The Eucharistic Change

In his book The Eucharist, Raymond Moloney, SJ (1995), reflects on the forms of language that have been used to express the truth about the Eucharist. He identifies the language of identity, the language of change, and the language of presence in the proclamation of the Gospel, in the Tradition of the Church and in the theological reflection on the mystery of the bread and wine becoming the body and blood of Christ.

The language of identity
In the Gospels, Jesus is represented as saying at his last supper, "This is my body ... this is my blood". Moloney states that this language is "traditional in the prophecy and ritual of Israel" (p. 55). The prophets of the Old Testament were known for their bluntness. The Passover ritual makes use of language that is direct. For example, "This is the bread of affliction which your fathers ate in the land of Egypt".

The language of change
This form of language is not found in the New Testament, however, it does appear in the writings of Justin (c. 150 AD) and Irenaeus (c. 200 AD).

St Justin wrote: "For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus". (First Apology 66)

St Irenaeus also made use of the language of change in his description of the Eucharist. He wrote: "He has established us as His own body, from which He gives increase to our bodies. When, therefore, the mixed cup and the baked bread receives the Word of God and becomes the Eucharist, the body of Christ, and from these the substance of our flesh is increased and supported, how can they say that the flesh is not capable of receiving the gift of God, which is eternal life -- flesh which is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord...receiving the Word of God, becomes the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ..." (Against Heresies 5:2:2-3)

These two examples indicate clearly the shift in the language used to describe the Eucharist. While not found in the New Testament, the language of change, coming so soon after the writing of the Gospels, reflects the understanding the first Christians had of the language of identity.

The language of presence
The language of presence has given us the term "the Real Presence." It is worth noting that this way of referring to the Eucharist did not gain currency until the Middle Ages. However, the belief in the abiding presence of God is a central theme of the Old Testament and of the covenants God made with the Chosen People. The Tent of Meeting, which the Jews carried with them through the desert, was where God and the people met.

Whenever the people of Israel set up camp, Moses would take the sacred Tent and put it up some distance outside the camp. It was called the Tent of the Lord's presence, and anyone who wanted to consult the Lord would go out to it. Whenever Moses went out there, the people would stand at the door of their tents and watch Moses until he entered it. After Moses had gone in, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the door of the Tent, and the Lord would speak to Moses from the cloud. As soon as the people saw the pillar of cloud at the door of the Tent, they would bow down. The Lord would speak with Moses face-to-face, just as someone speaks with a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. But the young man who was his helper, Joshua son of Nun, stayed in the Tent. (Exodus 33:7-11)

The idea of God's presence is both local and reciprocal: the Tent of Meeting was in the community space; God is present in the community - the pillar of cloud signified the presence of God - and the people acknowledge his presence by bowing down. This story is reflected in the story of Jesus' transfiguration. The change in Jesus' appearance signifies the presence of God. The response of the Apostles reflects their recognition of the divine presence.

The presence of God among the Chosen People is a central characteristic of the covenant. Israel understood this in an absolute and empirical way. They looked for evidence of God's presence and responded with reverence. In this context, the Temple became the symbol of God's presence and God's home. When the Temple was destroyed and the people sent into exile in 587 BC, a more spiritual way of understanding the divine presence developed: God is present to the extent that people call on God and search for God by faith.

The Eucharist as the presence of God was foretold by the prophet Ezekiel:

I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forevermore. (37:26-28)

This prophecy is identified with one individual by Isaiah:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. (7:14)

In Matthew's Gospel, the place of Christ in the salvation of humankind is much clearer:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” (1:23)

God is present in the person of Jesus, therefore the flesh of Jesus can be considered to be "the first Tabernacle of the New Testament" ((Moloney, 1995, p.56).

The presence of God through Jesus of Nazareth is extended to the whole Church ("... remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20). It is actualised in the community ("For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." - Matthew 18:20), in the word ("... it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." - John 6:32-33) and in the Eucharistic gifts.

Intimacy with God in this sacramental way requires a change like no other change in creation. When Jesus celebrated his last meal with his friends before his Passion, he took a ritual with which they were familiar and he changed it radically, and in changing it, he changed the objects used in the ritual, that is, the bread and wine.

From presence to change
When people bless God, God blesses people and things happen. The celebrated passage from the prophet Isaiah heralds the actions of God in the world:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)

God worked wonders through the prophets. For instance, Elijah brought down fire from heaven. He cried out to God: "Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. (1 Kings 18:38) When Moses confronted Pharoah and demanded the release of the Jews, he was helped by God in a number of ways, including turning the waters of the Nile into blood: "In the sight of Pharaoh and of his officials he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the river, and all the water in the river was turned into blood, and the fish in the river died." (Exodus 7:20-21)

The interpretation of words in their contexts is a basic principle of hermeneutics. The words of Jesus can be interpreted according to four different contexts: Jesus, the teacher (didactic context), Jesus, the prophet (prophetic context), Jesus the liturgical leader (cultic context) and Jesus, the Lamb of God (sacrificial context).

Jesus, the teacher

Moloney describes Jesus as "the master of the image" (1999, p.58). Jesus taught his followers by means of symbols and parables. He used images to convey ideas. Whether or not something actually existed did not matter - and his disciples knew that. In a different context, Jesus would have told different stories to convey the same ideas.

The problem of interpreting Jesus' words literally existed from the very start of the Church. Consider the following account in Matthew's Gospel. Jesus warns his followers about the "leaven" of the Pharisees:

When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They said to one another, “It is because we have brought no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Notice that his disciples take him literally and Jesus criticises their tendency to interpret his words literally. Would his criticism apply to the Church's interpretation of the words of consecration in the Eucharist? Catholics believe that Jesus' words "This is my body" point to a reality that cannot be seen, that is, Jesus is present in the form - under the appearances of - unleavened bread. Just as Jesus emphasises the place of the symbolic in learning about God's presence in the world, during the Last Supper, he makes use of symbols to announce the Good News of his presence in the Eucharist. Jesus intended his words to be taken literally. The celebration of the Last Supper was more than the actions of a teacher.

Jesus, the prophet

When Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his friends, he acted as a prophet. Like the prophets of old, he made use of a "prophetic gesture". More than a dramatisation of the prophet's message, the prophetic gesture somehow makes the message an inevitability: it happens, Some examples will illustrate the power of such a device. First, Ezekiel mimes the exile before it happens.

The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, mortal, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile; and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who go into exile. Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry the baggage through it. In their sight you shall lift the baggage on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you may not see the land; for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.
I did just as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands; I brought it out in the dark, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.
In the morning the wordThe word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, mortal, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile; and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who go into exile. Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry the baggage through it. In their sight you shall lift the baggage on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you may not see the land; for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.
I did just as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands; I brought it out in the dark, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight. (Ezekiel 12:1-7)

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The First Week of Advent

I'm back! 
I haven't posted to my blog since my time in the US in March. That says a lot about my life since then. No wonder I am tired! 
This post is one of a series of reflections based on the reflection questions attached to the online personal and professional development programme called "Going Deeper", which has been developed by Jonathan Doyle.

What do you find are the biggest barriers in your life to experiencing the full richness of Advent? Is it busyness, or maybe lack of awareness about the meaning, history or tradition of the Advent season?

Certainly, it’s the busyness of my life that hinders my spiritual and religious development. It has taken me until now - it’s the Second Sunday of Advent today - to get to the reflection on the First Sunday of Advent.

As for the meaning of Advent, there is always more that can be learned, especially when it comes to the history of - well, anything that exists. For instance, the quote from G.K. Chesterton about Christmas being a well-organised raid on enemy territory means more to me now after having read Crossan's explanation of the writing of the Gospels. He shows how Mark's Gospel is a challenge to the Roman theology of the divinity of the Emperor.

What has been one of the most important days of your life so far? How did you prepare? What emotions do you remember in the leadup to that day?

Of all the "most important" days in my life, I often like to return to the birth of our daughter Melissa and the hours leading up to that momentous occasion when her head appeared - her first moment in the outside world. It was a day filled with concern. Maryanne had high blood pressure and there was a fear for her safety and Melissa's too. I remember the joy of tracking her movement in Maryanne's womb. The blue gel used in ultra-sound examinations was cold and Melissa kept trying to hide behind Maryanne's bones to lessen the effects of the cold gel. Once we had worked out why her heartbeat kept disappearing, we became less concerned and enjoyed the little "game" we played with her before she was born. 

What is your most treasured memory of Christmas as a child?

Christmas has always been a "family" time, except for those times when I was away from home - and they haven't been many. I don't have many memories of childhood Christmases. The one I do remember involved my first Meccano set, given to me by my Mum and Dad. As I recall it, my Dad seemed to have more fun with it on Christmas morning than I did - he and one of my uncles used it to make "something" - I cannot recall what it was. And I remember one Christmas when I awoke to find my Dad sneaking into the bedroom to fill up the Christmas stockings we (my two brothers and I) had hanging at the foot of our beds. 

Hope is a crucial human experience. Without hope we descend into cynicism and eventual despair?What is the great ‘hope’ of Christmas for you? What hope does the coming of the Infant of Nazareth offer?

My great hope is for peace and happiness - for a world in which there is no want, a world in which all people's needs are met, a world in which God's rights are acknowledged with love and gratitude, a world in which Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists join with Christians to celebrate the coming of Christ because Christians join with them to celebrate their world-shaping moments. This would be a world worth singing about - just as the angels sang when Jesus was born. 

Brought to you from MentorMob

One of my goals in coming to the "States" was to visit MentorMob in Chicago and to meet the Team responsible for one of the great tools in educational technology, the "playlist." In fact, it is so great that MentorMob recently were voted one of the Chicago Innovation Awards winners for their work in the use of technology in education.



I had met Erin before my visit. We had skyped a few times and on one of those occasions, Kristin introduced herself. I had also met Vince, one of the co-founders of MentorMob by email when they made me one of MentorMob's innovators. Other members of MentorMob were familiar to me, particularly Charles Perry and Eric Pitt. They make really useful contributions to Edmodo through the MentorMob community.



MentorMob and many of its Team are active users of Twitter: MentorMob (@MentorMob), Kristin Demidovich (@KristinMMarie), Erin Sheffer (@ErinMentorMob), Eric Pitt (@SuperBad) and Charles Perry (@CharlesUpTop). Following them on Twitter has opened up many avenues for me in the world of ed tech.



On Friday, March 15, Erin met me in the lobby of 321 N Clark Street, in Chicago. A huge building, not the tallest, but really tall nonetheless. I signed in and took the sticky label that identified who I am and who I was going to visit. Then she took me on a quick ride to the dizzying heights - I hate heights - of the MentorMob office on the 25th floor. Nothing palatial. If they could see our RE Office, they would be so jealous. It's more than twice the size of their office - but it doesn't have the views that they have, so maybe it would be us who would be jealous of them. Such a small space used by nine MentorMobsters! However, as I discovered, they are very active and often on the go, promoting their work and establishing a network that ensures the continued development of the playlist as a signature ed tech tool. Kris Chinosorn, who co-founded MentorMob with Vince, was working from home and Charles and Kristen headed off to the DML Conference.











[The view from MentorMob's Office. The Chicago finger is pointing in the direction they are moving in the ed tech world. Notice the sticky notes on the window. They use lots of them to chart their way towards their goal: to provide free education to everyone through the use of technology.]



I sat with Erin and Kristen in a work area outside their office and shared with them some of my experiences of the schools I had visited. We swapped stories about how the environment and the style of school buildings help to shape the education we receive.



One of my reasons for coming to MentorMob was to argue for a fully functional mobile version of the playlist. They are aware of the trend towards the use of the iPad as the principal technological device in schools in the developed countries, however, their goal is to reach out to the whole world. Right now that is more important than tackling some major programming issues related to making it possible to create and edit playlists on the iPad. It just hit me that not even Apple has been able to do that for iTunes-U!



I sat and listened to a conversation between Mike, James and George about the development of the beta version of the playlist.











[George, who works on the front end of the playlist is discussing with Mike and James (who's off-camera) about changes to the work flow chart and the impact of those changes on their timeline and also on the power and flexibility of the beta version of the playlist.]



It didn't take me long to realise that pushing the mobile technology barrow would do no good for anyone, so I put that aside and focused on what I had to offer to make the beta version better - as I understand the teaching-learning process. Erin made notes (using Evernote, Erin?) as I spoke about the need for the flexibility that would allow for alternate pathways in a playlist. (When I get access to the Internet - I'm composing this on my way back home - I will add my thoughts to one of the threads in the beta version conversations.)



Programmed learning has been around for a long time. When I studied to be a teacher, it was drilled into me that teaching is about taking each student from the "known" to the "unknown". That is what I try to do every time I step into a teaching-learning situation. And I saw it demonstrated well in some of the schools I visited - the ones where I observed lessons being taught.



When I create a playlist and add a step, I am conscious of providing users with information about the some aspect of a topic, or theme. I want that information to become knowledge. Without entering into a treatise about the nature of knowledge, I would like to offer this: knowledge is preceded by understanding. If the point behind the step is not understood, then there is no point to proceeding further. We need to be able to step aside and work on what confuses us. It is this side step that is missing. Put another way: in flow chart style, "If yes, then 'this'. If no, then 'that'. The 'yes' represents the linear model of the playlist. The 'no' represents stepping to one side to clear away the confusion so that you can enter the playlist at the next step, or whichever step you choose to do next.



I sat in on part of their Team Meeting and was introduced to Chris, who was working from home. He and Vince founded MentorMob about eighteen months ago. Sitting in their office reminded me of the days when I was a part of the inner workings of Perth YCS and we would meet and plan and each person had specific tasks that were all seen as important. It was obvious to me that each of the nine members of MentorMob contributes to the success of their work.



The most amazing insight I gained from the day is the motivation for what they do is not so different from my own. Changing the world to make it better for everyone, especially those who have become enslaved by systems, or individuals is an awesome vocation - and the single-minded ness and commitment that I find here is like what I have found in so many teachers and youth workers who I have been privileged to meet in my life.



It was in this context that I came to an appreciation for the work of entrepreneurs. I had been of the view that such people were self-centred. Erin used the word to refer to innovators and initiators who sought to make the world better for others through the use of creative processes. The Kwagala Project, which is being promoted by MentorMob, is a powerful example of entrepreneurship, as is MentorMob's iEmpower Campaign. Search for #iEmpower on Twitter to gain some insights into the entrepreneurship that is at the heart of MentorMob and its work.



Google was part of our conversation during my visit. I learned that there was a new device called the "Chromebook" which is a cloud-based computer running Google's Chrome OS and using Google Apps. My investigation of this resource will be the subject of another post.



I'm really grateful to Erin and Kristen and the others who made me feel welcome and shared with me how they work together to create learning opportunities for people around the world. I left their space with the commitment to find ways of using playlists to the max on iPads and then to share that through my blog, through Twitter and through Facebook.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Inside 321 N Clark Street, Chicago. - I wish!

St Martin de Porres High School, Cleveland

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

I would like to acknowledge the contribution to this post of the Finance Director of St Vitus Parish, in which the High School is situated, who noted inaccuracies in my post and emailed me information about the school, which I have used to update the post.

Just after 7.00 am, I took a taxi from the hotel in downtown Cleveland. The taxi driver was a Vietnam vet who had grown up in the downtown area and knew it well. He once worked for Yellow cabs and he informed me that his boss was on the board of the school I was visiting. He told me that the "genius kids" went to the school. It was an interesting ride, informative and entertaining. He dropped me off in Lauschke Avenue at the corner of the school after we arranged that I would ring him about 30 minutes before I was due to leave. He would pick me up and take me to my next appointment.

Compared to the young school I teach in (Kolbe Catholic College will turn 25 in 2014), St Martin de Porres High School looked old and well-worn. It was a large red brick building that had seen better days. Completed in 1913 as an elementary school, it once housed about 1,000 students. In 2004, it opened as as St Martin de Porres High School, one of a nationwide network of 25 Cristo Rey schools. These schools have been established to provide opportunities for children from poor families to receive a private education. 

The Finance Director of St Vitus Parish in Cleveland emailed me the following description of the development of the Church's involvement in education in this part of Cleveland. "The first such building was a wooden building constructed 1902 to meet the increasing demands of incoming Slovenian immigrants, the majority poor. The Sisters of Notre Dame was the principal religious order with their primary mission to be teachers.

"The rather "old looking" building as you noted performed its primary task, that being to educate children from age 5 to 13 years-old, with a sufficient knowledge of math, English, religion, spelling, history, geography, and the sciences. From this humble building, a number of lawyers, doctors, accountants, dentists, clergy, one US Senator and one auxiliary bishop, all graduated and became contributing members in society despite not having English as the primary language at home.

"A second wave of Slovenian immigrants arrived in the early 1910 through the 1920s followed by Slovenian political refugees at the end of WWII; and then Croatian immigrants in the 1960s and 1970s, immigrants from Ethiopia, and toward serving primarily non-Catholic African Americans in the 1980s, 1990s, toward 2003. The school served primary low income households. [And] St Martin de Porres HIgh School ... also serves low income households in Cleveland, providing a college preparatory curriculum alongside a corporate work study program. Most of the students are most likely the first such household children to attend a college and also graduate from a college....

"The high school uses the parish church, St. Vitus Church, for its main prayer services, Masses, etc. The school and auditorium buildings have been and continue to be owned by St Vitus Parish: The high school has a lease agreement for the use of said buildings as well as parking lots."

Steve, the Director of Campus Ministry, met me out the front of the school as we had arranged. He took me into the school - security is important in the school, with locked doors and codes for entering the building. We went down to the Campus Ministry Office, where I deposited my jacket and other items. Then we headed for the central meeting area where breakfast was being served.

By now I was used to hearing the terms "freshman", "sophomore", "junior" and "senior" to identify the different year levels. The school is maintained through the provision of funding from the State of Ohio, the Work Study programme and other funding. The State provides more than $5,000 subsidy for each student. Those who attend the school sign up to the Work Study programme, which requires students to spend at least one day a week in a work programme. The school has sourced funding from more than 120 businesses. Each business undertakes to pay $28,000 to the school, which in return provides one student each day to work in the business doing tasks that are practical enough to give the students the chance to succeed with consistent effort. The students are broken into groups of 4, one from each year level, and they are cycled through the days of the week. For instance, in Week 1, the freshman would attend on Monday and Friday. In week 2, the sophomore student would attend work twice.

Students are provided with breakfast and lunch. Steve let me just stand and watch. The sophomores were getting ready to spend the day in their workplaces. They served themselves - cafeteria style - and were signed off. Normally, they scanned their finger print at the check out, but the server was down, so the staff member responsible for checking the students had to write down their names. The meals are funded from a government grant and they have to keep records.

The sophomores had a brief meeting at which awards were presented and one student announced a talent quest. Then they headed outside to a line of small buses to take them to the places where they work.

Rather than show me around, Steve had arranged for one of the "smurfs" to take me around. The school often has visitors, so a team of students take charge of showing them around. Meesha is a freshman. Her work placement is a medical centre, where she does filing, some computer work and other general office duties. She took me around the school, upstairs and downstairs, and introduced me to some of her teachers who wanted to know when she would be coming to class. We visited their chapel and spoke briefly about life at the school from a student's perspective. Meesha spoke with pride about the school and considered herself privileged to be offered the opportunity to study there.

"This near northeast neighborhood in Cleveland has many challenges and this HS is one manner to have a child rise above the poverty level."

The administration centre is set up in a building across the road from the school. It was once a market with a boarding house above it. Later, the building was converted to a set of units. Then the school purchased it and was involved in renovating it so that it would serve their purposes. Their board room was on the top floor. I spent most of my time there meeting with faculty and staff members, beginning with members of their executive, then some teachers and finally with staff members involved with ICT and with fundraising and maintaining their programmes.

The use of technology in the school impressed me. The use of Apple TV, the implementation of a 1:1 iPad programme - these features reflect our own journey at Kolbe, but they were further along with experimentation with Google Apps for Education (as they have come to be known). It was their use of PBL in the senior year - referred to by someone at the school as the "Capstone Program" - that really impressed me. While there are some teachers at Kolbe who would welcome it, most would never entertain the idea because it would bring undue pressure on students in an already overheated curriculum.

Campus Ministry at St Martin de Porres

I was impressed by the flexibility and creativity of the campus ministry programme provided by the school.

They provide two staff retreats each year, one at the beginning of the school year and the other in the middle of the school year. These retreats set the tone for the whole staff - I found great enthusiasm for the mission of the school in whomever I spoke with during my visit. Staff were provided with options in the retreat programme to meet the spiritual needs of individuals. Moreover, the retreats were designed and run by staff members.

The school does not have a Student Ministry Team, but there are opportunities for students to be involved in ministry. For instance, the school provides an elective through which students are trained to lead school liturgies.

What we call "Christian Service Learning" at Kolbe exists on an "as needed" basis. When the school is approached for help, students are urged to volunteer. Some assist with a local soup kitchen, or help out when needed to shift things in the local parish drop in centre.

However, they are well-advanced in building service opportunities into the curriculum. For instance, their sophomores responded to the perceived need in the local community for information about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Through their curriculum, they organised and ran a health fair for the local community.

I was impressed by their commitment to providing Immersion experiences for their students. Bearing in mind that the students come from poor families, the immersion programme can happen only because the school attracts funding for the trips. Some staff have committed themselves to taking students to New Orleans to expose them to the poverty caused through hurricane Katrina in 2010.

While I was there, I spoke with only one student who said that she felt welcome and at home in the school. She was grateful for the opportunity to attend St Martin de Porres High School. While she was not looking forward to the introduction of a school uniform, she understood why it was being introduced.

I came away from the school convinced that I had glimpsed something special. There was a buzz about the place. I had been in the presence of passionate professionals who modelled friendliness, respect for strangers and patience. It was clear that they were proud of what they were achieving with their students. St Martin de Porres High School offered me insights into Catholic education that will stay with me for years to come.

A Day at Brophy College Preparatory

Monday, March 11, 2013




The cross draped with a piece of purple cloth is placed in the centre of the college. It stands as a reminder that we are in the Season of Lent. In the background is another cross, one of four such structures, representing the four corners of the earth and symbolising aspects of the Summit on Human Dignity, an annual event, that the school is engaged in.

The 2013 Summit is about "The Opportunity Gap." The College Office of Faith and Justice (OFJ) has published the following aim for the Summit: "Through this Summit, we hope to create a forum in which the Brophy community, and in particular our students, will consider education, health care, wealth, access to resources, and the realities faced by individuals and families of various income levels, as well as the Catholic tradition’s perspective on how to navigate these arenas, so as to guide our personal and communal response."

I came here to find out about campus ministry, particularly the involvement of student leaders in ministry. I also hoped to find out about the teaching of RE and the integration of technology in curriculum, particularly RE.

As with the other schools I have visited, I was not disappointed. I was made to feel welcome and was given some insights into how Catholic education is conducted in Arizona.

Campus ministry is well-developed in the school with an Office of Faith and Justice being the powerhouse for the integration of faith and culture and life. They don't have a Student Ministry Team, but they do have an elective called Contemplatives in Action, which provides opportunities for students to become involved in giving service in the areas of prayer and liturgy.

Christian service is part of college life as is immersion.

Religious education is called "Theology" in American Catholic schools. There are core units and electives. The core units address Scripture, Sacraments and Ethics. Chris, one of the RE teachers I spoke with and observed in full flight in class, had planned a unit on Judaism with the help of a colleague with an interest in and knowledge of the area.

Watching Chris teach his Freshman Scripture class was enlightening and inspirational. He commenced the lesson with a review of what they had learned about the reasons behind the writing of St Matthew's Gospel. That had been part of their last topic. They had been tested on the work and Chris told them that their marks were available online. He also used the review to introduce the topic for the lesson, which was St Mark's Gospel. He was keen to establish the reasons why St Matthew's Gospel was placed prior to St Mark's Gospel, even though the latter had been written before the former.

I was impressed not only by the technology, but also by his teaching style. Clear, direct statements, moving forward by means of question and answer - Socrates would have been proud of him - and skilful use of technology: these were valuable lessons for me. The students used iPads. What Chris projected on the screen, which he addressed from around the room, was also available to the students on their own machines. Chris had converted his PowerPoint to a PDF and the made it available to his students via Blackboard. He reviewed the lesson material about Mark's Gospel with part of a YouTube clip, not the whole clip, but just enough to reiterate what he had addressed through the PDF and through his questioning. Really neat!

It is a pity that we cannot embed videos in PDFs. It would have been so much easier for him had it been seamless, like the ePubs I have been creating, or the web apps. Chris made use of two videos in the 50 minutes he had. The second one was projected from the laptop that sat on his desk. He used it as a back up to his iPad - not yet ready to trust mobile technology completely.

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Inside BC High

Tuesday, March 5, 2013




The first thing that struck me about BC High was its size. It is a solidly built school, probably to withstand the weather, to keep the heat trapped inside its thick walls - it was cold outside and there were piles of snow.
Inside, it was warm, comfortable, secure - in every way. I felt welcomed and appreciated. It was quiet - partly because the walls were solid, the ceilings high. From the Principal, Mr Stephen Hughes to the delightful, wizened-faced Terry in the canteen - she was one of the keepers of the story, along with the Principal, whom she had known as a child when he attended the College - there was an obvious pride in the school and what they achieved there.


Benefactors make change possible …

It became clear to me that finding benefactors from among the alumni of the College was an important factor in the continuing development of the College. Here the role of the President is crucial. High schools like BC High rely on the generosity of benefactors. Whereas at Kolbe, capital development happens because Federal and State Government funding is made available through the Catholic Education Commission, at BC High the construction of new facilities and the refurbishment of older structures happens through the relationship the school has with individual donors.

Through the generosity of their donors, BC High placed a roof over the area between two multi-story wings of the College and created a huge indoor gathering space and cafeteria. I recall something similar being contemplated for Kolbe some years ago: the area between blocks 3 and 4 being covered to provide a gathering space for the school community, with a canteen, a cafeteria and a meeting space for students. I have seen a similar design in a school in Adelaide, but it lacked the feel of the setting in BC High. In the school in Adelaide, the lockers dominated the space. By this I mean they remain embedded in my memory, along with the grey walls and concrete. BC High will remain in my memory as a colourful space with the flags of many nations hanging from balconies – part of a United Nations experience organized by one teacher.

The Principal took me on a quick tour of classes to show me how BC's teachers integrate technology in the classroom. I visited an American literature class. The teacher had projected two pages of the novel on the Smart board using a state-of-the-art overhead projector connected to the smart board. The students had their own copies of the novel and the teacher taught his class seated at his desk at the front of the room. 

We entered a history class. The students were looking at post-war Europe. The teacher had projected a map of Europe on the Smart board. He had also handed out copies of the map to students. Then by question and answer and also by way of instruction, he proceeded to analyze the map to draw out political themes and the lessons of history. He wrote on the whiteboard to help students with their note-taking. He was a dynamic teacher, but he later apologized for not being more engaging. Many of his students had iPads. The Principal focused his attention on one student and quietly instructed him on a more effective way of using the iPad.

Next, we visited a freshman Maths class. The teacher was sitting at the back of the room next to a student. All the students had the work in front of them on their iPads. The teacher's work was projected on the screen. She was using her iPad and Apple TV. The worksheet was made available to the students through Blackboard, a popular LMS in the US.


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Re-imagining RE

Saturday, March 9, 2013




I walked down this avenue in Arizona State University, Tempe completely uncertain of where I was going - and then walked up the avenue two days later convinced that I was walking the right path in re-imagining religious education.

I went to Arizona to find a knowledge community to share my view of religious education and my vision for the future of the subject - and I found a listening audience and people who questioned me about my ideas.

I started on this journey with the decision to change how I looked at the world and at knowledge. My research led me to conclude that I am more likely to be a social constructionist than anything else. What do I mean by this? Well, the faith that I profess is socially constructed. It has relevance and meaning in the society that I choose to belong to, that is, to the Catholic community of which I am a member. So here is my social constructionist argument.

We tune in to all types of discourses, that is, we are aware of sets of images, symbols, statements and so on that have the power to create realities if we choose to align ourselves with them. We navigate our way through life choosing to move in this direction, or that, and accept the responsibilities and restrictions that come with holding to the realities that are constructed from the decisions we make. In some discourses, there are absolutes, while in others, there are no absolutes. My argument is this: most students I teach reject the idea that there are absolutes. They have moved from accepting a religious identity given them at Baptism and supported and nurtured by their parents (if they were ever in that position) to forming their own religious identity. When religious education teachers ignore this reality, they invite disaster. Students become disengaged. RE is irrelevant.

In my research, a Year 12 student who calls herself Morgan, reports on the conditional loving God
her mother thrusts on her. This God requires her to go to Mass every Sunday and to be good, or he won't love her. Morgan recalls this discourse amidst others some of which are critical of the religious education she receives at her school. Foucauldian discourse analysis highlights the orientation of people's actions in response to discourses. It also draws attention to responsibilities and the restrictions discourses place on people, that is, their thinking is constructed according to the discourses they accept. Morgan recalls her mother's attempts to make her go to Mass so that she can counter it with other discourses that are more meaningful for her. She draws on the unconditional loving God discourse and also her father's discourse - he goes to Mass when he feels the need to go, that is, when he is worried and needs help. Morgan reports that he goes to Mass at Easter because his wife makes him go. The discourse that Morgan listens to does not require weekly attendance at Mass. She wants to be like her father and go when she feels like going.

Cameron is a Year 12 student from a different Catholic school. His parents took him to Mass when he was a child and made sure that he understood what was happening. He reports that when he entered secondary school, they gave him the responsibility of choosing whether he went to Mass with them or not. The discourses he listens to support his freedom to choose. It is reflected also in his interpretation of the Church's teaching about Sunday Mass observance. He considers it to be of lesser importance than his experiences of needing God.

Both students "listen" to discourses about religious education being there to help them make their way through life, but they reject the Church's attempts to teach the truths of the faith. They want equal say with the Church, that is, their views are just as important as what the Church teaches. They endorse the use of discussion about issues that affect them directly. Morgan rejects much of the content of her religious education course as "bulk material." Cameron is critical of producing written work that regurgitates the teaching of the Church, but does not allow for individuals' beliefs to be expressed and respected.

You can access the paper I wrote here.


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