COMMENTARY
FLORIDA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

Archdiocese of Miami + Diocese of St. Augustine
Diocese of St. Petersburg + Diocese of Orlando + Diocese of Pensacola/Tallahassee

VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2 / May 1980

   In November 1972, the Catholic Bishops of the United States published a pastoral message on Catholic education. Its title was "To Teach As Jesus Did." In a statement on Catholic schools, the bishops wrote: "Of the educational programs available to the Catholic community, Catholic schools afford the fullest and best opportunity to realize the threefold purpose of Christian education (Message, Community, Service) among children and young people." A brief look at the history of Catholic education and Catholic schools in the State of Florida will show us that this "threefold purpose" has been part and parcel of our heritage for hundreds of years.

   Over four centuries ago, Spanish explorers and Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries arrived in "La Florida." One of their principal goals in their teaching was to give the Indians "the message" or the Word, to share the concept of "community" or loving God and neighbor, and to stress the ideal of "service" to God and to one another. For two hundred years, the Spanish missionaries evangelized the Indians.

   In one of his histories, Dr. Michael V. Gannon of the University of Florida, Gainesville, notes that a school began under Catholic auspices in St. Augustine in 1606. A Catholic public school, a free school, he writes, was founded by the Church at St. Augustine in 1789, and was probably the first in the United States, that is, the first free public school. At this time Catholic religious instruction which continued to profess the threefold purpose of "Message, Community, Service," became a part of the curriculum taught in the free public school. Dr. Gannon notes that by 1876, a date which marked the end of the episcopate of Augustin Verot, first Bishop of St. Augustine, the Church in Florida had welcomed several communities. Some of these communities were the Sisters of St. Benedict, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, the Sisters of the Holy Cross and the Christian Brothers. These religious taught either in the free public schools and were paid by the county or taught in privately-owned academies.

   Bishop Verot, known as the Rebel Bishop, was attracted by social causes. Chief among these causes was the stand he took on justice for the Negroes. Some members of religious communities were also attracted to this cause and joined Verot in his efforts to obtain an education for the children of Negroes as well as for the children of the white people.

   In 1914, Michael J. Curley became Bishop of St. Augustine. Dr. Gannon notes that Bishop Curley faced a swelling tide of anti-Catholicism in Florida, which at one point caused three Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine to be arrested on the charge of teaching Negro children. It was at this time in history with so much anti-Catholicism present that the parochial or parish school system began. Sisters left the free public schools to teach in these parochial schools financed by the local parishes or they chose to remain in their respective community-owned schools.

   Father Patrick Barry succeeded Bishop Curley as the fifth Bishop of St. Augustine. During the first ten years of his episcopate, the Church in Florida experienced a phenomenal growth. Between 1922-1933, the parochial schools increased from twenty-seven to thirty-seven and the number of students in these schools increased from 4,000 to 8,000. During these years the Church welcomed the arrival of missionaries from Ireland.

    Bishop Barry died in 1940, and Bishop Joseph P. Hurley acceded to the see, From 1940 to the mid 60's, a renewed building of Catholic schools occurred. Central Catholic High Schools were built and Catholic schools were desegregated.

   Today, in 1980, the Church in Florida is geographically divided into five dioceses. A total of 73,254 students are educated in 183 schools by faculties composed of religious and lay personnel.

    More than four hundred years after the Spanish missionaries set foot on Florida soil, we find in our parochial and in our private schools, the same threefold mission of Catholic education:

     MESSAGE, COMMUNITY, SERVICE ("To Teach As Jesus Did")
         or
         SCRIPTURE, EUCHARIST, SOCIAL JUSTICE ("Justice in the World")
             or
             KNOW, LOVE, SERVE (Baltimore Catechism)
                 or
                 STUDY, PRAYER, ACTION ("Catholic Action"--Pius XII)
                     or
                     DIDACHE, DOINONIA, DIOKONIA (Biblical Roots)

   Our religious traditions and our Florida heritage are rich and enviable. With such a wealthy foundation, could the future of our parochial school system be less than hopeful?

   Nationwide trends in "accountability," fiscal responsibility, evaluation of educational goals and policies, and increased participation of Catholic school students in governmental programs have an impact on Catholic education. One of the outgrowths of this concern was the establishment of the Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Committee in 1970 and the adoption of standards and principles for the elementary schools operated by the Catholic dioceses in Florida. (As nearly all secondary schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, they were not included in the Conference Accreditation Program.) The Accreditation Committee is composed of a Bishop Moderator, the Superintendents of Education of each of the four dioceses, the Executive Director of the Florida Catholic Conference, and representation from the Florida State Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

   Before accreditation, each school completes a self study based on the established criteria. A year later, a visiting committee is appointed by the Conference to evaluate the school’s success in complying with its approved goals. Using the school’s self study, the findings of the visiting committee, and the recommendations of the visiting committee chairman, the Accreditation Committee acts to either accredit or recommend further improvement of the school. Each year after the initial accreditation, the school submits a report on the recommendations made by the visiting committee; three years after the initial accreditation, a follow-up conference is held; and six years after initial accreditation, an interim review takes place. Every ten years the entire accreditation process is repeated. Beginning with the 1982-1983 school year, schools will be accredited on a 7-year basis.

   The FCC Accreditation Program has been found to be a very effective tool for encouraging and assuring the highest principles and standards in our schools.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Tuition Tax Credits Update Ed Anthony, formerly the Associate for Education for the Florida Catholic Conference and now national coordinator for tuition tax credit legislation, has had extensive meetings with his advisory committees and state coordinators are being named to oversee the development of state plans for the upcoming campaign. Although little legislative action is expected this year, some 50 bills have been introduced by 123 Congressmen. 1981 is expected to see intensive action for this issue. Citizen groups are being organized throughout Florida now.

New Associate for Education Named Mr. D. Michael McCarron has been appointed by the Bishops to the position of Associate for Education at the Conference. Mike is presently associated with the public school system in Dade County, is a graduate of Spring Hill College and Biscayne College. He will come aboard in August.

PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS

   Catholic schools in Florida participate in one or more federally-funded programs. Of all the programs, participation was highest in the ESEA, Title IV-B program, with 174 involved. The total value of library books, services, equipment, and remodeling under this program in our schools will be worth approximately $200,000 during the current school year. Second, in order of participation, was the ESEA, Title I (Remedial Programs) program. Statistics on this complicated program are unavailable at this time and will be reported on later. Participation in other education assistance programs (e.g., exceptional education, migratory children, Headstart, Right to Read, etc.) was very nominal, with fewer than 5% involved in any diocese. Three social programs were shown to be relatively important. These were the three basic feeding programs: school breakfast, school lunch, and school milk. In a typical month, $37,500 is reimbursed to schools for expenditures and services under these programs. On a yearly basis, this would amount to approximately $338,000.