This article describes a new program specifically designed to assist Catholic school administrators. The genesis for this program and the creation of the Consortium for Catholic School Identity which sponsors it are the result of a grant from Our Sunday Visitor Foundation. The Consortium, a diverse team of professional Catholic school educators, is now positioned to offer a unique and innovative series of national seminars to support principals in their efforts to enhance the Catholic identity of their schools

McNiff, Timothy J

English

McNiff, Timothy J.

Boston College: Open Journal Systems

Enhancing Catholic Identity: The Genesis of a National Consortium

Loyola Marymount University

Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiryand PracticeVolume 2 | Issue 3 Article 143-1-1999Enhancing Catholic Identity: The Genesis of aNational ConsortiumTimothy J. McNiffFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/ceThis Focus Section Article is brought to you for free with open access by the School of Education at Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount Universityand Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for publication in Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice by the journal's editorial boardand has been published on the web by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. Formore information about Digital Commons, please contact digitalcommons@lmu.edu. To contact the editorial board of Catholic Education: A Journalof Inquiry and Practice, please email CatholicEdJournal@lmu.edu.Recommended CitationMcNiff, T. J. (1999). Enhancing Catholic Identity: The Genesis of a National Consortium. Journal of Catholic Education, 2 (3).http://dx.doi.org/10.15365/joce.0203142013353ENHANCING CATHOLIC IDENTITY:THE GENESIS OF A NATIONALCONSORTIUMTIMOTHY J. MCNIFFDiocese of ArlingtonThis article describes a new program specifically designed to assistCatholic school administrators. The genesis for this program and the cre-ation of the Consortium for Catholic School Identity which sponsors it arethe result of a grant from Our Sunday Visitor Foundation. The Consortium,a diverse team of professional Catholic school educators, is now positionedto offer a unique and innovative series of national seminars to support prin-cipals in their efforts to enhance the Catholic identity of their schools.Although it is edifying to experience a resurgence of interest in Catholicschools, efforts to maintain and celebrate Catholic identity must remaina priority. That concern encouraged the late Bishop John R. Keating ofArlington to reflect on how Catholic schools could enhance their Catholicclimate. His initiative, coupled with the National Catholic EducationalAssociation's (NCEA) ongoing effort to promote Catholic identity, resultedin a grant from Our Sunday Visitor Foundation to fund a national programdesigned to assist school leaders with this administrative responsibility.Several organizational meetings were sponsored by the Foundation todiscuss this initiative and consider how a program could be created for newand veteran principals. Participants in those brainstorming sessions includedFr. Edmund McDermott of the University of San Francisco; Sr. MariaCiriello of the University of Portland; Dr. Theodore Wallace of theUniversity of Dayton; Sr. Eymard Gallagher, president of MarymountUniversity in Virginia; Regina Haney of the NCEA; and a number of otherexperienced school administrators from various dioceses. Their conversa-tions brought out numerous resources including literature, workshops, andCatholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice. Vol. 2, No. 3, March 1999, 353-359©1999 CathoUc Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice354 Catholic Education/March 1999college courses that spoke to the importance of a Catholic environment inour schools. What appeared to be lacking, however, was a comprehensiveleadership program for school administrators that specifically addressed theunique identity of their schools.The culmination of those sharing sessions was the birth of theConsortium for Catholic School Identity. This varied group of Catholicschool educators, including university, diocesan, and NCEA representatives,devoted nine months to writing curriculum and producing a seminar-struc-tured program designed to address this leadership niche in our schools' min-istry. The Consortium's approach was based on the premise that principalsare the key to any school's success. There continues to be a need for cost-effective, convenient, comprehensive school leadership programs whichproduce a lasting influence on participating administrators.The Consortium's work eventually materialized as a two-year seminarprogram titled 'Enhancing Our Catholic School Identity." Structured specif-ically for Catholic K-12 principals, the program's ultimate goal is to enableCatholic school leaders to celebrate and enhance their ability to foster aCatholic identity for their school. Four critical elements were identified asparamount for program success:• Prayer leadership• Commitment to Catholic social teaching• Openness to enhancing one's own knowledge of the Catholic faith• Skills to provide effective staff development programsThe selection of these four topics evolved from the Consortium's desireto respond to one committee member's challenge: If our school was everaccused of not being Catholic, would there be sufficient evidence to refutesuch a charge?Much discussion focused on a definition of the term "Catholic identity."The Consortium adopted the explanation provided in The ReligiousDimension of Education in a Catholic School (Congregation for CatholicEducation, 1988). According to this document, the broad concept of Catholicschool identity is understood as follows:...from the first moment a student sets foot in a Catholic school, he or sheought to have the impression of entering a new environment, one illumi-nated by the light of faith and having its own unique characteristics...per-meated with the Gospel spirit of love and freedom, (p. 3)Guidance was also gleaned from Catholic Schools and the Common Good(Bryk, Lee, & Holland, 1993), which offered the following reflections onshared institutional values:Timothy J. McNiff/ENHANCING CATHOLIC IDENTITY 355We represent the only face of Christ for many pupils. The special missionof a Catholic school is to have Christ as the center of all we do in schooland to give the pupils in our care opportunities to take part in spiritualgrowth in a living, worshipping community, (p. 272)One practical recommendation for defining Catholic identity came from aConsortium member who stated that the continual message our principalsneed to hear and transmit to their school community is, "What would Jesusdo in situations requiring a moral response?"In fall of 1996, a faith leadership program was developed. Consortiummembers agreed that what was needed was not a religious retreat for princi-pals but rather an experiential program of two two-day workshops over thecourse of two years. The seminars should encourage principals, as Coveystates, to take time out to sharpen the saw. The first two-day series focuseson prayer leadership and Catholic social teaching,YEAR ONE WORKSHOP ACTIVITIESDAY ONEPrayer ServiceWelcome Video Message: Sr. Lourdes Sheehan of NCEAKeynote on Prayer Leadership: Video of Monica HellwigGroup Work (Listing best practices of each individual)Group Work (Listing top obstacles/needs of each)Actual Scenarios Presented to Groups for ResolutionSummary of Group WorkMass (with testimonials on video)Day One begins with a well-crafted prayer service, "Jesus, the Bread ofLife," which immediately creates a focused environment to set the tone forthe entire day. To the delight of the Consortium members, many principalshave commented on the quality of this prayer service. Then follows a briefwelcoming video message by Sr. Lourdes Sheehan of NCEA. A keynote onprayer leadership follows. This keynote presentation suggests that the workof a scholar lends itself to prayer but urges participants not to confine prayerto the private parts of their lives. Catholic identity of schools, the speakernotes, is both individual and communal. In building community, the schoolleader must find the right touch which prayer provides. At the conclusion ofthe presentation, participants reflect on the following issues:• Are we, as school leaders, comfortable in leading others in prayer?• What opportunities do we create for faculty, students, and parents topray together?356 Catholic Education/March 1999• Are our teachers expected to include prayer with students daily?• Is there schoolwide policy on classroom prayer?The remainder of the first day is devoted to individual time for reflectionand group sharing on the best practices each participant uses to enhance aprayerful life at their school. A collection of best practices is distributed to allattendees the following day.Finally, participants view a video conveying several testimonials fromCatholic principals throughout the country. Their remarks serve as addition-al insight and confirmation for the importance of prayer leadership from theprincipal. A liturgy, dinner, and social conclude Day One.DAY TWOPrayer ServiceReview & IntroductionVideo Keynote on "Catholic Social Justice" by J. Carr & Fr. KempGroup Work (Listing best practices of each individual)Group Work (Listing top obstacles/needs of each)Actual Scenarios Presented to Groups for ResolutionSummary of Group WorkVideo Testimonials of Importance of Catholic Social Justice in ourSchoolsThe second day starts with another thoughtful prayer service, "Called tothe Challenge." The facilitator then addresses the group, focusing on ToTeach as Jesus Did, a document of the National Conference of CatholicBishops (1972). This commentary reminds principals that the educationalmission of the Church embraces three dimensions, one of which is service tothe community. The facilitator refers to the document by stating the Churchis a servant community in which those who hunger are to be filled; the igno-rant taught; the homeless to receive shelter; the sick cared for; the distressedconsoled; the oppressed set free—all so that people may more fully realizetheir human potential and more readily enjoy life with God now and eternal-ly-The keynote challenges participants to reflect on how the Church's socialteachings can be integrated into their educational programs. Integral to thekeynote is the Church's belief in the social and sacred dignity of the humanperson. The keynote presentation is followed by several pertinent questionsfor the participants' reflection. For example, participants are asked to respondto the following:• How are social justice concerns translated from your school's missionto your school's practice?Timothy J. McNiff/ENHANCING CATHOLIC IDENTITY 357• Do the Students have regular, directed opportunities to reflect with theirpeers about their volunteer experiences?• Are Catholic social teachings integrated in all curriculum areas of theschool?• Do students and staff work together on justice projects?The afternoon session includes a repeat of the best practices exercisesand closes with a second video highlighting a different group of principals'refiections on social justice issues as they relate to the life of a Catholicschool. The facilitator then describes what the participants will receive fromthe Consortium over the next 12 months and previews the Year Two semi-nar. The seminar concludes with a prayer service.INTERIM ACTIVITIESAn important dimension of the Enhancing Our Catholic School Identity pro-gram is the periodic communication the participants receive from theConsortium between the Year One and Year Two seminars. A variety ofessays, suggested activities, and other printed materials relating to prayerleadership or Catholic social teachings are sent to the principals monthly.The Consortium is creating a Web site to facilitate this process.YEAR TWO ACTIVITIESDAY ONEPurpose and Review of Year OnePrayer ServiceKeynote (beginning of Church history through Vatican II)Question and Answer PeriodPair-Share Process (discuss relevancy of talk)Group Work (based on readings)Groups discuss the readingsGroups utilize the templateGroups list their template recommendationsBeginning with a prayer service called "Baptized to New Life," the sec-ond year of the program recognizes the critical need to solidify the adminis-trator's knowledge base of the Catholic faith and to apply this knowledgewhen creating staff development programs to foster Catholic identity.Participants are also reminded that Vatican II urged us to retum to ourChristian roots as a Church.In introducing the keynote speaker, the seminar facilitator offers the fol-lowing commentary:358 Catholic EducationMarch 1999Who will tell the story of who we are? These next two days together willoffer a greater knowledge and a deeper understanding of our historical jour-ney as followers of Christ in the Catholic tradition. Given the awesomechallenge and the sacred commission to be the storytellers in our schools,we have been called to tell joyfully the story of who we are. It is a story richin tradition, powerful in history, and lasting in truth. In order to be that goodstoryteller, however, we first need to know the story.The keynote then highlights those events in our Church's history thathelp the listener understand how we have emerged as a Church in the mod-ern age. Following the keynote, participants discuss the relevance of the pre-sentation through the following questions:• Are there implications from these messages that affect your leadership?• How did this information affect your understanding of Church?Through small and large group interaction, participants analyze the keynotethemes and translate their meaning to their own schools. A template designedto facilitate this process highlights the following aspects of school life:• Mission and Policy • Community Service• Governance • Parent Involvement• Finance • Student Life• Staff Development • Development and Marketing• Curriculum • AdministrationThe primary objective of the activity is to demonstrate how the template canassist principals in helping their staffs establish new practices to enhance theCatholic identity of the school.Consistent with Year One, the first day concludes with an evening Mass,dinner, and social.DAY TWOPrayer ServiceDistribution of Group Work from Day OneRoundtable DiscussionKeynote: "We Are Called"Question/Answer SessionSummary of the SeminarEvaluation of the SeminarPrayer ServiceTimothy J. McNiff/ENHANCING CATHOLIC IDENTITY 359The second day's theme complements the activities of Day One andfocuses on Vatican II Council's call to the Catholic laity to become moreinvolved with Church ministries. The keynote presentation, "We Are Called,"reminds participants of this message and discusses how that invitation affectsour school communities.PROGRAM STATUSTo date, the Consortium has offered this program to school administrators inthe Archdioceses of Baltimore and Washington and the Dioceses ofRichmond, Wilmington, Arlington, and Springfield (Illinois). For the 1998-99 school year, the program is scheduled to conduct seminars for theArchdiocese of Boston and the Dioceses of Orlando and Lafayette (Indiana).Nine other dioceses are considering this program for their administrators.With a number of the workshops for the mid-Atlantic (arch)dioceses con-cluded, there has been an opportunity to solicit feedback from the principalsin attendance. Most responses have been supportive, even laudatory. Whatwas particularly gratifying to the Consortium were the commentaries offeredby those principals at the beginning of the second year's program when theywere asked to reflect on whether the previous year's experience had posi-tively impacted their work. Their response was a resounding "yes." As thedevelopment of the program continues, it would be most useful to study theshort and long term effects.REFERENCESBryk, A., Lee, V., & Holland, P. (1993). Catholic schools and the common good. Cambridge,MA: Harvard University Press.Congregation for Catholic Education. (1988). The religious dimension of education in aCatholic school. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference.National Conference of Catholic Bishops. (1972). To teach as Jesus did. Washington, DC:United States Catholic Conference.Timothy J. McNiff is superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Arlington in Virginia and a member ofthe Consortiutn for Catholic School Identity with responsibility for the administration of tbe EnhancingOur Catholic School Identity seminars. Correspotidence concerning this article or requests for furtherinfonnatioti regarding the program may be e-mailed to osctjm@mnsinc.cotn or mailed to Timothy J.McNiff, Cotisortiumfor Catholic School Identity, 200 North Glebe Rd., Suite 703, ArlitJgton, VA 22203.

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