The Catholic Education Foundation invites bishops, priests, and seminarians to participate in an intensive and comprehensive three-day seminar entitled, The Role of the Priest in Today’s Catholic School.
It is for clergy who are pastors, parochial vicars, or those directly involved in the elementary or secondary school apostolate (or who wish to be) – as well as seminarians. The Catholic Education Foundation CEF believes that the viability of our Catholic schools is largely dependent on the support and involvement of our priests.
I attended as a speaker last year (and am pleased to have been invited back again). Putting aside my own presentation, the quality of which I am not qualified to comment on, I thought every speaker and the quality of discussion that each talk provoked last year was excellent. I strongly encourage men and women, priests and religious to attend.
The range of talks together presented an inspiring picture of what a Catholic school ought to be, and how to move towards that ideal based upon the solid experience of how it has been done already. What impressed me most was how there was no minimizing the strength and nature of the forces against authentic Catholic education, both from outside and within Catholic schools today.
The seminar takes place from 4:00 p.m., July 11 to 4:00 p.m., July 14, 2022, at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center, North Palm Beach (a ten-minute ride from West Palm Beach Airport). The cost is $600 (all inclusive); $550 for registrations before May 31. Numbers are limited as this is intended as a seminar in which all participate in the discussion, not a large conference.
For further information: call the President of the CEF, Rev. Peter Stravinskas on 732-903-5213 or email him at fstravinskas@hotmail.com.
The focus of the conference is, as in past years, on the following topics:
Conciliar and Papal Teaching on Catholic Education
The History of Catholic Education in the United States
The Priest’s Presence in the School Community (Students, Faculty, Administration, Parents)
The Priest as the Public Relations Man of the School
Financial Concerns
Models of Governance and Best Practices
This year's speakers are:
Rev. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D. (President, CEF)
Michael Acquilano (Director, South Carolina Catholic Conference)
Sister Elizabeth Ann Allen, OP, Ed.D. (Director, Center for Catholic Education, Aquinas College, Nashville)
Thomas Carroll (Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of Boston)
David Clayton (Provost, Pontifex University)
Rev. Sean Connolly (Parochial Vicar, Archdiocese of New York)
Most Rev. Thomas Daly (Bishop of Spokane; Chairman, USCCB Committee on Education)
Rev. Michael Davis (Pastor, Archdiocese of Miami)
Mary Pat Donoghue (Executive Director, Secretariat of Catholic Education, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Most Rev. Arthur Kennedy, Ph.D. (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of Boston)
Rev. James Kuroly, Ed.D. (President/Rector, Cathedral Prep, Brooklyn)
Sister Mary Elizabeth Merriam, OP (St. Michael the Archangel High School, Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph)
Dr. Margaret Mooney-Suarez (Associate Professor, Princeton Theological Seminary; founder, Scala Foundation)
Rev. Christopher Peschel (Pastor, Diocese of Fall River)
Rev. Msgr. Sal Pilato (Former Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Los Angeles Archdiocese)
Brother Owen Sadlier, OSF (Professor of Philosophy, Cathedral Seminary House of Formation, Diocese of Brooklyn)
Rev. Msgr. Joseph Schaedel (Pastor, Archdiocese of Indianapolis)
Lincoln Snyder (President, National Catholic Educational Association)
The Catholic Education Foundation is an organization providing financial assistance to Catholic high school students and serving as a resource for heightening the Catholic identity of Catholic schools. As well as being President of the Catholic Education Foundation, Fr Stravinskas is the founder and superior of the Priestly Society of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, a clerical association of the faithful, committed to Catholic education, liturgical renewal and the new evangelization.
Jules-Alexis Muenier, “The Catechism Lesson,” 1890 (photo: Public Domain)
