Part of a six volume series of theme papers commissioned for the National Congress on Catholic schools for the 21st century, November 6-10, 1991, this document contains two of the theme papers. In "Catholic Identity and the Future of Catholic Schools" James Heft considers several ways to think about Catholic identity, describes the historical development of Catholic schools in the United States, and outlines four possible scenarios for the future of Catholic education. The second paper, "Catholic Identity" by Carleen Reck, discusses how the Catholic school needs to understand its identity before it can clarify its relationship with the church and society. This relationship can then suggest some possible directions for the future. The document concludes with a study and discussion guide and biographical information about the authors. (KM)