Catholic schools are called to embody an identity and charism that make a unique and meaningful contribution to our Church and society. In the article, the authors present a coherent and relevant framework for thinking about Catholic identity and charism in contemporary schools using relationships as the organizing principle. The authors assert…

Maintaining a distinctive Catholic identity is a challenge for Catholic schools today. Religious identity must be nurtured and it must be contextualized for the 21st century. This paper suggests marks of contemporary Catholic character. Also, it proposes looking at religious identity through the lens of student experience and graduate outcomes.…

The most pressing challenges facing American Catholic educational leaders today are funding, Catholic identity, and leadership. Funding is the most pressing issue and it involves recruiting and retaining teachers, balancing affordability with quality, and justifying the worth of Catholic schools. Catholic identity issues include reconciling the…

In "Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium," the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB; 2005) calls on Catholic colleges and universities to work with diocesan educational leaders to prepare leaders for Catholic schools. In response, the Creighton University Education…

Today's Catholic educational leaders are engaged in a building program, not unlike that of the Catholic religious leaders in the early- to mid-20th century who initiated and oversaw the building of scores of schools, hospitals, and other Catholic institutions. The goal for today's Catholic educational leaders is to design and build Catholic…