Stop calling them public schools (homily text)

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jan. 30, 2011
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Matt 5:1-12. Beatitudes

MP3 Audio Homily summary

Complete homily text: Well, welcome to Catholic Schools week.

Welcome to all—because we all have a stake in that school over there. Certainly we know—that a certain portion of every dollar given on Sunday finds its way over to the school. So you have more than a right to a full accounting of how that money is spent.

And, as well, it is no secret that it is a sometimes daunting task to keep a parish school going. And maybe even more than daunting.

When you think about it, we as a parish school—with all the other parish schools—are actually trying to provide an alternative school system. Basically, we are in competition with the limitless funds of the state that looks upon its own school system as a bottomless pit into which they will throw as much of our tax dollars as possible. How in the name of all that is holy—can we ever hope to compete with that?

Saint Francis de Sales’ “little virtues” of gentleness, kindness, humility, and cheerful optimism shape the monastic life of the Visitation Sisters. Consider a life of prayer and teaching. Washington, DC.

It would seem nearly impossible.

But we might also say that while it might be nearly impossible, there is no more necessary task a parish has than to provide this alternative education. We provide a choice for the parents of this neighborhood—a choice between the education that the government can provide and the education which parents—on their own and with the help of the church—can provide.

I have stopped calling them public schools. They are nothing less than government schools—built by the government, paid for by the government, administered by the government and all for the purposes of the government!

And what are the purposes of the government? To make good little citizens of our children—who will then follow and obey the Government and imbibe the ideas and ideals of the regime in power and be turned into compliant and co-operative servants of the system.

The government schools exist to teach our children what it means to be a modern secular American.

It used to be that they wanted to convert our children to Protestant “Christian”. I remember seeing photographs of little Italian girls in Chicago a hundred years ago—and these little girls went to the famous Jane Addams school—and the photos were of the little girls learning to pray as good Americans pray—and you can bet there was no holy water or signs of the cross—no Hail Marys and crucifixes on the walls. There would be none of that stuff—because that is the way those unkempt Catholics from Italy or Poland or Mexico prayed. Not clean and neat like good little Puritans. Yes they were being taught how to pray in government schools—and it wasn’t Catholic praying.

Of course, times have changed. Our government has decided that religion—even the Protestant religion—should have no place in the lives of our children. They will be taught values—but the values they will be taught will be the world’s values—not the values of the faith of their families.

Yes, the government schools will teach our children right from wrong—true from false—good from bad—but not as their families understand right from wrong —but as the government decides right from wrong—true from false, good from bad.

The government schools can say all day long that they do not teach religion.“Oh we are public schools. We do not teach about God or the Faith or sin or virtue. We leave that up to the parents.”

But that is not quite true. Because what the government school does by ignoring God and Faith and sin and virtue is to teach the religion of the world—secularism. What the government school does is teach our children for 6 hours every day that the supernatural doesn’t really mean anything. It teaches our children that in the scheme of really important thing in their lives, the Catholic religion is not important—it does not count.

What our children do learn in government schools is that that upon which they will be tested and graded and judged are the values and truths of this world— they learn only the things that the government thinks are important.

What do you think our children are absorbing—every day and all day in the government schools when God is never mentioned and right from wrong are distinctions never made?

What are they learning about life and love when all behavior is condoned and the school nurses are passing out condoms? What are they being taught when the government gives them books on how Maria has two mommies—and Juan has two daddies?

What antidote can be provided by Catholic families after their children have spent a whole day—a whole week—a whole year – a whole life learning what the government wants them to learn?

How do you teach them to say the rosary and beg favors and miracles from the Virgin and the Saints—when they don’t even know the Hail Mary?

How do you teach them to go to Mass on Sunday when they have only learned how to shop and go to the Mall—and turn on their droids?

How do you teach your children about the comforts of faith and the beauties of the invisible world of God, when everything and everyone of importance in the government school—by their utter silence—ignores the very existence of those things?

How can they believe what their families believe—how can they follow the traditions of their parents—how can they learn what needs to be learned about saving their souls when for six hours a day—that stuff doesn’t exist?

Now my mother and sister were teachers—in the Chicago Public school system—and they were good Catholics and taught good things—as best they could. But they knew that they were ham-strung when it came to communicating deeper values than the government would allow. They knew they had to be silent when anything they believed as Catholics came up against what government wanted. My mother and my sister—God rest their souls—told me these things. And that is why they sent their children to Catholic schools.

They knew—and you know—that our children need a learning environment that has an eternal purpose. That the point of education is not to churn out good little citizens who will believe and do anything the government wants them to believe and do. We have enough of that already!

No. The purpose of education is to provide for our children a divine reason for their existence—to teach them that there is a God who loves them and wants them to love Him.

The purpose of education—and the highest education is Catholic —is to put our children on the path to heaven. And that path begins right here on earth—in our homes and in our churches and in our Catholic schools.

Now I surely know how expensive this has become. I am the one who has to set tuition rates so that we can pay our teachers and staff a fair salary as well as pay off our heating and electric bills. And it is a cinch that because the government doesn’t like our presence and our competition, they wont give us one penny. And I also know that many parents—as much as they would like to— simply cannot afford to send their children to Catholic schools.

Expense is the major reason why there are only two Catholic schools left in Cicero and two in Berwyn—for tens of thousands of Catholic children. How many of these tens of thousands of Catholic children in Cicero and Berwyn are slipping through the cracks?

Well, there would be none if I had anything to say about it. And we will do everything possible to keep as many children as possible from falling through the cracks.

If we can do it again, we will try to keep from raising the tuition next year as well.

And for all the other families who still cannot come here for regular school, we do provide Catholic instruction—CCD— as the spiritual lifeline for our children. And we will try to reduce their tuition as well, and ask for even more volunteers to teach our faith and the ways of faith.

Is there a need for Catholic schools in the modern world? More than there ever was. And for your sacrifices and scrimping and saving and struggling to keep St Odilo going as the one sure antidote to the secular religion of our society—I thank you. And your children thank you.