Catholic bishops, higher education leaders, scholars, superintendents, and educational partners from across the United States gathered at Christendom College for the inaugural Front Royal Education Summit last month, a collaborative effort dedicated to the renewal of Catholic elementary and secondary education.
The May 27-28 summit culminated in the drafting of the Front Royal Statement: Seven Cardinal Principles of Catholic Elementary and Secondary Education, which articulates the fundamental principles of authentic Catholic education as the philosophical, theological, pedagogical, and methodological pillars of the renewal of Catholic schools.
The statement reaffirms that the true purpose of Catholic education is supernatural: the integral formation of the whole child, mind, body and soul. The statement integrates these timeless principles with the practical realities of school life, including the rights and duties of parents, priests, and bishops; teacher formation and retention; curriculum development; and the cultivation of a vibrant, authentically Catholic school culture.
“The Front Royal Statement represents more than a single event or discussion,” said Shawn Peterson, president of Catholic Education Partners. “It is an effort to provide clarity, direction, and unity for educators and institutions committed to renewing Catholic education in fidelity to the church and in service to the human person.”
“An authentic vision of education is often lost in our day, overshadowed by a merely practical and outcomes-driven approach,” said Elisabeth Sullivan, vice president of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. “True Christian education, as the statement affirms, is ordered to God and concerned with the supernatural formation of the whole child.”
“At a time of significant cultural and educational confusion, this summit represented an important opportunity for Catholic leaders to come together in pursuit of truth and authentic human formation,” said Christendom President George A. Harne. “The renewal of Catholic education requires not only strong individual institutions, but also a shared vision rooted in the church’s intellectual, spiritual and educational tradition.”
Participants included Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco; Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane, Wash.; Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio; Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, Ill.; scholars; diocesan superintendents and administrators from multiple dioceses.
