A Different Kind of Light: What Sets Catholic Schools Apart
It could be said that a school is an institution that illuminates potential paths for students to explore.
By exposing them to subjects that inspire curiosity about careers, schools of all stripes help students find their way in life.
While Catholic schools do this, too, they offer a different kind of light to help students find their footing.
Psalm 119:105 (NABRE) reads, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.”
Catholic schools help students navigate their studies—and life in general—with the guiding light of faith in Christ. A light like the Psalmist describes in the passage above!
The result is an education that prepares students not just for a meaningful career, but for a purpose-driven, faith-oriented life.
This, of course, is a broad definition of what makes Catholic schools different. Let’s look at some specific aspects of Catholic education that set it apart from other academic approaches.
What Makes Catholic Schools Different
A Faith-Based Education
While Catholic schools teach students the same subjects as other schools, their teachings are informed by faith, ensuring that students recognize how their studies relate to their lives as followers of Jesus. These schools also help students flourish in faith through prayer, worship, participation in the sacraments, and service.
Through these practices, Catholic schools help students understand how a commitment to Christ impacts every aspect of life, providing them with a strong spiritual foundation. A Catholic education thus prepares students to excel in college and career while also equipping them to proclaim the Gospel with their lives.
Emphasis on Character and Service
While Catholic schools aim to sharpen students’ minds, they also help students assume the character of Christ. In Romans 13:14 (NABRE), the Apostle Paul urges believers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” as if they might don their Savior’s identity like a robe. In a sense, Catholic schools help students dress themselves in the compassion, humility, grace, love, and mercy of Jesus.
The Bible describes Jesus as a servant, so it is fitting that Catholic schools also help students imitate Christ by offering opportunities to serve their schools, churches, and/or communities. As a result, students learn how to live out the teachings of Jesus and identify with Him more closely.
A Strong Community
Catholic schools are also known for cultivating community. When students worship, pray, and serve together, they begin to see themselves as belonging to a larger body of believers. This shared spiritual identity empowers them to function as forces for good in school and the world, too.
In Catholic schools, teachers often function as mentors, helping students realize their potential as members of the school’s community of Christ-followers. Families and local parishes also help teachers shape students into the sorts of believers who work together to impact others in the service of God’s kingdom.
A Moral Education
A Catholic education is, at its core, a moral education. As students engage with Scripture and the teachings of Jesus, they are invited to reflect deeply on how they live and treat others. Even those who are not religious can benefit from the meaningful moral insights and values these lessons offer.
Teachers in Catholic schools play a vital role in shaping student morality by modeling the values they teach. Through their words, actions, and daily interactions, they demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect. By living out the teachings of Christ, they help students internalize those values and apply them in their own lives.
Tradition and Identity
Many schools are only as old as the buildings that house them. Catholic schools, on the other hand, draw from two thousand years of Church tradition to offer instruction that nourishes not just the intellect, but the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.
Celebrations of Catholic holidays and feast days contribute to a shared sense of history, identity, and purpose that is woven into the rhythm of school life. These traditions help students see themselves as part of a living, global Church that dates back to the earliest followers of Christ. Participating in these practices helps students understand who God is calling them to be.
Tuscarawas County Catholic Schools
Every aspect of a Catholic education we have discussed here lights the way for students, helping them find their footing as people of faith—both in school and in life.
If you want your child’s path to be illuminated by the guiding light of a Catholic education, consider enrolling them in Tuscarawas County Catholic Schools.
Thanks to Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship, a private Catholic education is now affordable for all families, including yours.
If you click “Enroll Now” on our website, you can schedule a tour of our schools and set the enrollment process in motion. When you visit, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have about the EdChoice Scholarship, enrollment, or our schools.
We look forward to hearing from you and helping your children find their way!