Chapter 8: HISTORY

God’s truth is revealed through Scripture and Tradition

History shapes people and groups providing insight into and

understanding about WHO THEY HAVE BEEN

Catholicism was shaped by events of the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter Reformation

• Vatican II caused a paradigm shift in the Church’s thinking about itself and the world• Its full impact is still unfolding.

American Catholics have an immigrants history

History is unfolding today

Costs to operate Catholic Schools are skyrocketing

Too Much Sacrifice?

Looking back at history…

Find earlier struggles of equal or greater magnitude

Catholics were a poor migrant

people

Catholics today have more resources and political and social

clout than ever PROBLEM is a crisis of

COMMITMENT

History Builds Community

A school’s history can reveal origins and evolutions of core

values

History enables a school to give to students a much needed anchor for future development

Most respected and sought after schools have a rich history and long-standing traditions

History flows from the faith tradition in a Catholic School

Easier to pass on the religious heritage when religious orders

operated schools

Intentionality needed Today

Passing on the religious heritage requires deliberate and systematic thought and attention by principals

2 types of Catholic Heritage

Latitudinal Heritage – shared heritage among Catholic Schools

Longitudinal Heritage – the history of a particular Catholic school

Each school’s history contains people and events shaping the

school today

Archive It!

Need a designated person to organize the history, update it and archive it

Display of a School’s History tells someone what the school holds

Sacred

• Statue or founder or patron• Pictures of graduating classes• Athletic trophies• Pictures of the casts of school plays

Celebrate the Religious History!

Patron’s Feast DayCatholic School’s Week

Celebrate School Anniversaries

Celebration and Rallying Point for entire school community

Case Study

• All Saints Catholic School is celebrating 150th anniversary– Committee– Artifacts

• Mr. Seitz is passionate about history– Makes history lessons relevant to students.– Sees this as opportunity for students to learn of rich history and

be involved in celebrating it.

Case Study

• Mr. Seitz and the committee.

• Involve students:– Latitudinal Heritage

– Longitudinal Heritage

• Permanent Display