Pope St. John Paul II was a remarkable man for multiple reasons. He served the kingdom of God as a holy priest, rising all the way to the papacy. In his multiple roles, he drew his flock closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. In effect, he was a master catechist—a teacher who transmitted knowledge of the Catholic faith through both his profound words and his personal example of piety. No matter the time of year, here are ten quotes from Saint John Paul II to encourage and inspire all Catholic school educators.
1. “No Catholic school can be effective without dedicated Catholic teachers…”
“It is a joy for me to address the members of the National Catholic Educational Association of the United States, as you assemble in the great cause of Catholic Education. Through you I would hope that my message of encouragement and blessing would also reach the numerous Catholic schools of your country, all the students and teachers of these institutions, and all those generously committed to Catholic education… no Catholic school can be effective without dedicated Catholic teachers, convinced of the great ideal of Catholic education. The Church needs men and women who are intent on teaching by word and example – intent on helping to permeate the whole educational milieu with the spirit of Christ. This is a great vocation, and the Lord himself will reward all who serve in it as educators in the cause of the word of God.” – Message of John Paul II to the National Catholic Educational Association of the United States, April 16, 1979
2. “Catholic education is above all a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others…”
“In order that the Catholic school and the Catholic teachers may truly make their irreplaceable contribution to the Church and to the world, the goal of Catholic education itself must be crystal clear. Beloved sons and daughters of the Catholic Church, brothers and sisters in the faith: Catholic education is above all a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.” – Message of John Paul II to the National Catholic Educational Association of the United States, April 16, 1979
3. “I wish to sow courage, hope, and enthusiasm…”
“Yes, I wish to sow courage, hope, and enthusiasm abundantly in the hearts of all those many diverse people who are in charge of religious instruction and training for life in keeping with the Gospel.” – Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae: On Catechesis in Our Time, October 16, 1979, #62
4. “The life of a teacher, as I know from personal experience, is very challenging and demanding, but it is also profoundly satisfying…”
“The life of a teacher, as I know from personal experience, is very challenging and demanding, but it is also profoundly satisfying. It is more than a job, for it is rooted in our deepest convictions and values. To be intimately concerned in the development of a young person, of hundreds of young people, is a highly responsible task. As teachers, you kindle in your students a thirst for truth and wisdom. You spark off in them a desire for beauty. You introduce them to their cultural heritage. You help them to discover the treasures of other cultures and peoples. What an awesome responsibility and privilege is yours in the teaching profession.” – Address of John Paul II to the Council, Staff, and Students of the Institute of Catholic Education, Melbourne, Australia, November 28, 1986, #2
5. “Not only are the attitudes of teachers crucial for the success of Catholic education, but also the attitudes of Catholic parents…”
“Not only are the attitudes of teachers crucial for the success of Catholic education but also the attitudes of Catholic parents. Parents must set themselves very definite priorities, such as the determination to have schools in which their children’s faith will be respected, fostered and enriched; schools in which their children learn the value and beauty of the Church’s teaching. They must also see to it that their own homes are places in which these values are first fostered and lived. Parents’ own practice of the faith, their own love for Christ, is of course fundamental.” – Address of the Holy Father Pope John Paul II to the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Regions of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee (USA) on Their “Ad Limina” Visit, May 30, 1998, #4
6. “The mission of the Catholic school is the integral formation of students…”
“The mission of the Catholic school is the integral formation of students, so that they may be true to their condition as Christ’s disciples and as such work effectively for the evangelization of culture and for the common good of society.” – Address of the Holy Father Pope John Paul II to the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Regions of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee (USA) on Their “Ad Limina” Visit, May 30, 1998, #2
7. “Catholic education aims not only to communicate facts…”
“Catholic education aims not only to communicate facts, but also to transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life, in the conviction that the truths contained in that vision liberate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom.” – Address of the Holy Father Pope John Paul II to the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Regions of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee (USA) on Their “Ad Limina” Visit, May 30, 1998, #3
8. “The greatest challenge to Catholic education in the United States today…”
“The greatest challenge to Catholic education in the United States today, and the greatest contribution that authentically Catholic education can make to American culture, is to restore to that culture the conviction that human beings can grasp the truth of things, and in grasping that truth can know their duties to God, to themselves, and their neighbors. In meeting that challenge, the Catholic educator will hear an echo of Christ’s words: ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free’ (John 8:32).” – Address of the Holy Father Pope John Paul II to the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Regions of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee (USA) on Their “Ad Limina” Visit, May 30, 1998, #3
9. “In a cultural climate in which moral norms are often thought to be matters of personal preference…”
“In a cultural climate in which moral norms are often thought to be matters of personal preference, Catholic schools have a crucial role to play in leading the younger generation to realize that freedom consists above all in being able to respond to the demands of the truth (cf. Veritatis Splendor, #84).” – Address of the Holy Father Pope John Paul II to the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Regions of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee (USA) on Their “Ad Limina” Visit, May 30, 1998, #3
10. “All teachers are to be inspired by academic ideals and by the principles of an authentically human life…”
“University teachers should seek to improve their competence and endeavor to set the content, objectives, methods, and results of research in an individual discipline within the framework of a coherent world vision. Christians among the teachers are called to be witnesses and educators of authentic Christian life, which evidences attained integration between faith and life, and between professional competence and Christian wisdom. All teachers are to be inspired by academic ideals and by the principles of an authentically human life.” – Ex Corde Ecclesiae: Apostolic Constitution of the Supreme Pontiff on Catholic Universities, August 15, 1990, #22
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