Incarnation

On the surface, the Catholic identity of Risen Christ School isn't as obvious as it would have been in the Catholic elementary school of our youth. Many of the children - about half aren't Catholic, there isn't daily Mass as there might have been 40 years ago and, as many have asked about, there are no nuns teaching in the classroom.

But as Pope Benedict reminded us when he spoke in the United States this spring, "Catholic identity is not dependent upon statistics." Look beyond the surface and you will discover that the Catholic identity of Risen Christ School runs deep. It can be seen in the things that we do, the values that shape the curriculum of the school and the very reason the school exists.

There are a number of activities that are part of the daily and weekly routine of Risen Christ that help shape the Catholic identity of the school. Prayer, religious formation, social action and outreach are all a part of the school's day. Some examples:

· Each day begins and ends with prayer in the students' homerooms.

· Catholic religious education and formation are part of the curriculum from kindergarten through eighth grade.

· Thursday morning is reserved for Mass and other prayer services. Sometimes even visiting ministers from other non-Catholic churches lead the prayer services, giving the school an ecumenical feel. We are also blessed to have a number of different priests celebrate Mass at the school during the course of the school year.

· Morning announcements remind students of the saint remembered that day, the liturgical season and those in need of their prayers.

During different times of the year there are food drives, Advent circles, Christmas gift giveaways and collections for service projects.

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Beginning in kindergarten, there is daily prayer, paying attention to the liturgical cycle and pictures of saints, Mary and Jesus.

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Music class includes learning religious music for the season and for communal singing at Mass and prayer services.

The school's Catholic identity is not limited to specific activities, it is also found in the classroom learning - the values that underlie the education students receive at Risen Christ School. Here is how some teachers described it in their classrooms:

· Using the Parable of the Pearl from the Gospel of Matthew when reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck. (Middle School teacher)

· Faculty can share their faith experience with children to help them experience faith as an active, changing and vibrant way of life. (Principal)

· Social justice issues are emphasized and part of the school day. (Primary grade teacher)

· Incorporating religion into our Discipline With Purpose lessons because it goes hand in hand with how we behave, treat others and live with integrity, grace and dignity. (Primary grade teacher)

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During Black History month, using the largely religious poems of James Weldon Johnson. (Middle School teacher)

In short, Catholic values are incorporated into and become a part of the learning that happens at Risen Christ School. Sometimes the connection is obvious (like when the handwriting book uses Biblical quotations for practice), sometimes it is more subtle and provides the "lens" through which subjects are taught.

Finally, and perhaps most significantly, Risen Christ exists as a school that serves poor and immigrant children because of its Catholic identity. Another way of saying it is that it is a Catholic school not because its students are Catholic but because those who founded, supported and continue to nurture the school are Catholic.

Catholic social teaching calls us to be with those who are the most poor and vulnerable members of the community. As Pope Benedict told priests and religious brothers and sisters during his recent U.S. visit, "Renew your commitment to schools, especially those in poorer areas." It is a reminder that is good for all of us to hear.

Sometimes, it can be useful to think of Risen Christ School with the same frame of mind you might think of a Loaves and Fishes program: it doesn't matter if the person going through the line is Catholic; what matters is that he or she is hungry and as Catholics we have been called to feed that person. Likewise, it doesn't matter if the child at the desk is Catholic; what matters is that he or she needs an education to escape from poverty and as Catholics we are called to provide that opportunity.

Finally, these words of Pope Benedict when he visited the United States express well the profound role Risen Christ and other Catholic schools have in shaping our world:

Countless dedicated religious sisters, brothers, and priests together with selfless parents have, through Catholic schools, helped generations of immigrants to rise from poverty and take their place in mainstream society.

This sacrifice continues today. It is an outstanding apostolate of hope, seeking to address the material, intellectual and spiritual needs of over three million children and students. It also provides a highly commendable opportunity for the entire Catholic community to contribute generously to the financial needs of our institutions. Their long-term sustainability must be assured. Indeed, everything possible must be done, in cooperation with the wider community, to ensure that they are accessible to people of all social and economic strata. No child should be denied his or her right to an education in faith, which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation.

It is this "apostolate of hope" that Risen Christ Catholic School is privileged to share with its founding parishes: Holy ame, Holy Rosary, Incarnation, St. Albert's and St. Stephen's.