Weakland recalls his "conversion" to supporting Catholic schools

MILWAUKEE -- In what was most likely his last address to Catholic school educators, Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland focused on his "conversion" to supporting Catholic schools. During the 11th annual Catholic Schools dinner Feb. 4, the feast of St. Rembert, the archbishop's patron saint, Weakland was also honored with the Catholic School Champion Award.

The event, which drew close to 400 pastors, principals, teachers and volunteers, as well as members of the business community and other supporters of Catholic education, was held at Marquette University's Alumni Memorial Union.

But while his main topic was his conversion to backing the Catholic education system here, Weakland also said the main challenge for his successor and "for all of us will be excellence (in schools). The poorer the neighborhood the better the school should be," he noted.

More has to be done "for our teachers," he also said.

In his keynote speech, Weakland said when he came to Milwaukee in 1977, he was "ambivalent about (Catholic) schools" and had very little experience with Catholic grade schools. He said he found many pastors who were also ambivalent about the schools. At that time he said there were conflicts in parishes over limited resources, and some schools even closed.

With the decline of nuns teaching in schools, Weakland said, more lay people were needed to teach. At that point, he said, "We realized how much sisters had (financially) saved us."

During his speech Weakland also noted that $140 million is probably raised by all the parishes in the archdiocese each year to keep education going.

According to Weakland, "what began my conversion to Catholic schools was reading Fr. Andrew Greeley and what he wrote about Catholic schools. It was a pragmatic argument that they work. They transmit the faith."

Today, Weakland said, "It takes a parish to educate a child, not just parents." And as parental influence began to fade he said this became more important.

He told his audience, "I am convinced Catholic education is holistic in two ways." One is in terms of the human person's intellect, will, creativity and spirituality.

Weakland gave the example of his own Catholic education and "how stimulating it was. The Catholic approach touches all parts of the whole person," he said.

In Catholic schools, Weakland said faith gives values a basis. "I'm not saying public schools cannot have value-based education," he said. But "values have to be supported by virtues, otherwise they stay in the brain."

The second way that Catholic education is holistic is the way faith and knowledge become integrated, he said. "For us the important thing isn't to live a schizophrenic life, but rather to integrate," Weakland explained.