by Ricardo Izquierdo,
Director of the Office of Hispanic Ministry
It does not benefit anyone to pretend that our diocesan schools are perfect. They are not, but they do not have to be.
The famous spiritual writer Father Jacques Philippe wrote in his book “Thirsting for Prayer” that bitterness and disappointment follow whenever we expect too much from anything that is not God. This is not an excuse for any failings in our schools, but we also need to realize that they are staffed, led, and attended by people who are not God. Hopefully, they are people who have strong desires to lead their pupils toward God, and who are open to His grace, but people are also subject to human limitations, concupiscence, and societal pressures.
Even if our schools were perfect, we could not do away with the axiom that parents are the primary educators of their children. That is why saints can still be made, even in public schools. I commend the work that youth ministers and educators have done in having Bible studies at East High School in Lincoln, for example.
So, if our Catholic school graduates are not turning out to be what God wants, the main human responsibility still rests with us as parents. It is rare indeed that a child whose parents are not on fire for the faith will choose to make it his or her own.
All that being said, I also want to write about my experience in the Diocese of Lincoln school system, and why I will continue to send my children to our Catholic schools.
I joined Pius X High School in Lincoln as a sophomore, after having done seventh through ninth grade in public schools. Growing up in Colombia, I had gone to an exclusive Catholic school staffed by the La Salle Christian Brothers. But when we arrived in the U.S., their Miami location was prohibitively expensive (the current tuition: $15,620). It was not until we moved to Lincoln that Sister Mary Alma at St. Peter Elementary reached out to my parents about having my brother Santiago attend that school, and a year later I had the opportunity to return to Catholic education.
I will be the first to admit I initially struggled at Pius, for the reasons a teenager might: I lost my old friends, it felt stuffy compared to Southwest High School, and it was significantly harder academically. I remember being able to coast easily before; not so much at Pius.
However, that school changed my life. I went on to go to seminary, and although I left formation, I was able to come back to the diocese and serve as a lay person. Now I am happily married to a holy woman—another Pius graduate—with whom I get to work toward leading a Christ-centered life with our three children. Only God knows if I would still be Catholic if I had not gone to Pius, but I am certain it would have been far more difficult otherwise.
Here are three areas or memories that stick out in my mind, as to how Pius X High School helped me to become a faithful Catholic:
1. Daily Mass and Sacraments
I distinctly remember seeing Father Andrew Kurz pray his breviary every day after Mass, and it made me want to do the same. I also remember the countless times having confession available after school helped me return to a state of grace.
2. Orthodox teaching
I know not all priests are disposed to be teachers, but having someone with strong theological formation be my religion teacher sent a clear message: that it was worth their time teaching me. In particular, the strong philosophical arguments that Father Joseph Faulkner and Father Jay Buhman presented to us gave me an example of deeper thinking about the questions of life and how God answers them.
3. Kindness and joy
When I got to Pius, I was still not fluent in English, so to have a Language Arts teacher as patient and encouraging as Mrs. Connealy made a world of difference in that tough time of transition from public school. I also love art, and I took almost every class Mrs. Rodaway offered, which helped me take a break from subjects I was not so crazy about.
I want my children to have the same opportunities that I did. However, we go on this journey with open eyes: I know we will still have to live out at home what they are taught in school. I know I will have to be aware of who their friends and teachers are, and hold the schools accountable to their Catholic identity. I still believe in the mission of our diocesan schools, in the differences they have compared to public schools, and how affordable they are. I pray that this mission may continue and bring forth fruit for the salvation of souls.
