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Mission and Philosophy

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.”

- Saint Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio

Our Mission

Nativity: Faith & Reason is a family of learners in the Catholic tradition, partnering with parents to build a community of faith and academic excellence. Our mission is to form saints and scholars who impact our world with gospel values.

Introduction

Here at Nativity: Faith & Reason Catholic School we seek, with God’s guidance, to form the whole person. Our philosophy of highlighting the gifts of faith and reason seeks to educate students in a way that goes beyond departmentalization, test preparation, or reducing education to the completion of steps. We strive to lead students to discover knowledge that is ordered, coherent, integrated, and is rooted in the wisdom of the past. We marvel at the intelligibility the logos has placed in all that we study. In short, Jesus Christ is at the heart of everything that we do.

Nativity: Faith & Reason proposes the fullness of faith within an integrated curriculum, striving for academic, spiritual, artistic, and athletic excellence. Our goal is to develop scholars and saints who are not only well-prepared for high school and life, but are fully equipped with the tools necessary for critical thinking, sound judgment, and contributing to society in the 21st century. Our tremendous faculty, staff, and clergy stir up in their students wonder and awe at the beauty of the universe and the goodness of heroic virtue, which propels their natural curiosity into lifelong self-motivated learning and mastering the art of living well.

Today, we continue a mission that began in 1963 and serve over 400 students today. Our alumni, students, and the families we partner with are a testament to the effectiveness of our approach. With God’s grace, we have confidence that the school will continue to be a gift to many for years to come.

We invite you to “come and see.”

We provide a sacred place to grow in virtue

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OUR CORE PILLARS

In 2006, Archbishop Michael Miller, as Secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education, summarized The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools. This summary is broken into “Five Essential Marks of a Catholic School”. Utilizing this framework below, we list a sampling of excerpts that have provided a basis for our Mission Statement, Core Pillars, curriculum, methodology, teacher and parent continuing ed. program, financial aid, etc. (All bold within the excerpts has been added.)

2. Founded on a Christian Anthropology

“All too many Catholic schools fall into the trap of a secular academic success culture, putting their Christological focus and its accompanying understanding of the human person in second place. Christ is ‘fitted in’ rather than being the school’s vital principle… Christ is not an afterthought or an add-on to Catholic educational philosophy; he is the center and fulcrum of the entire enterprise…” (HSTCS, P. 24, 26)

For our community, the sanctity of life from the moment of conception to natural death, and the givenness of our

sexuality, in all its aspects as male and female created in God’s image and likeness, is the basis for human dignity and identity.

(CSCBC.)

1. Inspired by a Supernatural Vision

“Unfortunately, far too many in government, business, the media, and even the educational establishment perceive education to be merely an instrument for the acquisition of information that will improve the chances of worldly success and a more comfortable standard of living. Such an impoverished vision of education is not Catholic.” (HSTCS, P. 21) Catholic schools have a straightforward goal: to foster the growth of good Catholic human beings
who love God and neighbor and thus fulfill their destiny of becoming saints.

4. Imbued with a Catholic Worldview Throughout Its Curriculum

“…it must be emphasized that, while [teaching religion] is not merely confined to ‘religious classes’ within the school curriculum, it must, nevertheless, also be imparted explicitly and in a systematic manner to prevent a distortion in the child’s mind between general and religious culture. The fundamental difference between religious and other forms of education is that its aim is not simply intellectual assent to religious truths but also a total commitment of one’s whole being to the Person of Christ.” (CS, 50)

“[The school] is Catholic because it provides an education in the intellectual and moral virtues. It is Catholic because it prepares for a fully human life at the service of others and for the life of the world to come. All instruction, therefore, must be authentically Catholic in content and methodology across the entire program of studies.” (HSTCS, P. 44)

“If a Catholic school is to deliver on its promise to provide students with an integral education, it must foster love for wisdom and truth, and must integrate faith, culture, and life… habituating each student to desire learning so much that he or she will delight in becoming a self-learner.” (HSTCS, P. 45-46)

“In a number of countries, renewal in school programming has given increased attention to science and technology. Those teaching these subject areas must not ignore the religious dimension. They should help their students to understand that positive science, and the technology allied to it, is a part of the universe created by God… all bear the imprint of the Creator’s wisdom and power. The wonder that past ages felt when contemplating this universe, recorded by the Biblical authors, is still valid for the students of today… There can be no conflict between faith and true scientific knowledge; both find their source in God. The student who is able to discover the harmony between faith and science will, in future professional life, be better able to put science and technology to the service of men and women, and to the service of God.” (RDE, 54)

3. Animated by Communion and Community

“While the Bishop’s authority is to watch over the orthodoxy of religious instruction and the observance of Christian morals in the Catholic schools, it is the task of the whole educative community to ensure that a distinctive Christian educational environment is maintained in practice. This responsibility applies chiefly to Christian parents who confide their children to the school. Having chosen it does not relieve them of a personal duty to give their children a Christian upbringing. They are bound to cooperate actively with the school – which means supporting the educational efforts of the school and utilizing the structures offered for parental involvement, in order to make certain that the school remains faithful to Christian principles of education.” (CS, 73)

“It is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community – bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity – to continue to strive towards the goal of making our Catholic elementary and secondary schools available, accessible, and affordable to all Catholic parents and their children…” (RCCS, Intro)

Citations

HSTCS – The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools, 2006
CS – The Catholic School, 1977
RCCS – Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium, USCCB, 2005
RDE – The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988
NDC – National Directory for Catechesis, USCCB, 2005
CSCBC - From Catholic School Community Beliefs and Commitments: Catholic School Parents and Guardians, Archdiocese of Denver.

5. Sustained by Gospel Witness [of Teachers]

“Recruit teachers who are practicing Catholics, who can understand and accept the teachings of the Catholic Church and the moral demands of the gospel, and who can contribute to the achievement of the school’s Catholic identity and apostolic goals.” (NDC, 231)

“…if teachers fail to model fidelity to the truth and virtuous behavior, then even the best of curricula cannot successfully embody a Catholic school’s distinctive ethos… The same can be said about a failure to give clear witness to the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of marriage and the inviolability of human life.” (HSTCS, P. 58-59)

Timestamps

0:00 – Modernity says faith is unreasonable.
1:00 – Scripture and tradition presents questions and requires reasoning.
2:00 – Catholic Tradition: Fides et Ratio.
3:50 – All of life's great questions can't be answered through reason alone.
6:30 – We find the Lord, and understand him best, in community (The Church.)