Canon law recognizes the pastor as the chief educational officer (CEO) of the parish school. However, recent studies demonstrate that seminaries do not prepare seminarians for work in or leadership of Catholic schools, and recent scholarship also demonstrates that an increasing number of seminarians lack the desire to lead a parish school. Our…

Debates about Catholic higher education in the United States sometimes focus too much on what Catholic colleges and universities should not do, rather than what they should do. This article attempts to reframe those debates away from the negative expressions of Catholic identity (i.e., denying guests a right to speak on campus based on their level…

This documentary study of academic programs at Catholic Seminaries and Theology Schools through the United States sought to answer the question: "What types of preparation does the seminary curriculum provide to new pastors about their role in the parish's Catholic School?" Results of program syllabi review show a dearth of preparation…

Recognizing that pastors of parishes with a Catholic school play a vital role in Catholic education, and that the seminarians of today will be the parish pastors of tomorrow, this study sought to provide a better understanding of the perceptions held by Catholic seminarians about parish schools. Fourteen seminary students from 12 seminaries and 14…

Cultivating spiritual development is central to the mission of Catholic higher education institutions. Studies demonstrate that service learning is a pedagogical method through which spiritual development can be fostered among undergraduates. This study builds upon prior research to analyze whether spiritual growth occurred and which dimensions of…