"When the time has come, nothing which is man-made will subsist. One day, all human accomplishments will be reduced to a pile of ashes. But every single child to whom a woman has given birth will live forever." - Alice von Hildebrand
Reflections on Catholic Education
The Catholic Catechism says plainly: Parents have the duty of choosing schools that will best help them in their task as Christian educators. If I really believe, as a Catholic parent, that my goal is to help my children find their ways to heaven, then I should choose their education carefully.
If I really believe, as a Catholic teacher, that children are created for holiness, then I have to orient them towards what is good, true, and beautiful, and help them see God’s hand in these things. I have to show by example that God cherishes them and designed them to flourish.
Of course I fail, often, as both a parent and a teacher. And with Christ’s forgiveness, I start again.
Michael Hardt is a husband, father, and parishioner at Sacred Heart in Lebanon. He has worked in faith formation with middle school students and families preparing for baptism. He has taught literature and writing at colleges including St. Anselm in Goffstown. He serves on the board for the Dayspring Pregnancy Center of the Upper Valley.
After earning a Master’s degree in English from Georgetown University, Mr. Hardt spent over 25 years making computer software for entities including the New Hampshire State Police and EA Sports. Before coming to Mt. Royal, he served as a director of software engineering at Siemens.
His internship at Mt. Royal convinced him that Catholic teaching is both more useful and more challenging.