Academics

Forming Hearts and Minds of Students for Worship

To understand the place of the Eucharist in Catholic education, we must first understand worship. Here are four elements of worship that Catholic educators should contemplate: worth, training, method, and culmination. Worship requires worth Each morning, Catholics and Jews greet the new day with the words of the 95th Psalm […]

Eucharist, The Heart of Catholic Education

“The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church…. Nevertheless, the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time, it is the font from which all her power flows” (The Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Liturgy, […]

What Is “Eucharistic Education”? Why Do We Need It?

The need is acute. Christ our Lord’s greatest gift to His Church—the gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist—is being neglected by far too many Catholics. The pews are emptying, vocations are plummeting, and the Church is graying because those not attending Mass on Sundays do not realize what they […]

Teacher Witness Inspires Conversion

Holy Rosary Academy in Anchorage, Alaska, is recognized in The Newman Guide for its faithful Catholic education from Pre-K through 12th grade. All teachers make a Profession of Faith to the Catholic Church upon hiring. And the fruits are many: in the last year alone, five students came into full […]

When Teacher Witness Goes Wrong

The Catholic University of America recently taught students a tough but valuable lesson about witness and responsibility. It’s a lesson the students—as well as the faculty—are unlikely to forget. On January 30, university president Dr. Peter Kilpatrick announced the firing of a psychology lecturer following a scandalous incident in her […]

Achieving Teacher Witness in a Virtual World

In one of her last letters, written to a former student, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton did what all teachers are called to do: she pointed to the Truth in love. “God bless you, my loved child,” she wrote. “Remember Mother’s first and last lesson to you: seek God in all […]

Making Sense of Parents as ‘Primary Educators’

Parents are the first and foremost educators of their children. Catholic educators can sometimes ignore this fact, especially when students appear to lack solid formation and even basic care in the home. Trained to be experts in pedagogy and curriculum, teachers and especially college professors may not think much about […]

The Call to Teach: Facilitator’s Guide

  PowerPoint of The Call to Teach   The Call to Teach: Facilitator’s GuideQuestions for Reflection Denise L. Donohue, Ed.D., and Daniel P. Guernsey, Ed.D.   Directions for Use This facilitator’s guide for The Call to Teach assists in leading discussions about the ministry of teaching in Catholic education. It […]

The Core of a Catholic Curriculum

As the lead evaluator of institutions applying for Newman Guide recognition, I often get asked what makes a “Newman Guide” academic program. I want to highlight here some of the most important aspects, drawing from our resources on the K-12 school with principles relevant to all levels of education. Traditionally, […]

The Call to Teach: Church Guidance for Catholic Teachers

  The Call to TeachChurch Guidance for Catholic Teachers Denise L. Donohue, Ed.D., and Daniel P. Guernsey, Ed.D.   About The Call to Teach The original version of The Call to Teach was written in 2015 by Dr. Jamie F. Arthur. This significantly revised version was written by Dr. Daniel […]

Guide for the Catholic Reader: Selected Reading List, Rubric, and Rationale for Catholic Education

      Guide for the Catholic Reader Selected Reading List, Rubric, and Rationale for Catholic Education Denise L. Donohue, Ed.D., and Daniel P. Guernsey, Ed.D.    Preface This guide is designed especially for Catholic education broadly—including parents, diocesan and school leaders, teachers, librarians, homeschool curriculum publishers, and textbook publishers—and […]

Catholic Habits of the Mind

  By Denise Donohue, Ed.D., and Patrick Reilly   Catholic education integrally forms students in mind, body, and soul so they might know and love God and serve their fellow man. Because of this mission, Catholic education has a long tradition of excellence in harmoniously forming students’ intellects and characters […]

Eucharistic Literacy: Forming Teachers as Effective Catechists

At Mass, you often see mothers whispering into the ears of their squirming toddlers. Occasionally you can catch the words, “Look, it’s Jesus!” Shortly after the consecration, the congregation echoes loudly this whispered declaration of faith, “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the word, have mercy on […]

Eucharistic Liturgy: A Q & A with Archbishop Cordileone

It was a special honor for The Cardinal Newman Society: in June, President Patrick Reilly had the opportunity to interview Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone in a public conversation about the renewal of sacred liturgy and Catholic education.  Archbishop Cordileone is a hero of ours. He has been a champion of faithful […]

How to Promote Eucharistic Devotion at Your School

Teaching young people about the Eucharist is important, but as Pope St. John Paul II warned in Catechesi Tradendae, the academic life can become too “intellectualized” without sacramental and Eucharistic devotion. Our students need to know of Christ’s Real Presence in the Mass, but then they need to love and […]