Religious Continuum?

[Anonymous]

We are non-Catholic but are considering parochial high schools for our DC (currently in 7th grade) who is a high achieving student and very strong athlete - football and lacrosse. We like Catholic school's academic programs (okay, I know people are going to say they aren't as good as a Big 3, but we are okay with that), student:teacher ratios, the emphasis on service, the diversity (racial, socio-economic, academic), tuition rates and athletic opportunities. We are Christian, but are not regular church goers. Is there a different religious feel among Prep, GC, St. John's and Gonzaga? If so, what does that continuum look like?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We are non-Catholic but are considering parochial high schools for our DC (currently in 7th grade) who is a high achieving student and very strong athlete - football and lacrosse. We like Catholic school's academic programs (okay, I know people are going to say they aren't as good as a Big 3, but we are okay with that), student:teacher ratios, the emphasis on service, the diversity (racial, socio-economic, academic), tuition rates and athletic opportunities. We are Christian, but are not regular church goers. Is there a different religious feel among Prep, GC, St. John's and Gonzaga? If so, what does that continuum look like?

Thanks!

I know this isn't exactly responsive to your question, but at Prep and Gonzaga our experience is that the families that send their sons to these schools are not only Catholic, they are very frequently practicing Catholics. So your son's classmates at either Prep and Gonzaga will have come from parish grammar schools and will be regulars at Mass in their parishes. These are not people who take being a Catholic lightly. It is central to their identity. Most of the students have Irish lineage.

Attendance at Mass is part of the basic activity at both of these schools. There aren't a lot of non-Catholics at either. Many of the students have fathers or uncles or brothers or all three that have attended these schools.

A non-Catholic at either Prep or Gonzaga is part of a very small minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We are non-Catholic but are considering parochial high schools for our DC (currently in 7th grade) who is a high achieving student and very strong athlete - football and lacrosse. We like Catholic school's academic programs (okay, I know people are going to say they aren't as good as a Big 3, but we are okay with that), student:teacher ratios, the emphasis on service, the diversity (racial, socio-economic, academic), tuition rates and athletic opportunities. We are Christian, but are not regular church goers. Is there a different religious feel among Prep, GC, St. John's and Gonzaga? If so, what does that continuum look like?

Thanks!

There are religion classes at all four schools. At the Jesuit schools (Prep and Gonzaga) the religion classes are primarily discussions of topics as opposed to the Cathecism. They assume students have the Catholic basics and in most cases they are correct because many of the students come from parish elementary and middle schools.

Because thy are smaller, there is more of a Catholic, religious feel to Prep and Gonzaga. Gonzaga has a church on campus. Prep has a chapel and they are used by the student body for mass and other assemblies. From you description, it doesn't sound like either Gonzaga or Prep is what you are looking for. If "tuition" rates are a concern, you won't like Prep. And Gonzaga is diverse, but the diversity there consists primarily of kids from the inner city. Getting accepted into Gonzaga a a non-Catholic, non-minority might be a challenge as the number of applications they get for the 250 seats in a class has sky-rocketed. ( I heard they had 750 applications)

Gonzaga and Prep are the two lacrosse schools. St Johns and Good Counsel lacrosse programs are not very competitive.

Good Counsel, ST Johns and Gonzaga are all in the WCAC and their football programs are very strong. Especially, Good Counsel which could play with anybody in the US.

Except for the minorities at these schools, the populations are overwhelmingly Catholics.

[Anonymous]

These aren't all parochial schools, are they? Are you just interested in Catholic high schools?

[Anonymous]

You should be aware that the Catholics who have attended and supported these schools for generations aren't particularly fond of non-Catholics who view them as lower cost alternatives to more expensive private schools and refuges from the public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should be aware that the Catholics who have attended and supported these schools for generations aren't particularly fond of non-Catholics who view them as lower cost alternatives to more expensive private schools and refuges from the public schools.

That's true. They view these people as "party crashers".

Seriously, people will want to know what Parish are you from, which Catholic grammar school your son attended, which Catholic high school you attended. Their shared experience binds them together as a community. It's no fun being a member of a minority group. Especially when this largely Irish majority is so acutely aware of the poor treatment their grandparents encountered.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your feedback everyone. I appreciate it.

Do you think being non-Catholic would be socially isolating for DS and us at all 4 of the schools I mentioned in my original post, or primarily at Prep and Gonzaga?

[Anonymous]

NP here -- This is an interesting thread; would anyone care to comment on the same issue with respect to the girls' Catholic schools? I would be grateful for insights from current or recent parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your feedback everyone. I appreciate it.

Do you think being non-Catholic would be socially isolating for DS and us at all 4 of the schools I mentioned in my original post, or primarily at Prep and Gonzaga?

You may have something there. Prep and Gonzaga are smaller, more tight lnit and serve the same .ong ti,e DC Catholic crowd.

St John's used to be like Gonzaga but went way down. Now it has reinvented itself as something different. Good Counsel is in a new location and is a different school than it was when it was on Georgia Ave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here -- This is an interesting thread; would anyone care to comment on the same issue with respect to the girls' Catholic schools? I would be grateful for insights from current or recent parents.

They are attended by the daughters of the same largely Irish Catholic families that send their sons to Prep and Gonzaga. And the girls date the guys from these schools.

I would guess its hard for people moving into the DC area to grasp just how insular the Catholic community is. here We moved here from Philadelphia many tears ago and are continually surprised at how balkanized the area is.

The Catholics who are natives send their sons and daughters to Catholic schools, belong to the same clubs, go to the same doctors and dentists and vacation in the same places. When you see a player for an non-Catholic school with what appears to be an Irish or Italian name on their shoulders, its a sure bet the parents are not from DC originally.

Npne of this means that they are cordial to others. But when push comes to shove, like who is in or even invited to the weddings, its almost always the same crowd.

That's not to say your DD couldn't or shouldn't go to one of these schools. Its that you and she should know going in that these people feel strongly about their religion and their ethnicity.

[Anonymous]

SR parent. No one cares or is even interested in what religion you are. If you are concerned, the admissions office will have a non- catholic family call you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here -- This is an interesting thread; would anyone care to comment on the same issue with respect to the girls' Catholic schools? I would be grateful for insights from current or recent parents.

They are attended by the daughters of the same largely Irish Catholic families that send their sons to Prep and Gonzaga. And the girls date the guys from these schools.

I would guess its hard for people moving into the DC area to grasp just how insular the Catholic community is. here We moved here from Philadelphia many tears ago and are continually surprised at how balkanized the area is.

The Catholics who are natives send their sons and daughters to Catholic schools, belong to the same clubs, go to the same doctors and dentists and vacation in the same places. When you see a player for an non-Catholic school with what appears to be an Irish or Italian name on their shoulders, its a sure bet the parents are not from DC originally.

Npne of this means that they are cordial to others. But when push comes to shove, like who is in or even invited to the weddings, its almost always the same crowd.

That's not to say your DD couldn't or shouldn't go to one of these schools. Its that you and she should know going in that these people feel strongly about their religion and their ethnicity.

. I could have written this! After we moved here we thought we would fit right in at our local parish. After two or so years of being cut out of the clique we pulled our then miserable child out. We never looked back! Now after being a life long catholic we don't go to mass but just can't get ourselves to join another religion. It's complex.

I would steer clear of the schools you mentioned. Try the private Catholics that are more diverse like SR and SAAS if you must. As for us, it's public all the way. And the warm friends we have made are delightful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SR parent. No one cares or is even interested in what religion you are. If you are concerned, the admissions office will have a non- catholic family call you.

The experience will certainly give her an appreciation for what its like to be a minority. And if she doesn't like those GP and Gonzaga boys, she might de socially isolated.

A big risk for little return.

[Anonymous]

DC Irish Catholics are a strange breed (on the whole). Attend mass regularly, but don't accept Church dogma. While stereotypes are never universally true, it's not hard to see where they come from with this crew. Read "God and Man at Georgetown Prep."

[Anonymous]

This same question "Can we or should we as non-Catholics send out DC to Catholic schools?" comes up repeatedly in various forms on this forum.

Sometimes its non-Catholics attracted by the geographic convenience of Catholic grammar schools. Sometimes its parents who see all the problems in free public schoosl and don't like the Independent schools for lots of reasons including the price tag. Some want the values that are taught and the discipline in the Catholic schools.

There are enough anecdotes that float around to make it seem plausible. (e.g."I have a non-Catholic friend who sent her son to a Catholic school and it was a good experience.".

But what these people shopping for the middle ground between the Publics and the Independents can't see are the downsides. And it should not came as a surprise that there are some. These schools are not there to provide non-Catholics a safe haven from the publics and a discount from the Independents. When the schools admit non-Catholics its because they have the space and can use the tuition money or the student has some sort of special quality or skill they want. They certainly aren't interested in religious diversity.

The impact on a child of being a minority among a majority never seems to be considered. Children consciously and sub-conciously struggle to be like those that surround them.