Comments on: Keeping the Faith

By: Liam

Liam — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:40:15 +0000

I agree that a Catholic education is one valuable means of raising children in our faith. However, once we have been educated and become adults, the hierarchy of the Church chooses not to allow us to exercise that faith. The hierarchy treats laypeople (including the Sisters who dedicate their lives to the Church) with disrespect.

The shameful manner in which the hierarchy protected and continues to protect priests (and bank accounts) rather than fully address the sexual abuse scandals, the disrespectful manner in which the Bishops chose to express disagreement with theologian Sr. Elizabeth Johnson, the repeated threats to withhold sacraments from Catholics rather than reaching out in a pastoral manner – all these and more are examples of a high-handed hierarchy which seeks more to preserve their status quo than to engage in pastoral dialogue with other members of the Body of Christ.

I pray that you and your fellow Bishops look to more productive ways of engaging Catholics (women and men, straight and gay, married and divorced) before you empty the pews entirely.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:53:45 +0000

I had the pleasure of meeting Cardinal Dolan last week at a reception in his honor. When I spoke with him, I told him of the wonderful education that I had received at the Catholic grade school and high school I attended in Manhattan. The education prepared me for college. And, I proudly state that I am an NYU School of Business graduates. It was a sacrifice for my mother to send my two sisters and me to Catholic school, especially since she was the sole supporter of my family. But, the sacrifice was well worth it, since both my sisters attended NYU School of the Arts and Sciences and the NYU School Of Dentistry.

Though we have moved out to middle class neighborhoods in the suburbs, we have chosen Catholic school for our children as well. My son attends mass every Wednesday and during Lent the school attended the stations of the cross every Friday.

I must say that I remember every math and language arts lesson taught to me by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt. I am able to help my son with his school work. The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary taught the young women of St. Michael’s Academy so many invaluable lessons. We were taught to respect ourselves and encouraged to pursue higher education and careers.

Cardinal Dolan, though I no longer reside in your archdiocese, I love it! My husband and I bring our son to mass at St. Patricks’s and as a result of the fine Catholic education we received and that I son is currently receiving, we know he loves Jesus and his Catholic faith!

May God continue to blessed the Catholic church.

Thank you Cardinal Dolan for being a fine example of a priest.

By: Virginia and Tom Scheller

Virginia and Tom Scheller — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:45:14 +0000

Why don’t you stand up for our wonderful Catholic Sisters? How can you allow Rome to attack the LCWR? With the history of the many Bishops and the coverup of crimes against children. What credibility to they have to investigate the wonderful orders of sisters who teach, run hospitals and care for the sick, the poor, those without health care, those unemployed, the prisoner. Should I go on any further? Why don’t you take a stand, like Christ would? Don’t join the pharisees and those promoting hypocrisy. The greatest commandment is love God above all things and your neighbor as yourself. They are attacking thousands of dedicated woman at the average age of 69. How shameful. Don’t be afraid. Send with the Sisters. Send with the true church who serve the people of God. Stand with the true message of Jesus. Don’t be afraid. Virginia and Tom Scheller Lovers of the Church and Catholic School.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:36:57 +0000

In my parish in St. Louis the vast majority of children who attend our parish school leave the faith. The homeschool families are the only families whose children stay Catholic. In our time if our schools and our families are not “visibly and robustly Catholic” as the Cardinal says we are indeed wasting a lot of money and effort.

By: Christopher Ruckdeschel

Christopher Ruckdeschel — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:39:12 +0000

Your Eminence:

Could you possibly post a link to the data you’ve cited in this post? I’m very interested to read it.

Hoping for your blessing, respectfully yours in Christ,
Christopher Ruckdeschel

By: Irene

Irene — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:14:38 +0000

Cardinal Dolan- My school is part of the “regionalization” pilot. Could you please publish the names and affiliations of the members of the regional boards (we are in the North Bronx/ South Bronx region) I would very much like to know who will be deciding the future of my childrens’ school.

I think it is very important to have good representation of stakeholders: parents, religious sisters, pastors, teachers and experts.

By: Vincent Nagle

Vincent Nagle — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:33:08 +0000

in my family the four oldest went to parochial school and the four youngest went to public school. Non of the four oldest are now christians and they are pretty anti catholic for the most part. Among the four younger children, I am a priest, I have another brother who is a mildly practicing Catholic, another who is a very strong protestant but very involved with Catholics, and then a militant atheist. I am not certain that parochial schools have helped maintain Catholic identity… or at least I have grave doubts about the efficacy of Catholic schools to introduce students to the faith. Maybe it should happen, but in fact, as a matter of course, it seems to me the opposite happens. These schools graduate students who are certain they know what the faith is when in fact they have never been presented with it, and therefore are in a sense ‘inoculated’ against the faith.

By: Larry

Larry — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:27:23 +0000

“If our schools are not visibly and robustly Catholic..” Are they, Your Eminence–at least in New York?

By: Rodrigo Rios

Rodrigo Rios — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:58:27 +0000

Hello Cardinal Dolan! My name is Rodrigo Rios and I’m deacon in Brazil. I read your post and I thought about our catholic schools in my country. We have good education, but only a few catholic schools pass the faith correctly, a true experience with Jesus. And we are a “big” nation catholic. Is the time to come back a Catholic identity, as you wrote. The true identity. God bless us.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:43:39 +0000

I went to Catholic grade schools but a public high school. My two brothers went to Catholic grade and high schools. My husband and I are faithfully practicing Catholics homeschooling 4 children in the faith. Both of my brothers are lapsed. Both of them denounce the education they got at their Catholic high school. They tell me the school has a drug problem that is ignored and the Catholic identity is very weak. One told me of being given the “I’m personally opposed to abortion but…” speech by a teacher.

It seems like maybe the Catholic education system needs a thorough examination the way the seminaries and religious orders were considered. JMHO.