St. Vincent - Crookes, Sheffield at 40 Pickmere Road, Crookes, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 1GY UK - Homily for the Retired Teachers by Fr Paddy
| Homily for the Retired Teachers by Fr Paddy |
In the news these days we hear that some hard line Muslim countries have come down very hard on Christian groups especially if they are trying to convert some of the Muslim natives to Christianity. If caught they could be sentenced to long periods in prison and even put to death. But, nearer home in a more subtle way a similar thing might be going on. For instance, it is frowned upon to be anything other than politically correct when it comes to teaching religion even if modern thought patterns contradict Christ’s teaching. Is there a temptation to keep quiet about these things? Is PC in education gradually taking over from RC, I wonder. Believe it or not the Church expects catholic teachers to be evangelisers of the pupils. In one of the church’s documents it says: ‘The catholic school has an ecclesial identity because it is part of the evangelising mission of the Church.’ According to this, teaching in a catholic school is far more than a profession, it is a vocation to form pupils into Christ-like future adults. Catholic teachers are meant to be men and women with a mission to teach by word and example the gospel saving truth. And before you can do that you have to be convinced of it yourself. Children will easily pick it up if you are just going through the motions. Filling up the R.E. period with teaching comparative religion falls way short of the mark. This is not about proselytising but witnessing to the truth. So it’s not just about the inculcation of the church’s teaching, essential though this is, but the formation of students into the likeness of Christ. Of course this is primarily linked to the witness of life given by the teachers themselves. This applies to all school staff but especially to teachers. Each teacher needs to be convinced of the nobility of his or her vocation. If the DES is peddling anything which is at loggerheads with Catholic truth, then teachers and governors should stand shoulder to shoulder in voicing their concerns. But they often don’t. They often don’t speak with one voice. I think those involved in education should not allow themselves to be browbeaten into submission just for the sake of a quiet life or ‘falling into line’. There is lots of stuff coming out these days especially in the area of personal and social education which does not tally with Catholic teaching. Do we just turn a blind eye to it? If we are not careful catholic schools won’t be that much different from their secular counterparts who don’t claim any particular religious adherence. So we pray that catholic schools will become beacons of hope for pupils in today’s restless world. May they not fail in their task of helping to form pupils into the likeness of Christ who taught the people with authority and gave His life in defence of the truth.
