Page 44 - The Gonzaga Record 1988
P. 44
POLITICAL SCIENCE make the gospel a reality in the day-to-
A SUCCESSFUL day life of the school.
EXPERIMENT We enumerated our difficulties: lack
of personal confidence, distrust in
one's own formation in faith, indivi-
It was an enthusiastic Mr Brian Regan dual problems with certain aspects of
who entered the S.S classroom 2 years faith, including the institutional
ago to begin the Political Science class. Church and parish life, difficulty in
To his disappointment this was not praying with one's children, difficulty
reflected by the pupils, who appeared entering into discussion with more
to employ the motto 'anything but
work'. However, the class soon began sophisticated adolescents, no time for
fostering religion in one's life and
to discuss various political manifestoes concern for justice rather than for
and ideologies. We were not long in faith.
analysing the origins of power, effects We formed 12 groups of 4 to 5
and causes of unemployment, the couples each, who decided to meet in
Palestinian problem, socialism, com-
munism, Marxism and many other twelve homes. All were to discuss an
questions of political importance. extract from the book Bringing Up
Children in the Christian Faith by
Following the beliefs of Cardinal John John Westerhoff Ill. When we met
Newman and Father Joseph Veale, SJ, again in November, each of the groups
this was 'not dissipation of the mind, reported what happened in the homes.
but progress'. It was indeed 'cultivation This was followed by a general dis-
of the intellect' and in hindsight cussion and tea. This became the
compares favourably with the ethos of normal format of our meetings.
the college. The classes have been Westerhoff had been of considerable
informative and interesting, giving help, but the problem seemed large
each pupil a wider knowledge of the
world surrounding us. and varied. For our meeting in
February we decided to give some
prominence to pure theology. This was
Eamonn Carney (S.6)
supplied by an early work of Joseph
Ratzinger The Resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
Before this February meeting took
2nd YEAR place, the parents met in January to
PARENTS' PROGRAMME talk to Drs Deasy and Clarke, and Fr
Moylan about the lectures on sexuality
We met in September to see if we could soon to be given to the boys. These
more successfully, and together, hand talks were assessed by the parents at
on the faith to the boys. We agreed the February meeting. All seemed
that this involved improving the level genuinely happy about them.
of communication between parent and Some wanted to bring the boys into
son, between school and parent and our discussions, but how? Mr Conlon
between pupil and teacher. Fr Moylan kindly supplied us with a text The Best
pointed out that it wasn't easy to have Catholic, which was a detailed descrip-
an effective religious influence in a tion of three Catholics, Hanson,
world where many other messages Clarke and Gray, each possessing
spoke loudly of self-interest and qualities and defects. Those discussing
limited perspective. The description the text had to choose the best
Catholic school would only mean Catholic. The boys and the parents
something when all concerned, pupil, met in groups in the houses. When we
teacher and parent tried consciously to met in April all groups praised the
42
A SUCCESSFUL day life of the school.
EXPERIMENT We enumerated our difficulties: lack
of personal confidence, distrust in
one's own formation in faith, indivi-
It was an enthusiastic Mr Brian Regan dual problems with certain aspects of
who entered the S.S classroom 2 years faith, including the institutional
ago to begin the Political Science class. Church and parish life, difficulty in
To his disappointment this was not praying with one's children, difficulty
reflected by the pupils, who appeared entering into discussion with more
to employ the motto 'anything but
work'. However, the class soon began sophisticated adolescents, no time for
fostering religion in one's life and
to discuss various political manifestoes concern for justice rather than for
and ideologies. We were not long in faith.
analysing the origins of power, effects We formed 12 groups of 4 to 5
and causes of unemployment, the couples each, who decided to meet in
Palestinian problem, socialism, com-
munism, Marxism and many other twelve homes. All were to discuss an
questions of political importance. extract from the book Bringing Up
Children in the Christian Faith by
Following the beliefs of Cardinal John John Westerhoff Ill. When we met
Newman and Father Joseph Veale, SJ, again in November, each of the groups
this was 'not dissipation of the mind, reported what happened in the homes.
but progress'. It was indeed 'cultivation This was followed by a general dis-
of the intellect' and in hindsight cussion and tea. This became the
compares favourably with the ethos of normal format of our meetings.
the college. The classes have been Westerhoff had been of considerable
informative and interesting, giving help, but the problem seemed large
each pupil a wider knowledge of the
world surrounding us. and varied. For our meeting in
February we decided to give some
prominence to pure theology. This was
Eamonn Carney (S.6)
supplied by an early work of Joseph
Ratzinger The Resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
Before this February meeting took
2nd YEAR place, the parents met in January to
PARENTS' PROGRAMME talk to Drs Deasy and Clarke, and Fr
Moylan about the lectures on sexuality
We met in September to see if we could soon to be given to the boys. These
more successfully, and together, hand talks were assessed by the parents at
on the faith to the boys. We agreed the February meeting. All seemed
that this involved improving the level genuinely happy about them.
of communication between parent and Some wanted to bring the boys into
son, between school and parent and our discussions, but how? Mr Conlon
between pupil and teacher. Fr Moylan kindly supplied us with a text The Best
pointed out that it wasn't easy to have Catholic, which was a detailed descrip-
an effective religious influence in a tion of three Catholics, Hanson,
world where many other messages Clarke and Gray, each possessing
spoke loudly of self-interest and qualities and defects. Those discussing
limited perspective. The description the text had to choose the best
Catholic school would only mean Catholic. The boys and the parents
something when all concerned, pupil, met in groups in the houses. When we
teacher and parent tried consciously to met in April all groups praised the
42
