Posts Tagged ‘Education’
How does Catholic Education Help the Mission of the Church?
Education has been a pivotal part of Catholic outreach and evangelization for centuries. Today we are sitting down with Monsignor James Shea, President of the University of Mary in Bismarck North Dakota, about how Catholic Education prepares us for living the Mission of the Church.
This is our final installment from the The Cardinal Newman Leadership Summit held at the University of St. Thomas in fall of 2024. In our first episode we asked the questions “Is college is still worth it?” We talked with Kevin Murphy from The Cardinal Newman Society about how college is a pathway for the discernment of God’s will for our life. Then Mark Brumley from Ignatius Press shared some of the key things to think about for those who are specifically looking at a Catholic institution.
In the second episode of the series, we asked “How the Catholic Church Shaped Modern Education?” We talked with Kyle Washut, from Wyoming Catholic College, about the History of Education and how it is intimately entwined with the Catholic Church. Then Dr. Helena Orellana, from the Institute for Psychological Science at Divine Mercy University, explained the role mental health plays in our education system today.
Education, family, and faith with Cardinal DiNardo
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, attended the 2024 Duc In Altum Schools Summit held at the University of St. Thomas – Houston (UST). While on campus, he took some time to talk with UST President Dr. Richard Ludwick. Together, they had a conversation about the importance of evangelizing in schools and in homes.
Providing a strong spiritual foundation has always been a hallmark of Catholic education. At the DIA Summit, hundreds of educators gathered to collaborate on new, innovative ways to engage students in their faith. This is a topic of vital importance for both Dr. Ludwick and Cardinal DiNardo.
In their conversation, Cardinal DiNardo and Dr. Ludwick discuss the importance of an excellent and well-rounded education to integrate faith across the curriculum. They also touch on ways educators and parents can highlight beauty and rhetoric for students. And they emphasize the central role parents play in making sure their children receive an excellent education in the faith and beyond.
How the Catholic Church Shaped Modern Education
Do you know how our educational system came to be? And did you know that the Catholic Church played a key role in its existence? Modern Catholic education traces its roots back centuries.
To help us understand, we talked to Kyle Washut, President of Wyoming Catholic College, about how the Catholic Church has formed our understanding of education in the west. He explains the history of Catholic thinkers emphasizing both learning about God in traditional learning and also learning about him in the natural world He created. Then he takes us through the history of some of the most important teachers in the history of the Catholic Church and how we can still see their ideas in modern Catholic education.
Next, we talk to Dr. Helena Orellana, a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at the Institute for Psychological Science at Divine Mercy University, about the role mental health plays in our education system today. She explains how important it is to understand who we are as people, and how we learn. Dr. Orellana also shares how our capacity for attention, reflection, and curiosity is what allows us to learn.
Both were visiting for the Cardinal Newman Society Leaders Summit at the University of St. Thomas - Houston in June 2024.
Is College Still Worth It?
Is it still worth it to go to college?
That is an important point of discernment in anybody's life and it is an important question that does not have an easy answer.
To help with that discernment process, we talked to Kevin Murphy, the Vice President for Marketing and Communications for The Cardinal Newman Society at the Cardinal Newman Leaders Summit on the University of St. Thomas campus in June 2024.
Kevin shared a simple and insightful framework to help us think about whether college is worth it, not only for our own journeys or the young people we know, but also in the broader context of God's call for our lives.
We also talk to Mark Brumley, the President and CEO of Ignatius Press about some of the key things to think about for those who are specifically looking at a Catholic institution.
Ultimately, the decision to go to college or not is deeply personal and should be made with careful thought about each person's individual goals, values, and circumstances. Seeking guidance from trusted sources and reflecting on God's call for our lives can help us make informed choices that lead to the future we're looking for in this world.
For more insight about deciding if a Catholic college is right for you, check out The Cardinal Newman Society's Newman Guide.
When Tradition is the Biggest Innovation
When thinking about innovation in education, we often imagine sleek, modern classrooms filled with smart boards and the latest technology. You wouldn’t be wrong to think that. However, when Dr. Alexis Kutarna and the faculty of Cathedral High School in Houston, Texas think about innovation, they look back and pull from the wealth of tradition behind Catholic education, and aim to do something different. They are not focused on educating their students to simply find a career. While they they do prepare them to do so, they supremely focus on educating the whole person, preparing their students to be good citizens, good Catholics and good people.
In this conversation, Dr. Richard Ludwick, President of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, talks to Dr. Alexis Kutarna, Principal of Cathedral High School in Houston, about the link between tradition and innovation to learn how they apply Catholic Tradition in a modern educational context and why every student should learn how to sing.
