This research study investigated the decision-making process utilized by three elementary schools in adopting the 200-day calendar initiative in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The schools in the study represented three distinct sets of demographics focusing primarily on high, middle, and low socioeconomic characteristics, as reported by the…

This paper shows that a lack of explicit and clearly stated intentions regarding the development of Catholic students' ecclesial agency through their schooling leads to potential problems as they experience and imagine themselves as lay persons in the Church. While the question of "ecclesial agency" applies throughout all Catholic schooling and…

Early childhood is a critically formative stage of human development and the educational experiences of children at this young age impact their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical competencies. In the U.S., early childhood education has grown dramatically since the 1960s, both in federal and state dollars invested and in terms of overall…

Rev. Gregory Boyle, S.J., was ordained a priest in 1984 and shortly afterward became the pastor of Dolores Mission parish, serving from 1986-1992. While at Dolores Mission, he developed numerous programs for at-risk youth in the community. In 2001 his various projects assisting youths in gangs were united under one banner: Homeboy Industries.…

Over 300 years of official Church teachings and documents affirm the importance of the home-school relationship, yet relatively little research has systematically explored the need and value of parent involvement in the school community. This study is a secondary analysis of survey data collected for the Notre Dame Study of U.S. Pastors (Nuzzi,…

In an effort to encourage dialogue and reflection on matters of common concern and interest, the journal staff invite responses on selected articles from other educators, who engage the text critically and offer some reflections about its utility and validity. This article offers responses from Michael Fierro and Diana Hankins on the article…

This article is a qualitative study of the practice of leadership in Catholic schools in Australia. Within an interpretivist framework, a multiple case study of six lay principals was employed. Findings suggest that successful leadership in Catholic schools is highly influenced by the cultural and spiritual capital that a principal brings to a…

The traditional parish plant--church, rectory, convent, and school--all conveniently located next to each other on a parcel of land, is a fast vanishing model. While some argue that the parish-sponsored elementary school is a vestige of immigrant Catholicism, this article calls for a strengthening of the relationship between the pastor and the…

The French Revolution bears an ironic responsibility for generating works of charity. To counteract the devastating social effects of that late 18th century uprising, numerous religious communities were founded in France, among them the Congregation of Holy Cross. The Congregation of Holy Cross, the founding religious community behind the…

St. Vincent de Paul is a popular saint in the contemporary practice of Catholicism. This article explains why, providing a historical overview of the many influences in Vincent's life and demonstrating how central Vincentian themes can be incarnated in educational institutions. Vincent's passion--love of the poor--remains a compelling challenge…

This article presents a pastoral letter issued by the Social Affairs Commission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops at the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi in October, 2003. The topic of this pastoral letter is how the beauty and grandeur of nature touches everyone, and how each person can develop the right relations with nature and with…

Mary Emil Penet, I.H.M., (1916-2001) used her talents and charisma to shape the first national organization of American women religious, the Sister Formation Conference (SFC; 1954-1964), facilitating the integrated intellectual, spiritual, psychological, and professional development of vowed women religious. In the decade preceding Vatican II, her…

Born an Episcopalian in New York, Elizabeth Ann Bayley (1774-1821), married (1794) William Magee Seton (1768-1803). Blessed with three daughters (Anna Maria, Rebecca, and Catherine Charlton, called "Kit") and two sons (William and Richard), the couple briefly enjoyed the comforts of social status and prosperity. They opened their arms to…

The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (SCN) maintain a vibrant presence in ministry in the US. This article presents an overview of their co-foundress, Catherine Spalding, and shows Mother Catherine to be the creative, mission-driven, and articulate leader that is still very much in need in today's society.

Parish elementary schools in the United States have a governance structure that often precipitates conflict. The principal is the designated leader of the school, the educational administrator, and the supervisor of the faculty and students. By canon law, however, the pastor of the parish remains ultimately responsible for the spiritual and…