Catholic School: The place for my child in life and in death

by Michael J. Cavanaugh

SALT LAKE CITY — Catholic culture remains at the heart of any successful Catholic school. One of the best and simplest definitions of school culture is, "the way we do things around here." (Bower, 1966, p. 22) As I have studied and reflected on this definition, I am left with the question; What does this mean in the day-to-day interactions as both a theology instructor and associate campus minister in my Catholic school?

Catholic school mission statements contain language with specific reference to the school being a partner with parents on the road to the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, and social development of their child. The Christian community and the Catholic school are an Easter people; we live the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus the mission statement should mention the school as a faith community, because our Catholic school culture says that is what the Catholic school should be. Our Catholic Church documents support this vision. We who teach in Catholic schools unfortunately know all too well our Catholic school may be the only faith community some of our students know. A survey of our student body produced two to one a "yes" response when students were asked if "they belong to a faith community." During one of our in-service days this was shared with faculty and the question arose, what does this mean? As the campus minister, I was interested in how many of our students would indicate that school is their faith-community.

For those who dedicate their professional careers to living and teaching the ministry of the Gospel in Catholic schools, we should not be afraid to ask the question, how serious do we take our mission statement reference to being a faith-community? On the surface it would appear an easy answer.

Certainly our Catholic schools give life to the students in our care, but what of death? Is your school community living its mission faithfully enough to be a source of strength as a partner with parents when tragedy, crisis, and death occur? How many of our Catholic schools could partner with parents when life turns to death?

This question was brought into harsh focus during February 2006 when our Judge Memorial Catholic High School faith community was faced with the tragic loss of one of our students, Anastasia Brothers, in a car accident. As that morning began to unfold with the news of the late evening car accident and death of Anastasia, our administration called a school-wide assembly as our first order of concern.

The news of the car accident and the death were shared with students and faculty. Our school community mourned the loss – an experience that transcends words. As a campus minister, I am thankful for the gift of having a physical space we call a chapel. For those who have had similar experiences in your own school faith communities you know the chapel is the place where students can participate in grief and loss, and at the same time find other students who are experiencing similar pain. The chapel is the place of first steps toward reconciling the pain of loss, which occurs when a loved one dies. A chapel is the place where students find God, and during crisis, pain, and death it is the only place where students find some peace. The chapel is the place where students can pray and experience other students who are also praying. As we all recognize, our young people have an incredible prayer life, and during times of loss and crisis this prayer life is deeply felt. Our students were free to visit the chapel at any time during that day of mourning. The students who had classes with Anastasia held their own rituals. As one of my juniors shared with me that day, "Mr. Cavanaugh, she sat right in front of me during third period, and today the desk was empty, and she is not going to ever be there again."

Later that same evening the same student shared with her father who is also a counselor at our school, "what if that was me Dad?" Thus our chapel is part of our culture at Judge Memorial. Sergiovanni and Corbally, (1984) remind us that culture is the "system of values, symbols, and shared meaning of a group, including the embodiment of these values, symbols, and meanings into material objects and ritual practices."

Having never taught in a public school, I wonder where students go to find a similar place of peace and prayer. Possibly one answer to the issue of school prayer in public schools is simply to dedicate a chapel space in every school. Students, I trust, will figure out what to do there when they visit.

On the second day after the death of Anastasia, her parents approached our school administration with the request that their daughter’s funeral be held "at Judge." The question of "in life and in death" became real. The parent request was respected and fulfilled. As our principal shared with me later, the parent simply said, "Judge is the only faith community our daughter has ever known, she as an immigrant to this country from Eastern Europe, and would like be with her friends and family."

Our school auditorium is part of our culture because it serves as our sacred space for school Masses, liturgies, prayer services, rituals of student recognition and praise, and the rituals of student performance, and on this day it became the sacred space for saying good-bye to Anastasia, and to reassure each other in our faith that we will each see her again, through the power of the risen Christ.

Catholic school culture is powerful when lived to its fullest. As Schein (1992) notes culture is a "pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. The culture governs what is of worth for a particular group and how group members should think, feel, and behave."

My memory of the service is one that I will never forget. Our priest in school began the service in prayer and students participated in the service. In a brief conversation with one of the funeral directors prior to the service, I asked simply, "when was the last time you had a funeral at a school?" The director responded in kind with, "I have been in this business for 37 years, and I have never been a part of anything like this." I am not sure I will again either.

So as I begin each day now I ask simply, "In life and in death, am I giving all I can to each student?

For those who have dedicated their life to Catholic Schools in life and in death...

Michael L. Cavanaugh is a theology instructor and associate campus minister at Judge Memorial, and currently a doctoral student at the University of San Francisco in the Institute for Catholic Educational Learning program.