My High School is in desprate need of

[MissScripture]

I I would like to ask you all to pray. I just found out that my former "Catholic" highschool (I graduated last spring) is falling apart even worse than I though. The only religion teacher who dared stand up for the Catholic Church is no longer teaching there. It's a very long story, but that school needs prayers. Especially the students left there, who are fighting for the Church. It's a rough road to travel going to school there. The only reason I survived was because of WYD after 9th grade, and my confirmation sponsor keeping me grounded in the Catholic Church. Please pray for the teacher who left, the students who are fighting for the Church, the students who don't know what the Catholic Church is because of what they were taught, and the religion teachers still there teaching heresy (and I think it actually fit the definition of heresy...not good for a diocesan school!!). Pray that God may have mercy on them.

[Paladin D]

Why isn't the bishop of the diocese doing anything?

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Paladin D' date='Sep 14 2005, 09:03 AM']Why isn't the bishop of the diocese doing anything?
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Ha. Sorry, I've become cynical about that. In my naievety, I assumed he didn't know what was happening. So I wrote him a letter. A long letter. With all of my pain and confusion at what was happening. I asked him to stand up for the truth and take resposibility for this...he sent the superintendent of Catholic Schools to talk to me abou the letter...almost a month after I sent the letter...on my very last day of school....without warning. I was pulled out of class and told that she wanted to see me in the principals office. I didn't even know who she was. The conversation started out with her talking about Pope Benedict XVI and how she knew him, becuase she went to Rome to "fight for women's rights in the Church." It went downhill from there. There was one point when she told me I was right, but there was nothing I could do to change what was happening and maybe I'd grow out of that phase. (What phase? Being right? Caring about the state of the Church?)
Currently, my parish priest is trying to take my letter back to the Bishop and demand that something be done. He (the priest) talked to 7 other graduates from my highschool, and they all said the same things I did. He called the principal, who said that she'd call the parents of those kids. 1) what'll that do? The problem isn't with us. 2) That was a good 2 months ago, and she has yet to call. On the bright side, that superintendent retired (not because of any of this, that was planned already) and the woman hired now is a parent of a student at my high school. I know that student wasn't happy with the religion department AT ALL. So we can hope and pray that she'll have the strength and courage to start fixing this mess.
Question: Does anyone know who would be right above the Bishop, that'd he'd have to answer to? Maybe a letter to them would help...

Edited September 14, 2005 by MissScripture

[argent_paladin]

1. They don't take kids seriously. You need to get your parents involved and then they will listen. I would say, if possible, form a " ____ High School Parent's and Student's Committee for Truth" or something. Hold a meeting, scheduling maybe three or four student testimonies from different years, students who are successful and respected. Especially if you could get one who goes to a good college to talk about the HS problems. Then discuss what to do about it. I would probably form a small committee, draft a letter to the principal and meet a few weeks later to read the letter to the group. Then have ALL of the parents and students and alumni sign it. Try to get about 100 signatures. Then send a copy to the principal, superintendent, the bishop and the director of the Catholic Education dept in your diocese.
And pray.
In your letter, offer constructive solutions. Find out what other schools are doing, like what books they use. It would be great if you could talk to the teacher who left as well. Try to find a priest who will be chaplain for your group.
I know this is a lot of work, but the things worth getting are worth working for. There is no way a school could ignore 100 students, alumni, parents and former teachers. Invite a reporter from the local secular and religious newspaper and send out a news release. Publicise the meeting. Numbers are your friend. One person can be discounted as a "troubled teen" but 100 cannot. I will pray for you.

[ofpheritup]

[quote name='Paladin D' date='Sep 14 2005, 09:03 AM']Why isn't the bishop of the diocese doing anything?
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I wrote my bishop 3 letters about a different situation. The response I got was "dishwater." Good parish, good priest, blah blah blah.

Some of them don't want to bothered or don't care or are going to heck.

I changed parishes.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='argent_paladin' date='Sep 14 2005, 03:07 PM']1. They don't take kids seriously. You need to get your parents involved and then they will listen. I would say, if possible, form a " ____ High School Parent's and Student's Committee for Truth" or something. Hold a meeting, scheduling maybe three or four student testimonies from different years, students who are successful and respected. Especially if you could get one who goes to a good college to talk about the HS problems. Then discuss what to do about it. I would probably form a small committee, draft a letter to the principal and meet a few weeks later to read the letter to the group. Then have ALL of the parents and students and alumni sign it. Try to get about 100 signatures. Then send a copy to the principal, superintendent, the bishop and the director of the Catholic Education dept in your diocese.
And pray.
In your letter, offer constructive solutions. Find out what other schools are doing, like what books they use. It would be great if you could talk to the teacher who left as well. Try to find a priest who will be chaplain for your group.
I know this is a lot of work, but the things worth getting are worth working for. There is no way a school could ignore 100 students, alumni, parents and former teachers. Invite a reporter from the local secular and religious newspaper and send out a news release. Publicise the meeting. Numbers are your friend. One person can be discounted as a "troubled teen" but 100 cannot. I will pray for you.
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Actually, the reason I wrote the letter was because they would not listen to the parents. One of the mothers tried to pull her daughter from the religion class and homeschool her in religion, and the religion teacher and Faith Formation director called the mother in to have a talk. She was told that it was natural for teens to doubt their faith, and even if they did religion at home, she'd still have to sit in the class. When my mother went to talk to them about the religion department during my junior year, they told her they'd "look into it" but that many things were just "misintrepreted."
I am currently writing a letter to the teacher who left, telling her how happy I am that she was there when she was, and asking her to keep trying to fight this with me. I have a friend who has written a letter, and my mother is trying to arrange a meeting of parents.
Thank you so very much for the prayers. I cried at Mass today thinking about all of this. About the kids I went to school with who don't understand what it is even about, because they were never taught. About the ones who hate the Catholic Church because of what they are taught in highschool. The priest talked about the cruxifix and how Jesus suffered for our sins, and it made me cry to think that some of these kids will never understand what that really means. Four years of secularized social justice classes just don't cut it!

[Crispy]

prayers most def. i fight your fight, only in public schools and irreverent parishes.

[Lil Red]

i will say some prayers for you!

[littleflower+JMJ]

ditto to what lit' red said!

that really is sad...i think you need to find someone, high in the school or community to speak up for everyone. Gather and have a petition, hold a meeting of sorts, write to the diocesan newspapers.

i will most def pray...especially for those fighting and still caring after much. you are the salt who has not lost its flavor......

Pax

[thessalonian]

I highly recommend that you write the vatican. You may not get a response but it at least let's them know how bad things are in your area and when your bishop comes up for replacement they may be more likely to put in someone more orthodox if they get more complaints.

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

ive emailed my archbishop and my bishop.

both never responded.

thanks a lot.

[sweetpea316]

I hope and pray that things get better...

[MissScripture]

[quote name='littleflower+JMJ' date='Sep 14 2005, 05:36 PM']ditto to what lit' red said!

that really is sad...i think you need to find someone, high in the school or community to speak up for everyone. Gather and have a petition, hold a meeting of sorts, write to the diocesan newspapers.

i will most def pray...especially for those fighting and still caring after much. you are the salt who has not lost its flavor......

Pax
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Thank you for the prayers and the suggestions. My parish priest is highest in the school that I can get, but he is very passionate about this and I think he may have several other priests with him on this...all of the teachers/adminstrators who have power are going along with this, and try to pacify any complaints by telling them "they'll check into it" or "we need specific examples" And I'd try writing to the diocesan newspaper...but it's trash...honestly. It had an editorial written last spring/early summer about why there should be women priests. I think I posted it on here...something about the "stained glass half full or half empty." It was bad. Luckily, there was quite a negative reaction to it. I even know of people who dropped thier donations to the diocese because that was the last straw. We have a new editor now, but I don't know how she stands on things...and most of the people who would be against this don't read the newspaper much anymore after that little episode.
Again, thank you for the prayers.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='thessalonian' date='Sep 14 2005, 06:26 PM']I highly recommend that you write the vatican.  You may not get a response but it at least let's them know how bad things are in your area and when your bishop comes up for replacement they may be more likely to put in someone more orthodox if they get more complaints.
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How would one go about doing that? How should it be addressed, etc?

[Cathurian]

Oh wow -- prayers for you and your school.

[MissScripture]

[MissScripture]

Ok, I don't mean to be a bother, but I would really like to know how one would go about writing to the Vatican. Thank you.
And thank you for the prayers and the suggestions.

[cmotherofpirl]

You need to write to the papal numcio, and the bishops conference of whatever state you are in.

Bump for someone to find the addresses.

[White Knight]

I'll prayer for your school, I'd like to know the name of the school as well, please, Thank You.

[missionseeker]

[quote name='ofpheritup' date='Sep 14 2005, 04:18 PM']I wrote my bishop 3 letters about a different situation.  The response I got was "dishwater." Good parish, good priest, blah blah blah.

Some of them don't want to bothered or don't care or are going to heck.

I changed parishes.
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My mom did that. We also changed parishes