Denver Catholic

VOLUME XCII - NO. 2 | 115 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE GOSPEL | JANUARY 23-FEBRUARY 12, 2016 www.DenverCatholic.org | @DenverCatholic | www.facebook.com/DenverCatholic | DenverCatholic@archden.org Vision document aims to revitalize Catholic schools C atholic Schools Week is Jan. 31 – Feb. 6, and in honor of the occa- sion, the O ce of Catholic Schools is releasing a vision document highlight- ing what characteristics make a school deserving of the title "Catholic." At last year's Catholic school sym- posium, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila gathered with over 200 teachers, prin- cipals, pastors and archdiocesan leaders to discuss ways to overcome the chal- lenges facing Catholic schools. The fruits of the symposium have man- ifested themselves in a vision document titled "Worthy of the Name." The opening letter for the document, penned by Archbishop Aquila and Superintendent of Catholic Schools Kevin Kijewski, describes the mission of Catholic schools as assisting "parents in helping their children encounter Jesus Christ and the gift of our Catholic faith," and speaks of the vision formulated as a result of the symposium. "This vision is ambitious," the letter states, "but rightly so, since the issues we are facing are signifi cant and cannot be remedied without robust solutions." The document describes four focus areas: "On mission," "Excellent in every way," "Accessible to all," and "Sustainable for the future." ON MISSION With authentic discipleship in schools being a key focus of the plan, the hiring process for Catholic school teachers is going to be refi ned and will include a stronger focus on ensuring the teachers hired are what the document refers to as "disciple-teachers." It also involves administrators and candidates discerning the profession of being a teacher at a Cath- olic school as a vocation, and not just a job. "Being a teacher at a Catholic school is a vocation, a calling that God gives to those whom he wants to play a vital role in help- ing parents," the vision document states. "Teachers should strive to possess and communicate real Christian wisdom and virtue in teaching. The method of such teachers ought to convey to their students and awaken in them something beyond the subject by helping them understand the subject's proper place in the students' lives, showing them how it points to the universal truths BY AARON LAMBERT 303-715-3138 aaron.lambert@archden.org www.twitter.com/AaronLmbrt | » 4 Worthy of the Name St. Francis de Sales » 16 Lenten lessons and praying for journalists Myths vs. Facts » 10 Physician-assisted suicide legislation to be reintroduced Bishop Barron » 23 Mother Teresa: saint of light, saint of darkness WORTHY OF THE NAME Vision document: Read "Worthy of the Name" at denvercatholicschools.com Teleforum: Discuss the vision doc- ument with Archbishop Aquila and Kevin Kijewski on Feb. 11 at 7pm. Text OCS to 828282 to register. i March for Life » 8-• Watch Archbishop Aquila speak about physician-assisted suicide at archden.org/life ONLINE PHOTO BY ANDREW WRIGHT/DENVER CATHOLIC

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