The Columbus Dispatch reports that Hale had a divorce and now cohabits with her lesbian partner leaving her children with a “blended” (i.e., broken) family of mom, dad, and two step-moms–or perhaps a step-aunt? The study of genealogy is notably silent on the terminology for such creative arrangements. Apparently the extended Hale family lives by the apocryphal African proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO has vowed to join in the public intimidation of the Catholic Church, undoubtedly with their usual thuggish tactics.

These liberal forces that are attacking the Church are biting the hand that feeds the people they claim to represent. Catholic schools provide an indispensible service, especially to inner city families that cannot afford secular private schools. After decades of neglect and mismanagement under one-party rule, inner city public schools are so bad that even by the third grade, urban students are already far behind their suburban peers. Catholic schools, on the other hand, are consistently awarded for their high standards while at the same time providing tuition assistance to underprivileged youths as part of the Church’s mission of Christian charity.

Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery by Alessandro Turchi, c. 1600

Charity does not mean that the Catholic Church must abandon its most sacred and central mission, which is the salvation of mankind. Contrary to the blabbering of dissidents who claim the Catholic Church is in need of liberal reforms, the Church has always been most concerned with the repentance and forgiveness of sin from the beginning when Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in the upper room. However, the confession of sin must arise from a contrite heart. Jesus tells us to “go and sin no more.” He does not tell us, “do whatever makes you feel happy.” Grace alone is not enough. We must also do good works.

There is no question whatsoever that both women violated Church teachings or their contractual obligations. They certainly are not living according to the commandment of Jesus that the sacred matrimonial bond between one man and woman which is consummated in the act of procreation–the literal and figurative union of two into one flesh–must never be broken. Furthermore, the case of Christa Dias puts paid to the absurd argument offered by Carla Hale’s defenders that the Catholic Church would never fire a straight teacher for immoral conduct. Man or woman, gay or straight, sex outside of marriage is always immoral. It doesn’t matter who is doing what to whom.

However, instead of leaving this as an internal disciplinary matter, liberals are obsessed with enforcing secular values on the Catholic Church because Catholic institutions provide essential public services that threaten their power–especially in the inner city where liberals are accustomed to wielding absolute and unchallenged control. True charity given freely undermines the social engineering through coercive force which is the centerpiece of modern liberalism. Liberals believe what they say about diversity and inclusion, but they reserve a special enmity towards the Catholic Church precisely because its insistence on good works and subsidiarity is a glorious and brilliant inconvenience to the entire liberal project.

Campbell said earlier in the day that Hale was not fired because of her sexual orientation but because her “quasi-spousal relationship” with another woman violates the church’s moral teaching. He said Hale violated a teacher contract and Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus policy that prohibits immoral behavior and requires employees to follow general church tenets.

In an exclusive interview with The Dispatch, the bishop said diocesan officials “don’t necessarily go looking for things like that,” but Hale’s decision to name her partner in her mother’s obituary made the relationship public and initiated the termination process.

As bishop, he said, he has a “fundamental responsibility” to maintain the Catholic identity of the institutions under his purview.

“We do this in an atmosphere of care, of calm consideration, but yet out of the realization that at particular times we have to make particular decisions,” he said. “And they are difficult sometimes, but they do flow from what we believe, who we are and how we are to live.”

His Excellency, The Most Rev. Frederick Campbell, Bishop of Columbus (Catholic News Agency File Photo)

Unfortunately this is not the last word on the matter. According to the Columbus NBC affiliate, WCMH Channel 4, Hale’s attorney has formally filed a criminal complaint against the Diocese of Columbus which carries a possible penalty of up to six months in jail and has no exemption for religious organizations. That Bishop Campbell waited until now to speak publicly on the matter is evidence of how agonizing and heartbreaking this must be for him to see a former employee now lashing out against the Church.

In a bizarre side-story, an angry parent was escorted from a charity dinner with the Bishop after an outburst this past weekend. WCMH Channel 4 reports that John Petrucci supports Hale’s dismissal but was concerned about the violent threats that have been directed at Bishop Watterson High School. In response to the confrontation, a spokesman for the Diocese issued the following statement:

“During last evening’s dinner for diocesan ‘Bishop Annual Appeal’ contributors, an attendee, immediately prior to Bishop Campbell’s address, abruptly stood and began speaking regarding Carla Hale in a manner that was not understood or heard by many in attendance. While speaking, he began moving toward the Bishop in a way that concerned many in the audience.  Several attendees thought it necessary to intervene on the Bishop’s behalf, asked the man to leave, and escorted him from the event.  No extraordinary force was either required or applied in this process.

“Bishop Campbell is aware of the passions that have surrounded the Carla Hale issue and is deeply concerned about the anxiety and alarm it has created within our community.  He encourages all on either side of this subject to maintain civility and calm while the grievance process in this case moves forward.”

Given the threats that Petrucci is rightly concerned about, it is understandable that some in the audience may have thought he was a supporter of Hale. The attack on Belgian Archbishop Leonard is one recent example of the anger and hatred that is directed against the Catholic Church. The hacker group “Anonymous” has also issued threats against employees of the diocese. There will surely be worse to come for any who have the courage to defend the truth. Petrucci’s outburst illustrates how easily emotions and passions can overwhelm reason and good judgment. We must choose our words and our actions carefully.

Bishop Campbell and all who share his steadfastness will be called uncompassionate, intolerant, and hypocritical for holding fast to unpopular beliefs. However, we must remember that that love and compassion demand that we make sacrifices for the good of others. Carla Hale’s supporters who call for the Church to violate eternal truths have forgotten that compassion is not just about giving unconditionally, but that sometimes correction is needed when we go astray. The Bishop’s crozier is a reminder of this sacred duty not only to keep his sheep in the fold, but also as a rod to defend from wolves when the time comes.

Until these most recent development, the media coverage of this story has been entirely focused on Carla Hale’s supporters. However, members of the public who support Bishop Campbell and the Dioceses for upholding the Catholic faith have quietly begun to mobilize. A group of parents and students of Bishop Watterson High School has started a petition to offer prayers and encouragement to the Bishop and the Diocese. In the tribulations that lie ahead, they will need our help and our sacrifices.

LifeSiteNews reports that the terms of employment which were approved by the union that represents Carla Hale explicitly forbid this kind of posturing: “A contract may be terminated at any time for gross inefficiency or immorality, for serious unethical conduct, or for willful and/or persistent violations of reasonable regulations of the school or the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools.” Many disagree with the Catholic Church regarding the morality of same-sex unions, but surely they cannot disagree that lying to your employer for 19 years and then abruptly denouncing them in public is grossly immoral and seriously unethical.

Only royal trumpeters should toot their own horn. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

The Catholic Church teaches that people with homosexual feelings fully deserve human dignity and compassion. However, the media frenzy that Hale is all too happy to keep feeding is the very definition of willful and persistent violation of Catholic teaching. In the Gospel, Jesus admonishes his disciples against such public displays, “When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

Meanwhile, the principal and other employees of the school have received threatening emails and phone calls from Hale’s supporters. From Hale’s handling of this case, it is clear she is aggressively pushing an agenda that goes beyond simply getting her job back. Even if the school wanted to bring her back, how could they possibly do so now with the media circus and angry mob following on her heels? Far from being contrite and resolving to sin no more, Hale is poisoning whatever sympathy might have remained for her from her former employer.

The invective and demagoguery surrounding this case is typical. All who defend Catholic teaching are derided as hypocrites, bigots, and simply mean-spirited. How wounding these criticisms must be to the heart of Bishop Campbell and the employees of the Diocese of Columbus and Watterson High School who so deeply love the Church and seek the best for all God’s children. Pray for them. Write them a letter to show your support. Thank them for their steadfastness and their courage in defense of the Catholic faith. Unlike Hale, these good servants of God’s people do not seek earthly recognition, but it couldn’t hurt to let them know they are not alone amidst the storm and fury of anti-Catholic persecution which is becoming so fashionable in our time.

There is also the possibility that this case could end up in the Supreme Court, as the unanimous decision in the Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC case specifically leaves open the possibility of subsequent litigation for breach of contract. However, one has to wonder whether a contract based on a 19-year lie could still be valid. The Dispatch article does not state whether the school knew Hale was a lesbian and perhaps had some informal agreement with her provided she kept it quiet, but if so, the concealment on Hale’s part would only be more damning. Neither the school nor the diocese should be punished for trying to right the situation.

Bishop Campbell’s diocese is being sued for upholding Catholic teaching. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

An analogous scenario would be a bank manager discovering that one of her employees has been robbing banks, or a police chief discovering that one of his officers has been dealing drugs on the side for the past 20 years. Carla Hale clearly opposes Catholic teaching, so how can she possibly be a Catholic teacher? The Catholic Church is often accused of hypocrisy, but what could be more hypocritical than allowing a teacher to publicly contradict the Catholic faith?

Catholic schools entrust their teachers with a special responsibility to provide spiritual formation and act as role models for their impressionable charges. Not so long ago, most if not all teachers at Catholic schools were consecrated religious. Carla Hale is not even Catholic, but is a practicing Methodist. There is nothing wrong with ecumenism, but faithful Catholic parents have every right to expect that teachers at a Catholic school should be faithful ministers of the Gospel and witnesses to Christ in both their public and private lives.

Nevertheless, Hale has found a deep well of vocal support from partisans on the left. At time of writing, an online petition for her reinstatement had over 10,000 signatures. In times of persecution, there is always an angry mob that thinks it is in the right. Popular opinion claims to be loudly and fiercely opposed to any form of intolerance as a matter of principle, but this apparently does not include intolerance of faithful Catholics.

The more we are persecuted, the more we must pray that Bishop Campbell, and indeed all of us will have the strength to bear the cross. As the motto of the Carthusian order reminds us, “Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.” The Cross is steady while the world is turning. We must hold fast to the cross, because the world around us is not going to stop. We must remember as the cross grows heavier, it is because we still believe we are standing on solid ground, when in truth, the cross is all that is solid and eternal.

The phrase didn’t occur to me as the bell of St. Benedict’s Abbey  tolled over and over again for 10 minutes starting at 1:00 pm (8:00 pm in Rome) to mark the resignation of the Pope.

The phrase occurred to me when the bell stopped tolling and the Abbey grew silent.

St. Benedict’s Abbey tolled its bells as the Pope stepped down.

There is no pope. There is no pope. There is no pope.

Benedictine College is on the Kansas bank of the Missouri River, and when we cross the bridge into Atchison, the kids like to say “We’re in Missouri. We’re in Missouri. We’re in Missouri,” until we get halfway across, and then say, “We’re in Kansas. We’re in Kansas. We’re in Kansas.” We jokingly planned to do the same at the hour of the Pope’s retirement: “There is a Pope. There is a Pope. There is a Pope … There is no pope. There is no pope. There is no pope.”

But now, when the bell stopped tolling and there was no pope, I remembered the phrase — and it wasn’t funny anymore.

We are in the interregnum. The chair of Peter is vacant. The Vatican Twitter account is revoked. The Vatican website weirdly says Apostolica Sede Vacans next to an umbrella.

The Universal Church feels like my parish church on Good Friday when the tabernacle is empty.

There is no pope.

Kneeling there with the students (and the TV cameras; we were a “local angle” on the historic “Pope retires” story) the moment was far more emotional than I expected. The whole thing reminded me of Acts:  “So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”

Only now Peter wasn’t in prison. He was rising up out of the Vatican Gardens in a helicopter. He had grown old and frail and had stopped being Pope. I don’t fault him for it, I don’t consider it a Great Refusal, I don’t think he is stepping off a cross. In fact I think he shows compassion and magnanimity greater than his critics can even conceive. In his method of ending his papacy, he has shown himself to be a man of the beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek.

What he is doing is truly great.

But that doesn’t make it any less weird.

Back at my office, I took down the picture of the Pope from my wall. Colleagues suggested that that this was unnecessary, and I appreciate their point.

I almost kept the picture up there, too. I still greatly admire him. I still feel grateful that I lived at the time when he was Pope, and I still think that the most thorough, affordable postgraduate theological education you can give yourself is to read his deep and clear writing every day.

But though I love his writing, that wasn’t the reason I had him on my wall. I had him on my wall because he was the Pope. And he is not the Pope anymore.

I remember during the Jubilee Year I briefly stayed in an apartment across the street from the colonnade of St. Peter’s. I was a father of five, but I was all alone in Rome. I loved it. I loved hearing a commotion in St. Peter’s Square and rushing out to see what was going on and finding myself a part of a celebration of one aspect of the faith or another.

I also loved going on early morning walks through the colonnade. It was on one of those early morning walks that I found myself face to face with a figure in an overcoat headed toward a side door at St. Peter’s. It was Cardinal Ratzinger. I stopped dead in my tracks and gaped, foolishly starstruck. It was obvious to him that I recognized him. He smiled shyly, nodded, and walked purposefully out of my way.

I believe Jesus Christ chose Peter to be the rock, and that he gives us his successors. And though I like the charming stories of the Galilean fisherman who was Andrew’s brother, absent Christ from the story I wouldn’t give Peter a second thought.

I believe God gave the Church the continuity of a magisterium and the grace of a vicar of Christ at its head. I think Pope Benedict XVI did a wonderful job in the role God gave him there, and I am grateful for his openness to God’s grace.

But now I can’t help but think of him as that shy, retiring man ducking into St. Peter’s through a utility door. A great man, I am convinced. But not the pope.

There is no pope.

I pray God we will have one soon.

The reason? Priestly celibacy. The solution? Getting rid of priestly celibacy.

In an op-ed for The New York Times, McCloskey – a project director at the Center for Catholic School Effectiveness at Loyola University Chicago – and Harris – author of “The Cost of Catholic Parishes and Schools” – argue the following:

Catholic parochial education is in crisis. More than a third of parochial schools in the United States closed between 1965 and 1990, and enrollment fell by more than half. After stabilizing in the 1990s, enrollment has plunged despite strong demand from students and families…

Until the 1960s, religious orders were united in responding to Christ’s mandate to “go teach.” But religious vocations have become less attractive, and parochial schools have faced increasing competition from charter schools. Without a turnaround, many dioceses will soon have only scatterings of elite Catholic academies for middle-class and affluent families and a token number of inner-city schools, propped up by wealthy donors.

In my view, McCloskey and Harris give an honest account of the grim reality faced by many Catholic schools.

They proceed to argue that we can save the Catholic school system if we get innovative with fundraising, increase the percentage of funds the church spends on its schools, and institute reforms so financially strapped parishes can more easily seek help from wealthier ones.

I think these ideas are quite good. And McCloskey and Harris deserve to be applauded for their originality. But it’s their final suggestion that deserves a closer look:

After finances, personnel is the biggest challenge…and one solution is in hand.

In the late 1960s, the Vatican allowed men to be ordained as deacons, who are clergy with many but not all the powers of a priest. Today there are almost 17,000 in the United States, about the same number as active diocesan priests. Over the next decade, the diaconate will continue to grow, while the number of ordained priests is projected to decline to 12,500 by 2035.

Many deacons have valuable professional, managerial and entrepreneurial expertise that could revitalize parochial education. If they were given additional powers to perform sacraments and run parishes, a married priesthood would become a fait accompli. Celibacy should be a sacrifice offered freely, not an excuse for institutional suicide.

Yes, you heard that right. Catholic education is suffering because priests aren’t allowed to marry.

It is astonishing that McCloskey and Harris would regurgitate this age-old trope after writing such an insightful essay. After all, they offer no statistical evidence for their position. They – like the Roman Catholic Womenpriest movement – simply assume that opening up the priesthood will result in flourishing parishes.

While it might seem tempting to side with this logic, their solution only compounds the issue.

Here’s what Brother Andre Marie over at Catholicism.org thinks about their suggestion:

What this is saying, unless Messrs. McCloskey and Harris are really confused about sacramental theology, is that the Church should ordain all the married deacons as priests. That will fix the parishes and the schools.

Really?

Leaving aside the problems associated with a married clergy, this point needs to be made: By and large, the men under discussion have paychecks from their non-ecclesiastical sources of employment. Will they all leave their jobs voluntarily to become full-time employees of the Church? Would they all want major mid-stream career changes? Where will the money come from to pay them, and won’t the Church lose a substantial amount of support from the donations these deacons give? Will their wives want the social pressures of being the “priest’s wife” and their children of being the “preacher’s kid” (or PK as such individuals are known in the Southron speech)? Would the cultural and economic demands of this totally new status quo in the Catholic Church really fix more problems than it creates?

This is ideology parading as common sense. It was liberalism and progressivism that destroyed Catholic education in this country. Liberal progressive solutions will only worsen the matter, not fix it.

As Brother Marie indicates, there could be far-reaching, unintended consequences if McCloskey and Harris’ theologically illiterate proposal were adopted.

McCloskey and Harris’ essay reminds me of Chapter 8 of the Gospel of Matthew. The apostles and Jesus were in a boat when suddenly a furious storm came over them and tossed waves upon their vessel, causing them to exclaim, “Lord, save us. We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded by saying “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds, and the sea was calm.

In many ways, the Catholic Church is experiencing some turbulent times when it comes to its school system. I agree that reforms are needed, but I reject the argument that she should adopt a means justifies the ends mentality.

What we need to do, like the apostles didn’t do in that boat, is to trust in God and know that he will always provide for his flock.

This doesn’t mean we should be ignorant of issues facing the church, but we needn’t adopt the apocalyptic view presented by McCloskey and Harris. Indeed, there are many encouraging statistics regarding the Catholic faith. Here’s just a few:

• The number of seminarians, not only in the United States but worldwide, has been on the rise for the past several years
• The pro-abortion movement is less popular, especially among young women, than ever before
• Traditional Catholicism is gaining traction with young adults

Even if school closings continue to occur, the church itself will not end. We must work to arrest this development, but the Catholic faith has survived world wars and outlived genocidal dictators for hundreds of years. How little faith those who believe it must change its ways in order to survive must have.

Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

Attending a university that actually upholds the teachings of the Catholic Church is becoming an increasingly difficult task. I wrote about my own experience in grad school a while back, but it seems that I’m not alone in my dissatisfaction with Catholic higher education.

According to the Catholic News Agency, the Vatican has stripped the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru of its Catholic identity for refusing to comply with their requests over the past 22 years.

The first thought that popped into my mind was, “it’s about time!”

In fact, there are a few institutions here in America that should undergo the same treatment. I won’t name names, but it’s common knowledge that attending a Catholic university in this day and age doesn’t necessarily mean you will receive a Catholic education.

One of the problems with Catholic higher education today is that many colleges make the mistake of hiring faculty and staff who are a) not Catholic or b) don’t support the mission of the Catholic Church.

I don’t think it’s necessary to have all employees take a pledge similar to the Diocese of Arlington’s “fidelity oath,” but there should be a preferential option for practicing Roman Catholics.

Hiring practices aren’t the only problem, though. University presidents and boards of trustees deserve some of the blame as well. Their refusal to adhere to John Paul II’s Ex Corde Ecclesia has weakened the Catholic identity of many institutions and has allowed for a slow and creeping secularism to infiltrate Catholic campuses.

Whatever the case may be, far too many Catholic universities have flown under the radar for far too long; it was just a matter of time before the Vatican took a stand.

I just hope it doesn’t take them 22 years to do it again.

Stephen Kokx is an adjunct professor of political science and a featured columnist at RenewAmerica.com. Follow him on twitter @StephenKokx

Now I’d like to begin compiling a list of Catholic (and religious) institutions who have said publicly they will fight or oppose the mandate.

A few ground-rules:

• I’m only going to include institutions that have issued public statements online or a statement to the press which is available online.
• Please do not email me additions — submit them in the comments instead (I don’t want to be inundated by emails related to this post!). I will be regularly checking the comments for updates.
• Please triple check that an institution you want to include is not already posted here or in the comments.

Here are Catholic institutions that have spoken out against the mandate:

• 1. EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) – filed lawsuit
• 2. Belmont Abbey College – filed lawsuit
• 3. University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN – issued statement to press (better link needed)
• 4. Christendom College in Front Royal, VA – issued statement
• 5. Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL – filed lawsuit
• 6-9: Aquinas College in Nashville, TN (joined by three other dominican schools) – issued statement
• 10. University of Dallas in Dallas, TX – issued statement
• 11. Priests for Life in Staten Island, NY – filed lawsuit
• 12. Nashville Dominican Sisters in Nashville, TN – issued statement
• 13. Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD – issued statement
• 14. Benedictine College in Atchison, KS – issued statement
• 15. The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC – issued statement to the press
• 16. Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities - issued statement
• 17. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA - issued statement
• 18. Knights of Columbus - issued statement
• 19. Catholic Medical Association - issued statement
• 20. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, NH - issued statement
• 21. Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio - issued statement
• 22. Holy Cross College in Indiana - issued statement to press
• 23. Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, WY - issued statement
• 24. Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist - issued statement
• 25. Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH – issued statement
• 26. New Hampshire Catholic Charities – issued statement
• 27. Saint Anselm College – issued statement
• 28. Catholic Charities USA – issued (clarifying) statement
• 29. Catholic Charities Denver – issued statement
• 30. Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration – issued statement
• 31. Sisters of Life – issued statement
• 32. Cardinal Newman Society – issued statement
• 33. Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut – issued statement
• 34. Saint Gianna’s Physician’s Guild – issued statement
• 35. Catholic Charities Los Angeles, CA – issued statement
• 36. Catholic Charities Cleveland, OH – issued statement
• 37. Catholic Charities of Dubuque, IA – issued statement
• 38. Catholic Charities of Chicago, IL – issued statement
• 39. Human Life International – issued statement
• 40. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty – issued statement
• 41. Men of St. Joseph – issued statement
• 42. Little Sisters of the Poor – issued statement
• 43. Carmelite Sisters of the Aged and Infirm – issued statement

These institutions signed-on to the Cardinal Newman Society letter:

• 44. Catholic Distance University in Hamilton, Virginia
• 45. College of Saint Mary Magdalen in Warner, New Hampshire
• 46. College of St. Thomas More in Fort Worth, TX
• 47. DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania
• 48. John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego, California
• 49. St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, Oklahoma
• 50. University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota
• 51. Society of Catholic Social Scientists

Here are non-Catholic institutions that have spoken out against the mandate:

• 1. Colorado Christian University (nondenominational) - filed lawsuit
• 2. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod – issued statement
• 3. National Association of Evangelical Protestants – issued statement
• 4. Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – issued statement
• 5. Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops – issued statement
• 6. Anglican Church in North America – issued statement
• 7. Reformed Theological Seminary – issued statement
• 8. American Life League – issued statement
• 9. Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission – issued statement
• 10. East Texas Baptist University – issued statement
• 11. The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview – issued statement
• 12. Evangelical Lutheran Center – issued statement
• 13. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod – issued statement
• 14. National Right to Life Committee – issued statement
• 15. Louisiana College – to file lawsuit
• 16. Geneva College, PA – to file lawsuit

Also of notable mention: Seven States have filed a lawsuit to overturn the mandate.

It would be helpful if someone could help me determine the number of employees at these institutions (to calculate the potential monetary fine/penalty they would face for not complying with the mandate). Please include this tally in the comments — thanks!

From an interview with Peter Dans, a medical doctor, who wrote a book on Christians in the movies in his spare time:

How does your Catholic education at Transfiguration School in New York’s Chinatown influence the way you take in and interact with popular culture?

As you know, the term “catholic” means “universal.” Our Catholic school textbooks, which affirmed God and country (Pro Deo, Pro Patria) and were inclusive, not hyphenated. The teachers taught us about the world; this was especially so at Transfiguration where they were Maryknoll missionaries.

I am especially indebted to Sister Mary Berchmans Flynn, who taught a combined fifth and sixth grade. She skipped me a grade by moving me over a row and counseled my parents to send me to a school that could better meet my needs.

At great expense, my mother, a court interpreter, and my stepfather, a merchant seaman, sent me to military school, which set me on the right path.

I got a chance to see Sister Berchmans during a stop in Hong Kong on my way to take care of cholera patients in Calcutta in 1963, and later in the 1970s at the Motherhouse in Ossining [N.Y.]. I must also mention that the neighborhood I grew up in, and which [urban planner Robert] Moses destroyed, was truly diverse, not in the phony way the term is used today. It was made up of Italians, Irish, Jews, Chinese, Spaniards, Greeks, Portuguese, Puerto Ricans, and blacks.

I grew up understanding the motto “E pluribus unum,” out of many, one. Some invert that today to “out of one, many.”

And today with thriller writer Brad Thor (who recently announced he is Team Santorum):

LOPEZ: If I am not mistaken, you went to an all-boys Sacred Heart Catholic elementary school in Chicago called Hardey Prep. Does that make a long-term impact? On your writing? On your civic life? As you view issues of character?

THOR: Yes it does. So much of who I am as a man, a husband, a father, a member of my community, and a citizen comes from what I learned at Hardey Prep. If I forget everything I learned there, I will never forget the one phrase we were challenged with daily, “If not you, then who?”

This is the phrase I would challenge all of America with. Our nation is fighting for its very survival. Now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their Republic. If not you, then who?

Not every child can attend one, but so many Catholic schools are dedicated to being a life-changer and even -saver. Something John Boehner is well aware of. Something the Manhattan Institute’s Sol Stern has made plenty clear. And I am sure many who read this site can testify to in one way or another.

Some of you are creating your own Catholic school at home, the family being the first and primary educator. Not everyone can or does do that.

Some of you are coming to Catholic education later. Fr. Barron’s Catholicism certainly helps with that. And with continuing education.

But many need the support. Some need their lives saved, and early. And sometimes the school can make every difference.

Tim Drake at the National Catholic Register explains the substance behind the scenes:

Wyoming Catholic College is the country’s most unique Catholic college. I’ve visited, and it’s true.

Located in Lander, Wyoming, it’s the only “campus” I’m aware of that doesn’t have a campus. Presently, the school utilizes Lander’s local Catholic Church for its chapel, the parish school for some of its classrooms, and temporary buildings as residence halls. The other classes take place in rented space in downtown Lander, approximately a mile away. Wyoming Catholic College’s greatest classroom, however, is the outdoors.

What makes the school truly distinctive are its immersive Latin program, the year-long horseback riding program, and the outdoor leadership program. Freshmen begin each academic year a month before classes begin with a three-week outdoor excursion. Accompanied by a priest, college employee, and someone from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), the freshmen learn outdoor, survival, and leadership skills. The students then begin the year with an unparalleled bonding experience and leadership skills that they can then bring into the classroom and into their future careers.