Faith Leadership Proposal

The Twenty-First Century is an era of social, economic, cultural and religious change, and this change provides a multitude of challenges for faith leadership in schools. Currently in my educational context, a Catholic primary school in a low socioeconomic area of the Lismore Diocese, there is some disharmony between our shared vision and mission, and the reality of day to day events. The purpose of this assignment is to prepare a proposal for my school staff’s professional learning based on my own analysis of the current faith leadership practices that exist and their effectiveness in seeking to develop the notions of community, service, witness, worship and evangelisation within this educational context.

The proposal for professional learning

There is an increasing percentage of non-Catholic students enrolling in our school and this affects its composition and roles. This different mix of students can result in less support for the specifically religious mission of the school. As Kavanagh and Pallisier (2014) suggest, Catholic schools are the only experience of the Church and of the teachings of the Gospel that a majority of our students and families will ever have. This is both a privilege and a challenge for faith leaders, who have a responsibility of ensuring that our community is not ignorant of the Good News and that we continue in our mission to serve, as suggested in the proposal. Pope Francis (2014) describes various challenges that Catholic schools face in contemporary times, including the need for all staff to be authentic witnesses. We are called to evangelise, and Catholic schools must be run by individuals and teams who are inspired by the Gospel, and who have been formed in Christian pedagogy. The proposal discerns principles, and roles and responsibilities that must be put in place in order to meet these

Catholic schools in the Lismore Diocese are guided by a document titled ‘Foundation Beliefs and Practices - the Essential Framework’ (Catholic Schools Office, 2007), which details the core, underlying beliefs we must retain, especially when faced with challenges to faith leadership in our schools. The five foundational practices of evangelisation, worship, witness, community and service are traditional Catholic categories used by the Church to render our faith into action. They are referred to in this proposal in terms of faith leadership practices. The Catholic Schools Office (2007) reminds us that Jesus Christ is at the heart of everything that happens in Catholic schools, and that “we are called to lead others to an encounter with the living Christ.” The proposal reflects the beliefs and practices detailed in the Foundational Beliefs and Practices document.

The recruitment, retention and development of school leaders has to be achieved in the context of balancing the importance of having staff who actively practise the faith of the school with the need to maximise staff quality. My school is grappling with this issue as various members of the staff are not affiliated with our parish community, and yet they are excellent educators. Staff, students, families and the parish must collaborate in an appreciation of their roles in receiving and proclaiming the Good News