Catholic schools offer ‘symbiotic relationship’ for faithful families (Catholic Schools Week)
Three families — the Lovatos, Rodriguezes, and Burkes — from the Archdiocese of Newark say that sending their children to Catholic schools has strengthened their faith formation at home.
Supportive community of a Catholic school
Amy Lovato, a music teacher at Holy Trinity School in Westfield, has two children in Catholic schools within the Archdiocese. Her son, David, is a sophomore at Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange, and her daughter, Gianna, is in 5th grade at Holy Trinity.
The school community is on the same page as the Lovato family regarding home life, discipline strategies, and study habits, Amy Lovato said. She also feels the support of fellow parents, teachers, and administrators, which contributes to a positive and nurturing environment, she said.
“My kids have made friends here they will keep their whole lives, and I have made friends too. It’s a great, supportive community,” she said.
Being part of the Catholic school community has impacted family discussions about faith, she said.
“We have dinner together every night, and have had many conversations about Jesus, theology, and the Bible,” she said.
The family also began watching The Chosen after the children were introduced to the series at their schools also spurring family discussions about faith.
Most importantly Davis and Gianna are learning to live Christ-centered while navigating challenges in their lives. “They are learning that through Christ, they can do all things,” she said.
They also feel blessed with the small class sizes and the solid curriculum offered at Catholic schools, Amy Lovato said.
“We believe strongly in combining academic curriculum with the Catholic faith to make it a well-rounded experience for the whole child,” Amy Lovato said. “We chose Catholic school because we wanted Christ to be the foundation of our children’s education.”
Connecting Catholic faith through service
Brennan Burke, a mother of six, has two children attending Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey: Patrick in 12th grade and Tiernan in 11th grade. Additionally, she has four children at The Academy of St. Paul in Ramsey: Molloy in 8th grade, Eamon in 5th grade, Kathleen in 3rd grade, and Bridget in Kindergarten.
Brennan Burke said that there is a symbiotic relationship between the faith formation her children receive at Catholic school and home.
Faith, for the Burkes, permeates every aspect of their lives, primarily through community service. “In my household, we spend a lot of time performing acts of service to live out our faith,” she said.
The Burke children actively engage in charitable and community service activities that align with their Catholic faith. Two of Brennan’s sons teach robotics to underprivileged teens at the Father English Center in Paterson. The family plays a key role in running the FIRST LEGO® League and Robotics Team at Don Bosco Prep and the Academy of St. Paul, which helps students from elementary and high schools across the Archdiocese learn the core values of respect and teamwork while also enabling them to explore STEM concepts. The children also participate in community service through Boy and Girl Scouts.
The children also spend time with people of other faiths due to their community service. The family begins their service activities with prayer and often attracts attention from volunteer public school students. “The other kids are interested in having faith-based conversations with us,” she said.
Brennan Burke highlighted the sense of community fostered by Catholic schools. A Catholic school “acts as an extended family structure,” she said. The supportive and faith-based environment encourages open discussions, making it a safe space for her family to explore and deepen their faith, she said.
Catholic values reinforced in school and at home
Patty Rodriguez, the Director of the Archdiocese of Newark Catechetical Office, and her husband have “great peace of mind” that their faith is being reinforced at school as well as at home.
“Our Catholic faith, values, and worldview are being reinforced daily in their school environment,” Rodriguez said. “We believe this helps them to better integrate their faith with every aspect of their lives rather than feeling like they are in an environment where they cannot speak about their faith or where they might not feel free to pray.”
Her daughter, Liz, attends Saint Dominic Academy in Jersey City. Her son Gabe graduated from Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School last June. The family is also involved at their local parish, and last year both of her children served as teenage helpers on a pilgrimage to Lourdes with the American Special Children’s Pilgrimage Group (ASCPG). The group, better known as the “Lourdes Kids,” enables profoundly disabled children and young adults to travel to The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes independently every year.
In a world where educational choices are vast and varied, many Catholic families opt for a faith-based education for their children to instill Christ as a foundation in all they do in life.
Featured image: The Burke family integrates faith into every aspect of their life, from sending their six children to Catholic school to community service initiatives. (Courtesy Burke Family)
