Pope Benedict XVI, at Catholic University of America, in Washington, DC, on April 17, 2008, speaks to Superintendents of Catholic Schools and Presidents of Catholic Colleges - "No child should be denied his or her right to an education in faith, which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation.”
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The Catholic School at the "Heart" of the Church and Pope Benedict XVI message is affirmed in the Archdiocese of Hartford as stated in the Purpose and Vision for Catholic School Education
"First and foremost," Pope Benedict stresses, "every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth."
We cannot know the truth without knowing God: "God's desire to make himself known, and the innate desire of all human beings to know the truth, provide the context for human inquiry into the meaning of life. . . . the one who seeks the truth becomes the one who lives by faith." Catholic schools, then, serve "the Church's primary mission of evangelization."
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"Our Catholic schools must, without compromise, be living witnesses to the unity we have in Jesus. We must celebrate the legacy of Catholic school education and embrace a future with great confidence in our young people. We, the Catholic Church of Hartford, must mobilize ourselves to strengthen the ministry of Catholic school education and to profess confidently that, together, we produce great people." -Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, Pastoral Letter, Together, We Produce Great People, January 2008
"Young people of the third millennium must be a source of energy and leadership in our Church and our nation. Therefore, we must provide young people with an academically rigorous and doctrinally sound program of education and faith formation designed to strengthen their union with Christ and his Church.” -Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium, 2005, USCCB, Washington, DC.
Thirteen habits for fostering the Catholic school's identity:
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Daily prayer 
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Participation in the sacramental life of the Church
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Moral education rooted in Gospel Values
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Infusion of Catholic social teaching
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Attitudes and beliefs
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Content knowledge of the faith
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Service learning and experiences - FAITH IN ACTION
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Human communication
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Discernment of vocation and spiritual leadership
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Signs and Symbols of our faith
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Sacred Art and Music
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Home-School Partnership
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Modesty in dress attire
Requirements for those teaching and ministering in Catholic schools:
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Pastor’s approval of Catholic candidates for teaching/administrative positions
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Pastor's approval of non-Catholic candidates for teaching positions
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New Teacher Orientation Program
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Faculty retreats
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Network-wide annual Catholic Educators Faith Conference
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Certificate in Adult Faith Formation
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Professional Certificate in Catholic School Leadership for administrators/aspirants to administration
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC (USCCB)
To Teach as Jesus Did, 1972
Empowered by the Spirit:
Campus Ministry Faces the Future, 1985
In Support of Catholic
Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1990
Sharing Catholic Social
Teaching: Challenges and Directions, 1998
Welcome and Justice for Persons with
Disabilities, 1998
Sharing Catholic Social
Teaching: Challenges and Directions, 1999
Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A
Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States, 1999
The Application of Ex
Corde Ecclesiae for the United States, 1999
Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium 2005
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