Case for Homeschooling - Exhibit 3

Michael Petrany, a Catholic homeschooled student, was recognized in his local newspaper – the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, West Virginia – for his academic achievement. The link takes you to the full article. I quote in part below:

Michael Petrany took the college entrance test in June, when he was 15, and he was one of four West Virginia students to accomplish a perfect score, the second Huntington resident in the past year.

But as surprised as the homeschooled student was, he admitted the test was "fairly easy for the most part." He took the test, like his older brother before him, because he wanted to take classes at Marshall while finishing his high school degree. This semester, he is taking art, and he plans to take calculus, philosophy and political science.

That’s a well-rounded and an impressively challenging curriculum. The article continues…

When he's not reading textbooks, Michael Petrany is reading something else. He also plays the piano, volunteers at Ebenezer Medical Outreach and attends a regional Catholic youth group.

As for his future, well, he's still only 16. He's exploring his college options and may follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor.

Best to you Michael!

Laity Called to Change the World at Christendom College’s Summer Institute

Here is some news from Christendom College which is relevant to the purpose of this blog. Since I was unable to be there in person, I'm happy to see that I can obtain copies of the talks given by the invited speakers. I would encourage many of you to do the same if the descriptions below are of interest to you.

Laity Called to Change the World at Christendom College’s Summer Institute
“Now is the time for a dramatic infusion of strategically placed competent pro-life people of faith in government,” said Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) at Christendom College’s 19th annual Summer Institute held July 12 at the college’s Front Royal, Va., campus.

Focusing on the role of the laity in the Catholic Church the institute welcomed attendees from across the country to hear not only from Smith, but film producer Steve McEveety, medical doctor John Bruchalski, Rev. Thomas Dubay, journalist Colleen Carroll Campbell, and Christendom College president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell.

In his talk entitled Bearing Witness to the Truth in the Political Sphere, Smith spoke of the human rights that governments and international organizations attempt to enumerate and declare.

“Such fundamental rights do not come from the U.N. or from sovereign governments,” he said. “If they did then governments and international organizations would not only have the power but the legitimate authority to rescind what had previously been conferred. If our fundamental rights are truly rights and not mere privileges, then they must be derived from a source that precedes and transcends any earthly political power, indeed they must come from God.”

The congressman declared that what the U.S. government needs is “an army of Thomas Mores.” Now is the time for a dramatic infusion of strategically placed competent pro-life people of faith in government, he said.

He believes that congress has a duty to protect everyone at risk not just the planned, the privileged, and the perfect. Unborn children have inherent worth, value, and dignity, given to them by God, not by politicians. The unborn are not disposable commodities or junk, they are children, he said.

“I believe that anyone who is willing to learn with due diligence can master the art of policy making. It’s not rocket science. The ministry of politics begs and it beckons. And if enough people answer the call, the world will be made much safer for the family, including its smallest and most vulnerable members unborn children,” he said.

“This [Christendom College] is truly a remarkable place that is having such an impact on so many lives—men and women who will then go out into the world and bring the great news of Christ and His justice to the world,” he concluded.

Steve McEveety, executive producer of films such as We Were Soldiers and Braveheart, spoke candidly about his work on The Passion of the Christ in an address entitled Faith in Film.

“The devil masqueraded himself quite well for me in my life, always with beauty and good things—like he usually tempts you—but that wasn’t working on this,” McEveety said. “So strange things would happen, which I won’t get into, but I’ll tell you a few great things that counteracted those strange things that happened.”

He shared one remarkable story of a crewmember that was struck by lightening twice and survived unscathed. This crewmember, which McEveety referred to as “lightening boy,” was the first child baptized by John Paul II. It was also this crewmember that eventually led to their ability to screen the film for John Paul II, who famously said that the film “is ­­­as it was.”

McEveety closed his address by announcing that he has begun pre-production work on a film based on the book Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Conquest of Darkness by Christendom College’s Founding President Dr. Warren Carroll.

Presidential speechwriter and journalist Colleen Carroll Campbell filled the attendees with hope with her talk Catholic Journalism and the New Faithful. Carroll presented many statistics and personal testimonies, revealing that the new faithful of this generation have the potential to reshape American Christianity in the next century.

“The new faithful,” Carroll said, “belong to the new generation raised in the wake of the sexual revolution and ­­no-fault divorce. While this generation was never urged to seek Jesus or avoid sin or carry the cross, they were simply told to be nice to each other, believe what suited them, and never commit the cardinal sin of intolerance.”

This lack of formation, according to Carroll, left many young adults adrift confused and estranged from the Church, but this childhood without God has often lead these young adults to an intense spiritual search that culminated in conversion.

“This generation is turning back to traditional sacramental forms of worship. Eucharistic devotion, praying of the rosary, the liturgy of the hours, and the Latin Mass have become more popular. There is a counter-sexual revolution going on as well in the world of fashion and courtship mores,” she said.

“As one seminarian put it,” she said, “‘we’re rebelling against the rebellion. We want tradition.’”

Carroll noted that despite the fact that the new faithful are a minority in their generation, their zeal for cultural engagement and their commitment to proclaiming the faith suggests that their impact may far exceed their numbers.

“These young believers may be the early adopters of a larger trend with the potential to renew the Church and transform the culture in the years to come,” she concluded.

“I thank you so much for this invitation,” Dr. John Bruchalski said at the beginning of his talk, The Healing Presence of Christ in the Practice of Medicine. “I congratulate [Christendom College] on 30 years here. Dr. Carroll—I can’t thank him enough for what he has done to start this place.”

In his talk Bruchalski read a letter he had been given from a father to a son that demanded that he abort his third child for financial reasons. The letter was harsh and cruel and revealed the would-be-grandfather’s blindness to the life of the unborn child. He also related a recent story of the illegally signing of a waiver for a 16-year-old Guatemalan girl to have an abortion by the Richmond Diocese Catholic Charities.

“This is my life as an OB/GYN in America today,” Bruchalski said. “I don’t really have a funny story to tell because it is indeed not very funny.”

He described the confusion that he experienced as a layman before he had a re-conversion. He would distribute Communion at Mass and then distribute the contraceptives at work. His education had told him that this was the right thing to do. He thought he could change the Church.

He said that the current moral confusion has resulted in a crisis in medicine today. “Medicine has done tremendously good things,” he said, “but science can only bring progress – it cannot bring redemption. And yet, in our life we are faced with this paradox, great health care, but God forbid we take the holistic approach—addressing the body, soul, and spirit of the patient.”

In closing, Brulchalski admonished the audience to do three things: to trust in Jesus, to acknowledge the fact that we are the Body of Christ, and to be ready to suffer.

Christendom College president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell spoke of the lay charism and Catholic education.

“There can be no intelligent understanding of the role of the laity in the Church’s apostolate without a precise understanding of the Church herself,” he began. “All members are called to contribute to Her growth. The laity is called to exercise their apostolate as a leaven in the world.”

O’Donnell reminded listeners that they are involved in a war. The Church on earth is the Church Militant or the Church Fighting against what he called “the grand alliance”: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

He expressed the need for laity to not be fearless in the witnessing of the Faith, even though it seems like the battle against the culture of death is being lost on all fronts.

“The world has always awaited and proclaimed the death of the Church, but death could not hold Christ our Divine Head and it certainty will not be able to hold the divinized members working in the world as lay members of the Church Militant. For certainly, if we apply the words of that great soldier, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and pray as if everything depended on God and act as if everything depended on ourselves, the Divine Mercy will certainly not be found wanting,” he concluded.

Mass was concelebrated by renowned theologian Rev. Thomas Dubay who delivered a homily on man’s universal call to holiness. Dubay told a story of a group of prisoners who began a prayer group that sought to live as contemplatives amongst prison life.

“Each one of us is called to a profound intimacy with the Trinity,” he said. “If these men, in their circumstances, which are very painful, even in a modern prison, can get to heroic virtue and a profound intimacy with the Trinity, you and I have no excuse whatsoever of failing to reach heroic virtue and deep intimacy with the Trinity.”

All of the above talks can be ordered by contacting National Media Services at 540-635-4181. Next summer’s institute is planned for June 26-27, 2009, and will focus on St. Paul: His Spiritual and Scriptural Contributions to the Church. Invited speakers include Dr. Scott Hahn, Dr. Tim Gray, and Archbishop Charles Chaput. Look to [the Christendom College] website for more information in the future.

Free Congress Foundation Praises Christendom College as Excellent American College

OK, so our two children (two at the present time) are still young and probably not thinking about college. That doesn't mean that my wife and I aren't thinking about it. One can't help to think about college options when considering Catholic Homeschooling because some may not be as receptive of a home schooled child.

We've spent some time looking at the good Catholic colleges around the nation. Naturally, we haven't seen these places in person (yet), but we can look around online and gain an initial impression based what on what we see. "The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College: What to Look For and Where to Find It" has been helpful in locating the cream of the crop and thus focusing our efforts. The guide has recommended the "top 21 Catholic colleges and universities which most faithfully live their Catholic identity and provide a quality undergraduate education."

Of all the recommended picks, Christendom College has stuck out to us. It's not all that large and it's fairly new (founded in 1977). Their proximity to Seton Home School (a large Catholic homeschool organization) has drawn many homeschooled students to enroll, and Christendom is more than happy to accept them.

What's most impressive about the college is how firm they are in providing an authentic Catholic environment that isn't "watered down" in any way to make it seem more appealing. It appears that the students are drawn, in addition to the academics, to the college's fidelity to the Magisterium in much the same way that vocations to the religious life seem to be more plentiful in the religious orders that adhere more strictly to wearing religious habits and a deep spiritual life.

Christendom has really impressed us for many others reasons. For example, we recently read the news that Pope Benedict XVI warmly welcomed Christendom College during a Wednesday Papal Audience at the Vatican on March 5, 2008 and blessed a marble cornerstone for the planned addition to Christendom's Christ the King Chapel. Secondly, Francis Cardinal Arinze is also noted as being a good friend of the college.

Positive associations aside, their website points out that daily Mass is encouraged by all the students and faculty... no classes are scheduled during that time of day to assist everybody from having any time conflicts. Furthermore, the dorm rooms do not have internet access. That may seem like a negative to many, but it's not when you consider the amount of time people spend on the internet (rather than on their studies), not to mention the possible access to harmful content (i.e., pornography, illegal MP3 downloads, etc.).

In addition to their academic programs, they are also active during the summer months. For example, they have wonderful speakers come to give power-packed presentations at the "Summer Institute". I personally would have loved to have attended this year's Summer Institute titled "The Role of the Laity in the Catholic Church" (links to news release of the event). They had a wonderful lineup of speakers to address this important topic. More on this at a later time.

In addressing this post's subject line, allow me to close with some recent news regarding an evaluation of Christendom College.

Front Royal, VA (JULY 7, 2008) - Christendom College is “a conservative thorn in the side of our nation’s capital and nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley” according to the Free Congress Foundation’s (FCF) report What Makes an Excellent American College: “Liberal” Ideas Every Conservative Should Love, released July 3.

The report is a response to frequent requests for “a recommendation for good institutions of higher learning,” the FCF stated. Schools included in the report had to meet a demanding 11-point criterion developed by the FCF.

“Too many universities have either forgotten that human beings have souls or intentionally have set about wrecking them,” the report laments. Yet, “islands of sanity do exist.”

Christendom College “has its fair share of high-powered speakers, and the school ensures that their presentations are compatible with the mission of the school” and “one would be hard pressed to find a more faith-filled and politically active student body in the United States,” the report states.

“With 84 core credits required for graduation this school has perhaps the most demanding core curriculum of any college in the United States,” the report continues. “Christendom is committed to maintaining a wholesome, entertaining, genuinely Catholic environment for her students in unison with rigorous academic standards.”

“We are pleased that the Free Congress Foundation has included us in their short list of excellent American colleges,” says Director of Admissions Tom McFadden. “We strive to be the premier Roman Catholic college in the United States and based on the fact that we are having our best recruiting year ever, many high school aged students must be viewing us that way too.”

Other schools listed in the report include Hillsdale College, Thomas Aquinas College, Grove City College, and the Catholic University of America.

To read the full report visit http://www.freecongress.org/commentaries/2008/080703.aspx.

###

Contact: Christendom College
http://www.christendom.edu/ VA, US
Niall O'Donnell - Asst. Director of PR, 540-636-2900
Keywords: Christendom College Free Congress Foundtion Excellent American College

Sins of Omission: Catholics, Marriage, and Politics

by Mary Jo Anderson posted on InsideCatholic.com:

The California Supreme Court supremely violated the will of the people of that state when it overturned California’s eight-year-old Defense of Marriage Act. The court declared that homosexuals have a right to marry the person of their choice.

The Catholic governor of California supported this ruling, as did several other prominent, publicly Catholic Californians. The court went on to grind salt into the wound by denying all motions to stay the ruling until October when the voters would have a chance to -- once again -- vote on the issue.

Leave aside for the moment the blow this event portends for the democratic process. Instead, examine the trickle-down effect: Children in California schools, from kindergarten through graduation, will be captive victims of homosexuality portrayed as a healthy, viable, and legal lifestyle choice. Parents and students who object to reading King and King (wherein the prince, not caring for princesses, marries another prince) will be penalized. Because it is now enshrined in law, if you object, you are the party out of step, beyond the bounds of new community standards.

Many sincere Catholics might hope to move their children out of public schools, if they can afford private school tuition. It is unclear just what the new legal requirements may be for religious schools (though test cases are sure to come). But we already know that California homeschooling families could face criminal charges after a District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles decreed that only certified teachers can teach homeschooled students.

What we see clearly is that people whose faith informs their morals are now squeezed between the walls of a social-political vise. The attack on marriage puts our civilization in crisis for believers and non-believers alike.

But the response from some Catholics so far has been tepid. Take the following statement released by the California Catholic Conference:

Although we strongly disagree with the ruling, we ask our Catholic people, as well as all the people of California, to continue to uphold the dignity of every person, to acknowledge individual rights and responsibilities, and to maintain support for the unique and irreplaceable role of traditional marriage as an institution which is fundamental to society.

“Maintain support” for traditional marriage? Catholic support requires more episcopal muscle than the release of a mild statement. Because the Church is "the universal sacrament of salvation" (Lumen Gentium), our shepherds should be mobilizing Catholics to fight back. Every Catholic priest, religious, businessman, teacher, doctor, banker, grocer, landlord, professor, and college student should be sent out with a mandate to fight for marriage.

Others did send public and sober warnings. Bishop Thomas Wenski of the Diocese of Orlando wrote,

In redefining the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex unions, the proponents of "gay marriage" are in effect imposing their views and lifestyle on the larger populace, and once legal the state's coercive power will punish those who refuse to embrace gay marriages. For example, public officials, regardless of their views on the rightness or wrongness of homosexual acts, will be obliged to officiate at same-sex "weddings." Public schools will be required to teach their acceptability to children whether parents concur or not. Even First Amendment freedoms will not be protected from assault.

We have become a flaccid people. Catholics hesitate to speak out forcefully for the basics of societal morality. We do not wish to be labeled bigots or dismissed as intolerant. We fear social and professional opprobrium. Our goal is to preserve our comfortable lives rather than take on the challenge of gospel fidelity. We have forgotten that piety is not a feeling, but the determination to serve God despite the hardships that service might encounter.

In short, we are guilty of sins of omission.

Few shepherds teach us that we have been called to this nation at this moment in history for a reason. "A new state of affairs today both in the Church and in social, economic, political and cultural life, calls with a particular urgency for the action of the lay faithful. If lack of commitment is always unacceptable, the present time renders it even more so. It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle" (Christifideles Laici).

Thousands of Catholics will rally when visible leaders send them forth. When I speak at Catholic conferences, well-meaning people assure me that because the culture is debauched, "God will surely understand why so many have gone astray." Perhaps. These Catholics are devoted enough to come to conferences, but have stopped short of venturing out of their comfort zones and into the culture as agents of God's grace.

Some protest that “we aren't responsible for what these politicians and judges do." But Deuteronomy 16 paints a different picture: In an outline of how the Children of God are to possess the land, they are told to appoint good judges and civil leaders and not to “pervert justice.” Because we live in liberty, where we can freely choose our leadership, we have an identical responsibility to select moral leadership. We are a representative democracy -- that is, our leaders are ours by choice. Thus, for Catholic Americans to choose leaders who bow to perversion is a grievous sin. Those who fail to work against evil leadership are also guilty by omission.

Thoughtful Catholics wrestle key moral issues each time an election cycle is upon us. But there are clear lines of demarcation; there are first principles. A faithful Christian cannot ignore the fact that natural marriage and the right to life are the twin pillars upon which all other societal goods are built. A presidential candidate who celebrates gay unions and refuses to defend natural marriage, but who champions the right to abort, is not our candidate.

Mary Jo Anderson is the co-author of Male and Female He Made Them: Some Questions and Answers on Marriage and Same-sex Unions, and is a frequent contributor to InsideCatholic.com.

Case for Homeschooling - Exhibit 2

Last time, I shared one of the negative motivations for choosing to keep our children out of government schools and placing them at home for their education. Today, I share a positive aspect of homeschooling from the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and Dr. Brian Ray.

Homeschooling Grows Up
Homeschooling Grows Up is the largest research survey to date of adults who were home educated. Over the last decade, researchers, professionals, parents, the media, and many others have asked repeatedly: How do homeschooled students turn out? Can a homeschool graduate get into college or get a job? How do they fit into society? Are they good citizens? Are they happy?

In 2003, HSLDA commissioned Dr. Brian D. Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, to conduct a study to answer these questions. The results of his research demonstrate that homeschoolers are succeeding.

Click here for online, PDF, and print copies of this research study.

IHM National Homeschool Conference

Speaking of Catholic homeschooling, we have to mention this fantastic homeschool conference -- The Immaculate Heart of Mary Homeschool and Parent Conference in Chantilly, Virginia. Although this year's conference has passed, the dates have been set for next year -- June 12th & 13th, 2009.

Although we had wanted to go this year because of the great lineup of speakers and topics and vendors, two things kept us from attending -- finances (or rather, the lack thereof) and the pending delivery of our second child. As disappointed as we are about not being able to attend, we can joyfully say that we're enjoying the time at home with our newborn. And as a consolation, we will soon be ordering the conference talks on CD! Last year's talks have been played repeatedly in our home and in the car because of the great wealth of information shared by the insightful & inspirational speakers.

If all goes well, we hope to attend the conference in 2009. At that point, our youngest, Gabriel, will be 11 months old and our oldest, Michael, 3 years old. We'll really need to take advantage of the conference in order to better prepare ourselves for the pre-school and kindergarten activities Michael will soon be undertaking. It's never too early to prepare, especially when it comes to something as important as our children's education.

If anybody attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary conferences in 2008 (or previous years), please let us know what you thought of the conference. Are you planning on attending the conference in 2009?

Case for Homeschooling - Exhibit 1

Our family and friends know that my wife and I have been seriously considering Catholic Homeschooling (and yes, there is a difference between Catholic Homeschooling and other forms of Homeschooling - a discussion for another time). Although we don't watch much TV in our home, yesterday my wife and I were watching a little bit of the news when we saw a terrifying story that reinforced our motives for homeschooling our children.

The news story very calmly explained how the local law enforcement officers were receiving special training in how to react to a school shooting situation like those seen across the country, the most notable likely being the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. Using real children with masks on to protect themselves from the paintball shots, they ran through the halls in simulated scenarios. Interviewed children spoke of how scared some of them were even though they knew this to be a simulation. The officers spoke about the necessity of the training.

Now I don't doubt the need for the training. Columbine is just one example of many. I'm glad that law enforcement is taking the measures needed to prepare themselves for all sorts of hostile situations. But doesn't this news story miss a key point... that public schools (hereafter called government schools [1]) are now considered hostile territory with a very real threat potential that a fellow student could very easily kill our children for even the most minor of motives?

There are many underlying reasons why children are killing children -- far too many to go in to now. And while those reasons do need to be addressed with solutions, I would like to take this time to focus on the current situation and a response. To do this, let me put the current situation in other terms.

Although the likelihood of a school shooting is slim for most kids in government schools, I wonder how many parents would play those odds at Russian Roulette. Would any parent be willing to pull the trigger on a hypothetical gun pointed at their child with only one 1 bullet among hundreds of open chambers? Although the odds are extremely low that the single bullet would actually fire, would any loving parent be willing to accept those odds with the potential to injure or kill their child?

Until the needed solutions to the underlying problem of school shootings take effect, we still have the current situation which requires a more immediate response. One immediate response is to consider alternatives to placing our children in harm's way. And when it comes to the area of education there are alternatives! Homeschooling is the alternative.

When a family chooses to homeschool their child(ren), there is no need to expose the children to hostage training drills. Children don't have to wake up daily with a fear that one of their many fellow students is planning a way to kill them. Homeshooling parents don't have to worry that their children are going to be injured or killed. There is a peace of mind that comes with the homeschooling alternative. Unfortunately, many other parents with children in government schools have simply accepted fear as being part of their child's education experience. I'm sorry, but fear of death should not be part of the education experience for any child and I would consider it negligent of any parent to willingly expose their children to these hazards.

In time, we'll continue to discuss the case for homeschooling -- both the positive and negative reasons. This just happens to be one of the negative situations found in government schools which are driving over a million families in the U.S. to pull their kids out of the government school system and to educate them at home. If you're one of those families that have taken the leap into homeschooling, drop us a line or submit a comment to share with us your reasons for doing so.

FOOTNOTE
[1] So-called "public" schools is an inaccurate description of what they really are. If they were public schools, they would reflect the views of the public, including their religious views. In actuality, these schools reflect the secular, anti-religious views of the government.

Becoming a Catholic Family

As we come across resources we feel to be worthwhile, we will be sure to share them with you. Here's one we received in an email today which speaks directly to the topics we speak of on this site.

Becoming a Catholic Family
from St. Joseph Communications
Scott and Kimberly Hahn share the triumphs and difficulties they encountered attempting to build a Catholic family. Like you, they had to discern how to balance faith with the realities of marriage, work, educating the kids, and more. In this informative and inspirational presentation you'll gain practical knowledge and a truly Catholic theological perspective on marriage as an indissoluble, life-giving union. An inspiration for Catholic couples based on the words of Scripture and the teaching of the Church.