Relationship between OLPH Church and OLPH School
The relationship between the parish church and the local Catholic school is a very important one. It is a relationship that demands the interest and good will of both the local pastor and the principal and teachers of the school. It likewise needs to be noted that in order to be really effective, the relationship between the church and the school also demands the involvement of the parents. Without their support and involvement in the religious formation of their children, the work of either the school or the parish or even both together lacks a key component. Both are weaker and the results that can be achieved are diminished.
The activity of the parents, school and parish in the religious formation of children overlap. They build together to form a holistic experience for the child. In a somewhat simplistic way, one could say that:
- the home is where the child “catches” the faith from the religious values and practice of their parents,
- the school is the place where they learn to understand more about the faith they have caught,
- the parish is the place where they gather to celebrate that faith within the larger community of the People of God.
Needless to say, religious formation is in no way so clear cut or compartmentalized. Each setting, home, school and parish all contribute in unique ways to the formation, education and celebration of a child’s life of faith. But it is only when all three of these settings are working collaboratively that the child is fully involved in an environment that will nurture and enliven his or her life of faith.
There are many ways in which the parents, parish and school can work together to enhance the faith life of the children. One of these ways involves the preparation of the children for sacraments. Another is in the celebration of the Eucharist together at various times during the liturgical year. Collaboration on behalf of the faith life of the children is limited only by imagination and time.
Here at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, we have the great blessing of having a very positive and dynamic relationship with the school and with the parents of the children who attend OLPH School. The principal and staff of the school are extremely supportive and cooperative and they take their role, not only as educators but as religious educators, very seriously.
Over the past several years, both parish and school have worked closely together to enhance the religious formation of the children and to involve the parents in this process in new and creative ways. This foundation provides great hope for the future and for the ongoing formation of our children in the ways of faith.