Bishop Fintan Monahan Rían Wood
While Catholic schools must be inclusive, the Church has a “right and the responsibility to impart the Gospel vision” to students Bishop Fintan Monahan has warned.
Speaking at Mass to mark the conclusion of Catholic Schools Week, the Bishop of Killaloe said the success of the Catholic system is a result of its open and comprehensive nature calling it “inclusive, outward looking, anxious and thoroughly exciting to share the Good News with all the sundry!”
He said that while “other more technocratic paradigms of education might emphasise utility”, Catholic education focuses on matters with an emphasis on the “wellness of body, soul, mind and spirit.”
Challenging
Dr Monahan expressed concern about the increasingly challenging times that young people face referencing “the intense competition for places and courses, the struggle with online bullying, substance abuse, threat of suicide, the pressure to conform in so many ways and the lure of the many pleasures of the world”.
The bishop reminded people that “we have the right and the responsibility to impart the Gospel vision as gift and invitation, not imposition, of course. We do this with joy and delight and a sense of pride and privilege.”