In the mid-1990s, several hundred Catholic educators gathered at the University of St. Thomas, attempting to move the discussion of Catholic mission and identity away from a debate about juridical relationships and toward mission-inspired work for social and civil responsibility, with a commitment to research and teaching in Catholic studies.…

The contemporary challenges facing Catholic schools and Catholic school leaders are widely known. Effective and systemic solutions to these mounting challenges are less widely known or discussed. This article highlights the skills, knowledge, and dispositions associated with mission driven and data informed leadership--an orientation to school…

The reception of "Ex corde ecclesiae" has been uneven across the disciplines, with scant interest in distinctly Catholic pedagogies outside of the humanities. This essay argues that Catholic universities can distinguish themselves by how they present science and technology in their curriculum by drawing from the interdisciplinary field…

Although school counseling candidates in faith-based schools may possess an extraordinary resume, it is essential that their beliefs and behaviors be compatible with the mission and philosophy of the school for which they are interviewing. If hiring practices are not addressed in faith-based schools, these schools run the risk of losing their…

This study investigates the relationship between Catholic teachers' faith and their school commitment in Catholic high schools. A national sample of 751 teachers from 39 Catholic high schools in 15 archdioceses in the United States participated in a self-administered website survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson…

There is a clear understanding that leaders of faith-based educational institutions shape the school community's culture in ways that assist in faith formation. This implicit and explicit focus on faith formation and an alignment with the broader mission of the Catholic Church is foundational to contemplative leadership (Schuttloffel, 1999, 2008).…

Rev. Mark S. Massa, S.J., is the dean and professor of Church history at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College. He was invited to give a keynote to begin the third Catholic Higher Education Collaborative Conference (CHEC), cosponsored by Boston College and Fordham University. Fr. Massa's address posed critical questions about…

Most Holy Trinity Catholic School in Phoenix, Arizona, has experienced a decrease in student enrollment over the last decade, resulting in a reduction to a single class per grade across the PreK-8 community. Recent concerns have surfaced regarding student and teacher isolation, marginalization, and their effects on the broader relationships within…

Catholic schools are called to embody an identity and charism that make a unique and meaningful contribution to our Church and society. In the article, the authors present a coherent and relevant framework for thinking about Catholic identity and charism in contemporary schools using relationships as the organizing principle. The authors assert…

Globalization has made human rights both increasingly important as the normative standards that seek to shape the diverse religious, cultural, political, and economic interactions of the world, and also increasingly controversial in the face of the realities of cultural diversity and economic inequality. Over the past half century, hopes that…

This article reveals how St. John's University implemented mission-focused programs to advance its unique Catholic perspective, that of the Vincentian tradition to serve the poor and remedy social inequities. Heeding the 1986 call of Pope John Paul II to Vincentian institutions, all levels of the university from incoming freshmen to the board of…

Catholic schools are set apart from public schools in that Catholic schools aim to create for the school community an atmosphere enlivened by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity. Those who serve in Catholic schools, therefore, need to understand their role as unique, that is, faith driven. The purpose of this study was to assess this…

The purpose of this paper is to establish the unity between the missions of the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) discipline and Catholic higher education by demonstrating relationships among (a) Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and the role of the service principle to FCS; (b) Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT) and the centrality of intellect…

The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was an ecumenical council of Catholic bishops from around the world. The bishops made changes both in the internal life of the Church (e.g., the sacraments and daily practices of Catholics) and in the approach that the Church took toward other religions and toward the secular world. These changes transformed…

Maintaining Catholic identity is a struggle that takes on many forms. For schools with historical ties to founding religious communities, this question often takes the form of how to preserve and grow the charisms of the religious community in the absence of any members of that community on the school faculty or staff. This article, first of a…