Catholic Schools Week 2014 will be celebrated the week of January 26 to February 1, 2014.
The feast day of St. John Bosco is always January 31.
In fact, Catholic Schools Week usually occurs during the month of Don Bosco? Coincidence? Maybe not.
Don Bosco and the Preventive System
St. John Bosco is the patron saint of schoolchildren, young people, and students. Don Bosco educated thousands of youngsters in his day, and continues to do so through his Salesian Society.
Don Bosco saw basically two systems of education: the repressive system, where the rules are posted and the educator acts like a police officer to ensure the rules are followed. The educator is there to give out consequences when the rules are broken.
The second, the preventive system of education, where a few clear rules (or expectations) are clearly made known, but the educator is “actively present” among the young people as a friend to help the youngsters grow in line with what is expected.
Don Bosco educated the whole person—body and soul. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade all we do—work, study, and play. For Don Bosco, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God in everything we do, letting God’s love lead us in all things.
The three pillars of the Preventive System
There are three pillars in Don Bosco’s Preventive System: REASON, RELIGION, and LOVING KINDNESS.
Reason
REASON is to do the “reasonable” thing with the young.
To do this the educator must see the world like a youngster. Then the educator brings the student up to an adult level.
The educator accomplishes this by clearly making known expectations, rules, and requirements, keeping rules easy to remember. Then, the educator must be present to the young to prevent bad things from happening and to promote good events. REASON, therefore, means to build on the positive, to encourage questions and suggestions, and to develop leadership in the young.
Religion
The second pillar, RELIGION, creates a religious environment where the young become aware of God’s presence at all times. The pillar creates a clear enlightenment of the mind on the truths concerning God and moral behavior.
REASON has us nurturing the growth of good moral consciences by a sound, systematic teaching of morality—so the youngster may make sound moral decisions on his own. RELIGION develops a “vocation culture” in which the young know God has created them for a purpose and calls them into His service.
Loving Kindness
The final pillar, LOVING KINDNESS, means the educator totally dedicates him/herself to the well-being of his/her student—willing and ready to accept sacrifices and hard work in the fulfillment of this mission.
Don Bosco saw the education of the young as a matter of the heart. He said: “It’s not enough to love the young, the young must know they are loved.” Don Bosco did not mean a sentimental kind of love, but a love that the young knew the educator had their best interest in mind and heart.
Catholic Schools Week 2014 and Holy Cross Parish
Holy Cross Parish supports Catholic Education big-time.
Much of our financial resources goes to keep the doors of Holy Cross School and St. Thomas More High School open.
We do this because we believe in the value of Catholic Education and what it is meant to offer to every student.
May we rely on the intercession of St. John Bosco that our generosity and sacrifice will not be in vain. But, our young will grow to be good Catholic citizens here on earth and will eventually become good citizens in heaven—the ultimate goal of all true education.
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