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Catholic Schools Foundation

Friday, February 27, 2026Culture

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Catholic schools show us that true formation is not just intellectual understanding, but a lived faith that shapes how we treat one another every day.

Michael
Reardon

Catholic schools are at their best when they help bring the Gospel to life -- not simply by teaching Scripture and what the Church believes, but by making the Gospel and Church teaching accessible. Each class, practice, game, service project, or other activity is an opportunity to see faith in action. True formation involves developing intellect while also engaging the heart. Our faith is alive and not just words on a page.
This Lent, it would be easy to read Scripture, especially the Passion, as an academic exercise -- just the facts. However, this would diminish the truth of the Passion. Jesus suffered. He was abandoned. He was tortured. Jesus was a person, and we need to feel that pain; we need to understand that pain exists in our world. Catholic schools work hard and deliberately to humanize our faith, and work to engage both mind and heart. In doing so, they change lives. They help make a better, more empathetic world. Connecting mind and heart is critical, and I was recently reminded of this after attending two funerals.
At the first funeral, the homily wove together the day's readings, the teachings of the Church, and the life of the person we had gathered to mourn. It was truly a masterclass in homiletics. The readings and the Church's teaching were animated by the stories from the deceased's life. Yes, mourners left with a sense of loss, but also with a sense of joy, hope, and gratitude.

At the second funeral, the readings were explained, and Church teachings were pronounced. No one was left confused about doctrine or the interpretation of the readings, but the human experience of a life cut short, and the very real loss was treated as an academic exercise. The heart was disconnected from the intellect.
This Lent reminds us that our faith is alive. It is an opportunity to ask ourselves how we see the suffering of Jesus in others and whether we respond to that suffering with an open heart or simply an intellectual understanding.
Catholic schools are entrusted with forming young people, and that formation is incomplete if students do not learn how our faith meets real people in real situations. Young people need to see how faith shapes the way we treat one another, respond to failure, engage in respectful dialogue, and accompany those who are suffering. In today's polarized world, where social media has replaced journalism, and truth has been relegated to an afterthought, understanding that we are all children of God making our way through this world has never been more important.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reminds us that "Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving," and the obligation of all three could be met with limited human connection. Simply check the box. However, the USCCB goes on to remind us that almsgiving is "not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents."
Catholic schools show us that true formation is not just intellectual understanding, but a lived faith that shapes how we treat one another every day. This Lent, we should pray, we should fast, and we should engage in almsgiving -- and we should also ask ourselves if we are just checking a box. Is this an intellectual exercise of following the rules, or is this an opportunity to engage with others as we walk together towards the joy of the Resurrection at Easter?

- Michael B. Reardon is executive director of the Catholic Schools Foundation, www.CSFBoston.org.