Faith Formation of the Laity in Catholic Schools

A volume in Research on Religion and EducationSeries Editors Stephen J. Denig Niagara Universityand Lyndon G. Furst Andrews UniversityTwo major real-world problems prompted this study: maintaining the Catholic identity of theCatholic schools and increasing interest in character education. Traditionally Catholic schoolsin the United States were staffed exclusively by priests sisters and brothers. Today they arepredominately staffed by laypersons. This change has influenced the essential religiouscharacter and culture of Catholic schools. While Religious filter their teachings through theirown religious training and emphasize the mission and charisma of Catholic education lay staffoften lack the same intensely religious experiences to bring to the teaching/learningenvironment. This qualitative interview study explored the influence that a series of spiritualityand virtue seminars had on lay teachers' perceptions of the Catholic school and charactereducation.