Pastoral Message for Education Sunday

22 January 2005

Dear Brothers and Sisters

In the Gospel proclaimed today we hear that Jesus went around Galilee teaching people about the Kingdom of God. The message of Jesus was good news for those who listened to him and allowed his words to change their lives. His words were powerful and life giving; they brought healing to those in need and restored dignity to people who felt disempowered. Jesus drew out from each person his or her truth; what he or she had in the heart, especially about themselves. Jesus was and is an educator.

Today is Education Sunday – a reminder to us that the Church has always seen the provision of education as an essential part of the Christian mission. Education is about the whole person. It is about liberating the gifts that each of us has within us so that we can grow into the person God has created us to be. Those gifts are not for selfish use but for the common good of all. In fact we only discover the truth about ourselves in relationship to others. Education is much more that equipping people with skills for employment and life. Education is about helping people to flourish in a holistic way.

This is especially true in the growth and development of children and young people. The first educators of children are parents and this is a vocation that must always be respected. To help parents and to support young people in their development, we have a network of Catholic schools committed to providing a Christian community within which young people can grow in knowledge about themselves, about God and about the world of which they are part.

Within the Diocese there are seventy six schools and colleges – voluntary aided and independent – which provide the majority of Catholic families with the opportunity of Catholic schooling.

It is acknowledged by Government that generally Church schools are more successful that others in meeting targets set by the Department of Education. We should take pride in this and be thankful to all who make our schools places of good learning.

However, one of the challenges that we always have to face is to ensure the Catholic character of our schools so that they are distinctive from other schools and not simply maintained schools that have extra time for Religious Education. To a great extent the Catholic ethos of our schools is assured by the teaching staff, especially those in senior management and by the School Governors. I would like to thank both Teachers and Governors for all they do.

I would also like to encourage young people and the not so young, to consider the vocation of being a teacher. Within our Catholic tradition, teaching has always been understood not just as a job, but as a vocation. With a shortage of teachers, especially those wishing to become Headteachers and Deputy Heads, the maintaining of the Catholic character of our schools becomes more demanding.

For a large number of young people and their families the school is increasingly the place where they come into contact with the Church community rather than in the Parish Church. Schools have become places of evangelisation. This is not just through what is taught in the class room but through the whole experience of belonging to a Christian community dedicated to the search for truth. The school should have a care not just for itself but for the wider community. Education is about broadening horizons not creating barriers.

The discovery of truth takes a life time and so education does not stop when people leave school, college or university. We continue to search throughout our adult life. We therefore need opportunities to reflect and deepen our faith as adult Catholics. Just as the Diocesan Department for Schools and Colleges exists to help schools, so the Diocesan Department for Adult Education and Evangelisation exists to help parishes provide opportunities for adult education and formation. It is important that as adult Catholics we can talk about our faith with others when they ask us what and why we believe. We must be able to communicate the Gospel in a language that is understandable to ourselves and others.

Throughout time Jesus calls people to follow him. Today he calls us. On Education Sunday we pray that we may deepen our personal understanding of our vocation and do all we can to be faithful to it.

With my best wishes and prayers
Bishop of Clifton

To be read and / or made available in all Churches and Chapels in the Clifton Diocese on the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Education Sunday 22 & 23 January 2005