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Collaborating with the Outisde Community
Collectively, the quotations in this section represent the essence of Catholic teacher identity. They may be useful for general information regarding the content of the Church documents on education. In addition, they may serve as reflective pieces for teachers at faculty meetings, incorporated into paraliturgical services, inserted into newsletters to educate parents, and used as the basis for constructing a Catholic school's philosophy statement.

Below we have listed the different categories of quotations stored on our database. Please feel free to browse through our selections.

Quotes: Collaborating with the Outisde Community

"...it [the school] constitutes a center in whose activity and growth not only the families and teachers but also the various associations for the promotion of cultural, civil and religious life, civic society, and the entire community should take part." (Declaration on Christian Education, 1965, #5)

"As cooperation, which is becoming daily more important and more effective at diocesan, national and international levels, is very necessary also in the educational sphere, every care should be taken to encourage suitable coordination between Catholic schools. Such collaboration between these and other schools as the welfare of the whole community requires should also be developed." (Declaration on Christian Education, 1965, #12)

"A greater measure of coordination and the undertaking of joint activities will be especially fruitful in the sphere of academic institutes." (Declaration on Christian Education, 1965, #12)

"But the Christian community should not be concerned only for itself. Christ did not intend it to live walled off from the world any more than He intended each person to work out his destiny in isolation from others. Fidelity to the will of Christ joins His community with the total human community. 'Thus the mission of the Church will show its religious, and by that very fact, its supremely human character' (The Church Today, 11)." (To Teach as Jesus Did, 1972, #29)

"Various forms of cooperation with public schools should be explored. In supporting a school system which provides an alternative to the system sponsored by the state, the Catholic community does not wish to ignore or be isolated from public schools)." (To Teach as Jesus Did, 1972, #126)

"Catholic schools therefore have a rich potential for strengthening the bonds which unite a community."
(Teach Them, 1976, p. 4)

"The Catholic school will work closely with other Christian bodies (the family, the parish and Christian community, youth associations, etc.). But one must not overlook many other spheres of activity in society which are sources of information and in their various ways have an educational influence." (The Catholic School, 1977, #48)

"A teacher must also be constantly attentive to the socio-cultural, economic, and political environment of the school in the immediate area that the school is located in, and also in the region and the nation." (Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982,

"The school life should also reflect an awareness of international society. Christian education sees all of humanity as one large family, divided perhaps by historical and political events, but always one in God who is Father of all. Therefore a Catholic school should be sensitive to and help to promulgate Church appeals for peace, justice, freedom, progress for all peoples and assistance for countries in need. And it should not ignore similar appeals coming from recognized international organizations such as UNESCO and the United Nations." (The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988, #45)


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