Catholic Education is very much to the fore in the media in these days. Should the Church be engaged in education or not is the dominant question. In the week when the polls are quoting percentages for and against, the Church has launched two important developments in Catholic Education.

On the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas Cardinal Sean Brady launched Catholic Schools Week and the Catholic Schools Partnership. Catholic Schools Week has been a feature in other countries for many years including Northern Ireland, England and Scotland. Its celebration is very new in this country. It is a week of celebrating the Catholic School and sharing what it does with the wider community.

  Resources for schools for Catholic Schools Week 2010

This year its steering committee has issued wonderful and colourful material to schools and parishes. Two books, one for primary the other for post primary pupils and students, provide suggestions and outlines of many activities to be undertaken in the parishes, schools and homes. On Sunday 31st January many priests introduced Catholic Schools Week to their parishioners at Sunday Masses. The week runs until 7th February.

At the same event held in Emmaus on 28th January, 2010 the Catholic Schools Partnership (CSP) was also formally set on its way. During the inaugural prayer service Cardinal Sean Brady handed a lighted candle to Fr. Michael Drumm, CEO of the new Catholic Schools Partnership.

The Council of the CSP has thirty-two members representing all the stakeholders in Catholic Education both North and South of the Border. It is intended as an umbrella body which will reflect on the core concerns of Catholic Education and act on such issues as School Provision and Supporting those involved in Catholic Education at Primary and Secondary levels. In his speech Fr. Drumm reminded us that St. Thomas Aquinas, whose feast we were celebrating, was one of the greatest teachers in the Church and, like us, lived in a time of uncertainty and extraordinary change for the Church. He urged the Council and those involved in Catholic Schools Week to proceed with the courage and conviction of St. Thomas so that the Church would learn how to speak in this time and dialogue with and interrogate the culture.

Ena Quinlan rsm representing the Management Body of Catholic Secondary Schools and Thomasina Finn rsm representing the Conference of Religious of Ireland are the Mercy members on the Council of CSP.

We wish the CSP and Catholic Schools the wisdom of the Spirit to act in truth and compassion for all God’s people in these times.

Thomasina Finn rsm
Congregation