Choosing a Catholic School

Catholic parents have the duty to raise their children in the one true faith.  Before Vatican II it was easy to fulfil this responsibility, one merely had to send one's children to a Catholic school.  It is no longer as simple as that because most so-called Catholic schools today are Catholic in name only; they have long been taken over by Modernists.  As false religious teaching is infinitely more harmful than no religious teaching, it is far safer if there is no genuinely Catholic school near you to send your children to secular schools and provide their religious education yourself.  How does one discern a genuine Catholic school from the many fakes?  There are four very simple rules:

• Look at the schools mission statement.  If the word "Catholic" has been replaced by the word "Christian", this is a sure sign that those in control are Modernists.
  
  
• Look at the school chapel.  If the tabernacle containing our Blessed Lord has been removed from the centre of the main altar, once again you have a sure sign that those now in control are no longer Catholics but Modernists.
  
  
• Look at the schemes used to teach religion.  If they are using Modernists courses such as "Here I am", "Weaving the Web" or other similar, get out fast and brush the dust from your feet.
  
  
• Finally, if it is a boarding school, inspect the dormitory.  Look at the sort of things the student are allowed to display.  This will give a very clear insight to the ethos of the school.

Catholic Distance University:  CDU was established in 1983 to respond to this need for life long spiritual formation and a deeper knowledge of Church Teaching.  CDU's mission calls for transmitting faithfully and systematically the teachings of Sacred Scripture, the living Tradition of the Church and the authentic Magisterium, as well as the spiritual heritage of the Fathers, Doctors and Saints.  CDU's unique method of distance learning offers adults in every part of the world this opportunity for life long formation and education in the privacy and relaxed setting of the home.  Qualified instructors and inspiring distance courses are available on a variety of levels including undergraduate courses, Masters Degree Programs in Religious Studies, and non-credit Continuing Education courses in a simple, affordable format.

Chavagnes: An English-speaking Catholic boarding school situated in Western France for boys aged 9-18 with superb facilities and a faculty of dedicated Catholic teachers.  Chavagnes joyfully accepts the authentic vision of Catholic education as taught by the Magisterium of the Church; a classical model of education where the faith permeates and informs our approach to every subject in the curriculum.  Unfortunately, it has fallen between two stools: a school of this nature appeals primarily to traditionalists, but the liturgy on offer is Novus Ordo, which most traditionalists wouldn't touch with a very long baguette.

Christendom College:  If you are looking for a college with a glowing reputation for excellence, Christendom would like to shed some light on the subject.  That light is the revealed truth of the Catholic faith.  At Christendom, it shines on every facet of their Liberal Arts curriculum and illuminates every side of student life.  Their fidelity to the Holy Father and the Magisterium has helped it to attract a committed faculty plus a loyal group of donors who've funded a comprehensive financial aid program.  Christendom is committed to offering a truly outstanding education grounded in the truths of faith and reason.

The Fellowship of Catholic University Students: (FOCUS) is a dynamical orthodox movement dedicated to reclaiming the hearts and minds of college students for Jesus Christ.  Their desire is to fulfil the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (Matt 28:18-20) to teach all that Jesus Christ commanded.  They believe that the Catholic Church was founded directly by Jesus Christ and that she possesses the fullness of truth.  With Jesus Christ as their foundation, they seek to reclaim the culture one person at a time.

Franciscan University of Steubenville   This university now claims to attract more undergraduates majoring in theology than any other university in the USA and has received favourable reports from both the secular and Catholic press. As well as information about the university and its courses, the website features BRRICKS, the Bi-weekly Report on Research Information and Computer Knowledge and Skills produced by Reference and Instructional Services of the university's John Paul ll Library. This resource includes Web Watch, a review of research-orientated sites on the Web, Computing Tips which advises how to use software more effectively and The Catholic Researcher which highlights important Catholic reference tools both print and electronic. The site is also worth a visit for information about the Distance Learning program.  Sadly, it is contaminated somewhat with involvement with the post-Conciliar Gnostic Charismatic movement.

Catholic Home Study Service Catholic Home Study Service (CHSS), sponsored by the Vincentian community and the Missouri Knights of Columbus, has been offering free courses on the Catholic Faith for more than fifty years. It is based at Saint Mary's of the Barrens, historic motherhouse of the Vincentian Community in America. These course are available outside the USA. They appear to have far more substance than the depressingly vague touchy-feely nonsense being offered by the English Catholic Enquiry Centre the last time I looked.

Notre Dame de La Salette Boys Academy: A traditional Roman Catholic Boarding School for Boys run by the SSPX.  Notre Dame de La Salette Boys Academy is founded on the wisdom of the Church regarding both the purpose and practice of Christian education. Regarding its purpose, the Academy echoes the teaching of Pope Pius XI, who wrote:"The proper and immediate end of Christian education is to cooperate with divine grace in forming the true and perfect Christian. Christian education takes in the whole aggregate of human life: physical, spiritual,    intellectual, and moral, individual, domestic, and social, not with a view in reducing those in any way, but in order to elevate, regulate, and perfect them in accordance with the example and teaching of Our Lord Jesus Christ."  The aim of Notre Dame de La Salette Boys Academy is the formation of perfect Christians; the scope of their educational system is the whole man.