Not religious at Catholic School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will not share the school exactly because just how some of the personal feelings are expressed here. Needless to say it is true. The reason we asked is because one of the parents was raised in the system and did not want certain aspects to be imposed upon the child unless the child (not elementary school) chose it voluntarily. We are far from the only case, and not just in this school.

Catholic schools have an important and meaningful mission they by and large perform well. It is fair for me to say that I don’t think those of you expressing very strong opinions in an unwelcoming manner to the others, especially the subset of you not having kids or recent experience of DMV schools as had been established, is supportive of that mission, particularly in the decision week.

The mission of Catholic schools is and has always been to educate children in the Catholic faith and/or to give non-Catholic children the opportunity to be exposed to Catholic teachings. It’s not to subsidize a private school education for your child at a discount rate while they opt out of these core teachings that you clearly disdain. You should be ashamed of yourself.

This is a troll. This is not how the Catholic schools in this area operate.

I am not the PP, but what this PP said in an ineloquent manner is actually true. Schools do not let students opt out of religion classes or masses. This has already been explained by multiple Catholic school parents in previous posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will not share the school exactly because just how some of the personal feelings are expressed here. Needless to say it is true. The reason we asked is because one of the parents was raised in the system and did not want certain aspects to be imposed upon the child unless the child (not elementary school) chose it voluntarily. We are far from the only case, and not just in this school.

Catholic schools have an important and meaningful mission they by and large perform well. It is fair for me to say that I don’t think those of you expressing very strong opinions in an unwelcoming manner to the others, especially the subset of you not having kids or recent experience of DMV schools as had been established, is supportive of that mission, particularly in the decision week.

The mission of Catholic schools is and has always been to educate children in the Catholic faith and/or to give non-Catholic children the opportunity to be exposed to Catholic teachings. It’s not to subsidize a private school education for your child at a discount rate while they opt out of these core teachings that you clearly disdain. You should be ashamed of yourself.

This is a troll. This is not how the Catholic schools in this area operate.

I actually think they are both trolls feeding off each other.

They def need to take a break from each other.

And it’s “Mass,” people. Capital M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure this has been addressed before, but I haven't been able to figure out the right combination of search terms to find the threads.

We are not religious but applied to Catholic high schools because those are the ones we can afford (very grateful that there are schools that are within our means) and we don't like our public high school options.

I have read about Catholics being worried about non-Catholics attending and undermining the school's values. That would not be our approach. We are worried about feeling distant from the school community because we aren't Catholic or feeling like there isn't tolerance for non-Catholics.

We are looking at DeMatha, Gonzaga and St. John's.

I am hoping to hear from non-Catholic families if they regret having sent their child to one of these schools or another Catholic school. I would also be interested in hearing about any upsides. Also, I'm not sure if my son will make it onto a sports team. I think if he did that would help with feeling a part of the school community so am hoping to hear about the experiences of non-athletes as well.

I am also hoping to hear from Catholic families about how they would characterize their interactions with non-Catholic families; I expect that many Catholic families see one another at church or other Catholic-based activities so understand that as a non-Catholic those opportunities will not be there. However, are interactions purely dependent on whether their kid happens to befriend a non-Catholic student or are their other factors?

Thanks.

Catholic family here with kids in Catholic high school and in Catholic k-8. I don't think there is that much of a stigma one way or the other. For example, boys going to Gonzaga are coming from everyone so families aren't necessarily going to the same church or same activities, whether Catholic or not. Not sure what "Catholic-based" activities might be as the boys are boys doing all the activities that boys do regardless of their religion.

My experience is that families are more likely to know each other from work, sports, or other social activities than church! And remember all Catholics aren't the same - you can expect cultural Catholics, cafeteria Catholics, and A&P (attending church on Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday only) Catholics -- probably more of all those varieties than the devout Catholics. With Gonzaga, in particular, it is a Jesuit school - and if you read up on the Jesuits - they are extremely inclusive and open-minded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will not share the school exactly because just how some of the personal feelings are expressed here. Needless to say it is true. The reason we asked is because one of the parents was raised in the system and did not want certain aspects to be imposed upon the child unless the child (not elementary school) chose it voluntarily. We are far from the only case, and not just in this school.

Catholic schools have an important and meaningful mission they by and large perform well. It is fair for me to say that I don’t think those of you expressing very strong opinions in an unwelcoming manner to the others, especially the subset of you not having kids or recent experience of DMV schools as had been established, is supportive of that mission, particularly in the decision week.

The mission of Catholic schools is and has always been to educate children in the Catholic faith and/or to give non-Catholic children the opportunity to be exposed to Catholic teachings. It’s not to subsidize a private school education for your child at a discount rate while they opt out of these core teachings that you clearly disdain. You should be ashamed of yourself.

This is a troll. This is not how the Catholic schools in this area operate.

I am not the PP, but what this PP said in an ineloquent manner is actually true. Schools do not let students opt out of religion classes or masses. This has already been explained by multiple Catholic school parents in previous posts.

🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure this has been addressed before, but I haven't been able to figure out the right combination of search terms to find the threads.

We are not religious but applied to Catholic high schools because those are the ones we can afford (very grateful that there are schools that are within our means) and we don't like our public high school options.

I have read about Catholics being worried about non-Catholics attending and undermining the school's values. That would not be our approach. We are worried about feeling distant from the school community because we aren't Catholic or feeling like there isn't tolerance for non-Catholics.

We are looking at DeMatha, Gonzaga and St. John's.

I am hoping to hear from non-Catholic families if they regret having sent their child to one of these schools or another Catholic school. I would also be interested in hearing about any upsides. Also, I'm not sure if my son will make it onto a sports team. I think if he did that would help with feeling a part of the school community so am hoping to hear about the experiences of non-athletes as well.

I am also hoping to hear from Catholic families about how they would characterize their interactions with non-Catholic families; I expect that many Catholic families see one another at church or other Catholic-based activities so understand that as a non-Catholic those opportunities will not be there. However, are interactions purely dependent on whether their kid happens to befriend a non-Catholic student or are their other factors?

Thanks.

Catholic family here with kids in Catholic high school and in Catholic k-8. I don't think there is that much of a stigma one way or the other. For example, boys going to Gonzaga are coming from everyone so families aren't necessarily going to the same church or same activities, whether Catholic or not. Not sure what "Catholic-based" activities might be as the boys are boys doing all the activities that boys do regardless of their religion.

My experience is that families are more likely to know each other from work, sports, or other social activities than church! And remember all Catholics aren't the same - you can expect cultural Catholics, cafeteria Catholics, and A&P (attending church on Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday only) Catholics -- probably more of all those varieties than the devout Catholics. With Gonzaga, in particular, it is a Jesuit school - and if you read up on the Jesuits - they are extremely inclusive and open-minded.

Thank you for saying that. I hope you don’t get tarred as a liar as well

[Anonymous]

I donate and don’t expect to get a say who is admitted, whether they get aid and how much and how they should behave and if they get any special treatment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will not share the school exactly because just how some of the personal feelings are expressed here. Needless to say it is true. The reason we asked is because one of the parents was raised in the system and did not want certain aspects to be imposed upon the child unless the child (not elementary school) chose it voluntarily. We are far from the only case, and not just in this school.

Catholic schools have an important and meaningful mission they by and large perform well. It is fair for me to say that I don’t think those of you expressing very strong opinions in an unwelcoming manner to the others, especially the subset of you not having kids or recent experience of DMV schools as had been established, is supportive of that mission, particularly in the decision week.

I don’t think you’re telling the truth. My DC will be attending a fairly diverse & progressive Catholic HS in DC, and we were told during the open house that religion classes are mandatory all 4 years and everyone attends school masses.

[Anonymous]

This is crazy. If the schools weren’t adaptable they wouldn’t have survived. Maybe we were given a special treatment. I don’t know and I don’t care. But I know we aren’t the only ones.

Honestly you’re doing the schools no favor by coming in hot like an LDSer on a polygamist compound. Chill out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. If the schools weren’t adaptable they wouldn’t have survived. Maybe we were given a special treatment. I don’t know and I don’t care. But I know we aren’t the only ones.

Honestly you’re doing the schools no favor by coming in hot like an LDSer on a polygamist compound. Chill out

I’m just happy that your child/children are getting exposed to an alternative to your boorish attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure this has been addressed before, but I haven't been able to figure out the right combination of search terms to find the threads.

We are not religious but applied to Catholic high schools because those are the ones we can afford (very grateful that there are schools that are within our means) and we don't like our public high school options.

I have read about Catholics being worried about non-Catholics attending and undermining the school's values. That would not be our approach. We are worried about feeling distant from the school community because we aren't Catholic or feeling like there isn't tolerance for non-Catholics.

We are looking at DeMatha, Gonzaga and St. John's.

I am hoping to hear from non-Catholic families if they regret having sent their child to one of these schools or another Catholic school. I would also be interested in hearing about any upsides. Also, I'm not sure if my son will make it onto a sports team. I think if he did that would help with feeling a part of the school community so am hoping to hear about the experiences of non-athletes as well.

I am also hoping to hear from Catholic families about how they would characterize their interactions with non-Catholic families; I expect that many Catholic families see one another at church or other Catholic-based activities so understand that as a non-Catholic those opportunities will not be there. However, are interactions purely dependent on whether their kid happens to befriend a non-Catholic student or are their other factors?

Thanks.

Catholic family here with kids in Catholic high school and in Catholic k-8. I don't think there is that much of a stigma one way or the other. For example, boys going to Gonzaga are coming from everyone so families aren't necessarily going to the same church or same activities, whether Catholic or not. Not sure what "Catholic-based" activities might be as the boys are boys doing all the activities that boys do regardless of their religion.

My experience is that families are more likely to know each other from work, sports, or other social activities than church! And remember all Catholics aren't the same - you can expect cultural Catholics, cafeteria Catholics, and A&P (attending church on Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday only) Catholics -- probably more of all those varieties than the devout Catholics. With Gonzaga, in particular, it is a Jesuit school - and if you read up on the Jesuits - they are extremely inclusive and open-minded.

Thank you for saying that. I hope you don’t get tarred as a liar as well

DP: I was going to note the same thing about activities and Church. People live all over the area at our school (from DC, MD VA, and as far away as Germantown, Bowie, Potomac, etc.), and I only know of one other student attends the same parish as us. I echo the inclusiveness of most of the schools I know, Jesuits, and also Benedictines in particular (St. Anselm's Abbey, which is about 50% nonCatholic), who as a Rule are hospitable to all and strive to greet others with an open mind and open heart, and to practice humility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. If the schools weren’t adaptable they wouldn’t have survived. Maybe we were given a special treatment. I don’t know and I don’t care. But I know we aren’t the only ones.

Honestly you’re doing the schools no favor by coming in hot like an LDSer on a polygamist compound. Chill out

I’m just happy that your child/children are getting exposed to an alternative to your boorish attitude.

MY boorish attitude? I’m a paragon of tolerance and virtue in comparison to the other-bashers on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. If the schools weren’t adaptable they wouldn’t have survived. Maybe we were given a special treatment. I don’t know and I don’t care. But I know we aren’t the only ones.

Honestly you’re doing the schools no favor by coming in hot like an LDSer on a polygamist compound. Chill out

They are adaptable in that they welcome non-Catholics to enroll in their schools if their is room. However all must complete four years of religion when in high school. It is part of the core curriculum and they would not graduate without it. This is the case in all the top schools I know of in the DMV area. Why do you keep lying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure this has been addressed before, but I haven't been able to figure out the right combination of search terms to find the threads.

We are not religious but applied to Catholic high schools because those are the ones we can afford (very grateful that there are schools that are within our means) and we don't like our public high school options.

I have read about Catholics being worried about non-Catholics attending and undermining the school's values. That would not be our approach. We are worried about feeling distant from the school community because we aren't Catholic or feeling like there isn't tolerance for non-Catholics.

We are looking at DeMatha, Gonzaga and St. John's.

I am hoping to hear from non-Catholic families if they regret having sent their child to one of these schools or another Catholic school. I would also be interested in hearing about any upsides. Also, I'm not sure if my son will make it onto a sports team. I think if he did that would help with feeling a part of the school community so am hoping to hear about the experiences of non-athletes as well.

I am also hoping to hear from Catholic families about how they would characterize their interactions with non-Catholic families; I expect that many Catholic families see one another at church or other Catholic-based activities so understand that as a non-Catholic those opportunities will not be there. However, are interactions purely dependent on whether their kid happens to befriend a non-Catholic student or are their other factors?

Thanks.

Catholic family here with kids in Catholic high school and in Catholic k-8. I don't think there is that much of a stigma one way or the other. For example, boys going to Gonzaga are coming from everyone so families aren't necessarily going to the same church or same activities, whether Catholic or not. Not sure what "Catholic-based" activities might be as the boys are boys doing all the activities that boys do regardless of their religion.

My experience is that families are more likely to know each other from work, sports, or other social activities than church! And remember all Catholics aren't the same - you can expect cultural Catholics, cafeteria Catholics, and A&P (attending church on Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday only) Catholics -- probably more of all those varieties than the devout Catholics. With Gonzaga, in particular, it is a Jesuit school - and if you read up on the Jesuits - they are extremely inclusive and open-minded.

Thank you for saying that. I hope you don’t get tarred as a liar as well

DP: I was going to note the same thing about activities and Church. People live all over the area at our school (from DC, MD VA, and as far away as Germantown, Bowie, Potomac, etc.), and I only know of one other student attends the same parish as us. I echo the inclusiveness of most of the schools I know, Jesuits, and also Benedictines in particular (St. Anselm's Abbey, which is about 50% nonCatholic), who as a Rule are hospitable to all and strive to greet others with an open mind and open heart, and to practice humility.

Thank you; that’s how it is and should be. I honestly don’t recognize these schools based on the non-Catholics must do this or that posters’ accounts here. The experience has been much softer, more accepting and lenient. I wonder if it’s wishful thinking, lament for the times past, or no actual experience of these schools.

[Anonymous]

Catholic family at Catholic school…we are friendly with non-Catholic families at the school. That said, I’m glad our school prioritizes parish families and the “Catholic” part of the education is a huge part of why we chose this school. I’d not be happy if non-Catholics chose to attend and then pushed to reduce the amount of time devoted to religion. The mission of Catholic schools is not to be a cheaper alternative to independent private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. If the schools weren’t adaptable they wouldn’t have survived. Maybe we were given a special treatment. I don’t know and I don’t care. But I know we aren’t the only ones.

Honestly you’re doing the schools no favor by coming in hot like an LDSer on a polygamist compound. Chill out

They are adaptable in that they welcome non-Catholics to enroll in their schools if their is room. However all must complete four years of religion when in high school. It is part of the core curriculum and they would not graduate without it. This is the case in all the top schools I know of in the DMV area. Why do you keep lying?

I don’t think you’re supposed to call people liars. That’s not what the church thought me. But let me ask, what exact schools in DMV are you DCs in and which grades? Then I’ll ask for some inside information to check if you’re telling the truth.

Also why so hot and bothered? Because people are coming to the catholic schools for value education? I mean? That’s obviously a deliberate strategy, and you can’t see just how against the schools ethos you are going.