apathy and a wish by parents to get rid of this ridiculous hypocrisy. Harsh words, but I feel they are true."

Distinctive character

If Catholic education is to survive in other parts of Canada, it must have a distinctive character. The corporate "bottom-line" approach that currently permeates education policy must be explicitly rejected by Catholic schools. Catholic education is about the person and the soul. Quoting John Ralston Saul, Fr. Mulligan claims that "efficiency" is far down the list of objectives in Catholic education. Efficient societies, says Ralston Saul, "are self-destructive because their view of human intelligence is so narrow and immediate that the society can't actually see where it's going or what the effects of its actions will be. Everything has been reduced to self-interest, which is one of the most boring and limited ways of seeing society."

What proves worrisome is the fact that most teachers coming into the system today have been formed by a post-Christian, secular culture. Many have had no formalized training in the richness of the Catholic tradition. School staff belonging to religious communities are almost completely gone; therefore, says Mulligan, there must be a deliberate attempt to provide initial and ongoing formation for Catholic teachers.

He describes a poverty of theology, of learning, and of spirituality that exists among teachers--teachers who fall into four categories:

--those who see teaching as a job and nothing more;

--those who see teaching as a ministry in the Church and a vocation;

--those who are in-between these two attitudes, and who, through peer influence, could gravitate either way;

--those new teachers who have not yet formulated their personal attitude, but will inevitably fall into one of the above categories within a few short years of entering the profession.

Fr. Mulligan has a special interest in these newer teachers. Statistics show that in ten years almost half the teachers currently teaching in Ontario will be retired. In whose hands will Catholic education be left and what is being done to prepare these future leaders?

In this light, we can see the validity of the subtitle of Fr. Mulligan's book--which is also his thesis: the future of Catholic education is now. We will reap what we sow. This book challenges anyone currently involved in Catholic education to take up the responsibility passed on to us by our ancestors.

Michael Reist is head of the English department at Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School in Caledon East, ON, and a freelance writer.