Vatican authority is being challenged as Roman Catholic women act upon their vocations to the priesthood, receive ordination, and openly serve their faith communities. Since 2002--when seven women were ordained by male Roman Catholic bishops--190 women have been ordained to the priesthood, including a dozen women bishops. Vatican officials dismiss…

Though the Catholic Church explicitly teaches that women cannot receive priestly ordination, opposition from within and outside the Church continues. The magisterium relies heavily upon the argument from Tradition, claiming that the action and teaching of Christ and his successors verify that he did not bestow upon the Church the power to ordain…

This article responds to the two articles by Sister Catherine Droste and Roy Bourgeois ("ISCE" Vol 7. No. 1 2015) by putting the issue of the Ordination of Women into a wider ecclesial context. Building on Pope Francis's bringing Liberation Theology into central focus, seeking justice for the poorest and vulnerable people, the article…

With an eloquent, and original, comparison of the Holy Family's faith and decisions surrounding acceptance of unexpected gifts to that of families who have one or more children with disabilities, the authors of this article capture an aspect of faith rarely captured within the previous arguments presented for why Catholics must embrace their call…

While this article is not about women's colleges or exclusively women presidents, the author notes, it is women's colleges that have experienced the greatest challenges, due primarily to financial constraints and competition. As operational costs escalated and choices for students increased, many small struggling colleges with little or no…

Although well documented from a British perspective, empirical research exploring the spiritual lives of primary school children in the Australian context is a field in which scholarship is beginning to emerge. This article reports on one particular finding which emerged from an Australian study seeking to identify some characteristics of…

Michael J. Apple's book constitutes, among many other things, an ambitious rethinking of what will be necessary to make the ideal of egalitarian public schooling more appealing to those parents who have, in recent years, found their beliefs and criticisms most readily responded to by various "conservative modernizers" and other enemies of public…

Summarizes the conclusions reached by 336 people representing 22 Catholic educational organizations during a Delphi exercise sponsored by the Catholic Education Futures Project. Presents the participants' consensus concerning technological influences on society, the future of the Catholic Church, religious education, Catholic schools, education in…

Argues that instruction in literature, the sciences, philosophy, and social interaction, in as much as it is part of the process of humanization, is important to the mission of the Catholic Church. (DMM)

Discusses the research finding that the functional community base of Catholic schools is responsible for their effectiveness. Looks at the foundations of functional community (e.g., the religious nature of the schools and the commitment of their teachers). Considers parents' roles within this functional community. (DMM)

In this essay, the author argues that the potential for achieving the goals of critical pedagogy would be enriched if teachers had a fuller understanding of the ties between critical pedagogy and Christian liberation theology. While many are familiar with Paulo Freire's roots in Marxism, the fact that his vision of praxis and conscientization…

One of the most important questions facing Catholic schools today is how can these schools meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's culture and become a living faith community. Evidence suggests that Catholic high schools have a common mission of academic excellence, faith development, and a sense of community; academic, co-curricular, and…

The Church's interpretation of the current ecological crisis as a moral crisis is the catalyst for this essay, which proposes a newly constructed faith-based model for ecological dialogue and education. The exploration and reinterpretation of the traditional Church doctrine of the Virgin Mary as the new Eve provides a theme from which an…

In this article, the author examines the newly revised speakers policy in Boston College. The revised policy, defended by administrators as being consistent with past practice, differs in two important respects from the speakers policy it replaced. Lest the scope of this unfortunate policy be exaggerated, it is important to note that the policy…

Offers advice from a priest and educator on ministering to the Catholic community, including: (1) collaborating and sharing responsibilities; (2) scheduling regular staff meetings that include an agenda, prayer, and minutes; (3) being hospitable; (4) communicating with and listening to church members; (4) taking advantage of archdiocese resources;…