Professor Br David Hall FMS, Dean of La Salle Academy. Photo: Supplied.
Australian Catholic University’s (ACU) La Salle Academy has last month published a comprehensive review of Catholic Education documents from Vatican II and the Congregation of Catholic Education.
Constants in context: Conciliar and post-conciliar documents on the Catholic school and their implications for mission was developed to support interests in mission and identity in Catholic schools with a particular focus on religious education, leadership, and formation in faith.
While developed in Australia, the document is based on an examination of literature of a universal nature and is relevant to Catholic schools worldwide.
The journal documents the identification and analysis of relevant themes from an innovative methodology and is informative as to implications for Catholic schools today.
Dean of La Salle Academy Professor Br David Hall FMS commissioned the report, Deputy Dean Associate Professor Bill Sultmann managed its production and Research Fellow at Griffith Institute for Educational Research Dr Geraldine Townend provided methodological support.
Prof Hall said senior officials within the Congregation for Catholic Education and students at the ACU Rome Campus reviewed the report; they found it to be a significant contribution to the canon of research and writing on the Mission and Identity of Catholic schools.
“What was most striking to us was the continuity of the foundational elements to the Catholic school in terms of faith, learning, community and formation,” Prof Hall added.
“The document is hoped to support personal and group formation as well as offering a background for Catholic school renewal.”
Associate Professor Sultmann said along with its research and teaching applications, the findings were being used as a basis for “smaller, illustrated and more conversational statements” for processes of dialogue within and beyond the Catholic school.
“The central themes that emerge are given a practical focus and ideally will act as a bridge in linking the grounded reality of Catholic school life with the inspirational statements of the Magisterium,” Prof Sultmann said.
Dr Townend added: “The research offered incredible and practical insights in the Mission of the Catholic school and provided opportunities for personal and group discussion of an unexpected magnitude and value”.