How religious is Holy Rosary?

[Amom]

Our child will be entering kindergarten next year and we recently took a tour of Holy Rosary. The teachers seemed attentive and motivated, and the kids seem well nurtured and happy. Plus we were impressed with the new principal. But we have concerns about how much religion is part of the education here?

We are not Catholics. We support a lot of what the Catholic church does for the local community, but there are some political issues that we don’t see eye to eye on. If you have kids attending the school, we’d appreciate your input.

Thanks!

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[Ken]

It is a catholic school. It was started and run by Dominicans rather than Jesuits. Jesuits will teach real subjects and science, other orders are a bit more “Catholic” first, but still have a pretty good rep as educators. Non of the teaching staff are actual priests or nuns now as far as I can glean from the web site.

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[Carson]

If you support 2 different classes of people and think we should treat some people with less respect than others, then Holy Rosary might be the place for you. I wouldn’t let my children (who are too old anyways) close to the place.

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2009/10/22/letters-editor/west-seattle-pastors-urge-rejection-ref-71%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8

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[Ken]

Well I did not spot that explicit hatemongering, but they are “catholic” after all. It is an authoritarian org . Cafeteria catholics became more numerous and long lived once governments stopped letting them burn people at the stake for minor differences of opinion and conscience.

We are still wary of some bizarre ideas implanted in the step grandson by religious kindergarten teachers but it fades if you get them away soon enough. Lots of thinking people survive catholic schools and therapist depend on them for their entire livelihood.

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[inactive]

Just to point out the obvious, you guys:

That quoted letter is merely one man’s opinion. Certainly doesn’t represent the Catholics I know. By far. Not even close.

Taking this guy’s point of view and then pronouncing it to be the opinion of each member of that parish or all Catholics seems grossly reactionary and unfair. I’m not an apologist, so don’t try to get into a scuffle with me about this. I have learned that this kind of reaction is just as counterproductive as the opinion linked.

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[Carson]

Dood,

No offense meant to Catholics, or even members of Holy Rosary. But when your leader sets by example, and the example is hate, you do have to questions things a bit. Silence is typically taken as compliance…

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[catlady]

I was hesitant to reply considering all the above opinions, but I wanted to answer the original question. Our child attends Holy Rosary (7th grade) and has since kindergarten. We are catholic and have found that the religious curriculum is definitely part of their everyday studies. However, I want to point out that they are taught about a loving, caring and forgiving God (which I think translates across many religions). None of the opinions mentioned above make it into the religious studies. Also, I can confirm that none of the teaching staff are priests or nuns, with the exception of a nun assisting in teaching their religion program to some of the grades. We have had a great experience so far and feel our child is learning more than we could ever had hoped for (yes, even sex ed in catholic school!) in a caring & loving community.

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[mpento]

Carson, since you finished your last post with “Silence is typically taken as compliance…” I have to say that I don’t think the link you posted refers to any inciting of hatred (and what I think is right 99.99% of the time. On occasion I have thought I might be wrong but that is the 0.01%)

To Amom I think it is very good that you wonder about this stuff but I would encourage you to consider if you think that the values you want to pass on to your child and what you hope your child will become could be undermined by attending a Catholic run school why would you send them there? Is it worth the price of convience? At the very least get some commitment from the school that the education your child recieves will not be in conflict with what you want (whatever that is).

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[Carson]

mpento,

I am not trying to imply or incite any hatred. Heck, I have been married twice, both the ex and current were raised Catholic, my kids went to Catholic schools even! I just think if you don’t challenge Madigan, you are agreeing with his bigotry with your silence. I understand everyone feels different and is entitled to their own feelings and opinions. 50 years ago it was legal to discriminate based only on skin color. Lets hope soon, discrimination based on sexual orientation will sound just as silly.

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[sweetandy]

I know it’s a bit late to reply, but I thought I’d throw in my two cents. I attended HRS from 4th-8th grade and graduated back in 2005. I recall clearly, particularly from my later years there, the extent of religious doctrine enforced at the school as pertains to the curriculum.

As stated above, religion classes are mandatory and daily at least for all grades I attended. They do primarily focus on New Testament studies (and thus the New Testament God known for forgiveness and love) and also a great deal on official Catholic dogma.

That being said, whenever class discussions came about on controversial issues, the teachers would *always* side exclusively with the official Roman Catholic teaching on the matter regardless of their personal beliefs. Particularly in 7th and 8th grade (but also 5th grade sex education) I noticed that the teachers would frequently be frustrated that they couldn’t express their personal views for fear of being reprimanded. They gnashed their teeth at that, I can tell you, but they bit their tongue. Alternate social and political positions were discouraged—often unwillingly—by the faculty.

This was just my experience, but I hope it helps someone out when deciding whether or not to send their child(ren) to HRS.

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[Smitty]

You sure write well. How was the education?

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[jego_misia]

I went to a Catholic school in Yakima (I’m sure it couldn’t be a whole lot different from what is here in Seattle), and we were taught some things earlier than public schools at that time were able to offer. They didn’t shove religion down your throat; there was a Muslim boy in my class & we actually studied what people of other religions believe, which really paid off now that I am older. If I had children I would definitely send them to a Catholic school.

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[sweetandy]

Smitty, it was really quite good. :)

The question for this thread was “How religious is Holy Rosary?”, so I focused on that for my response. My stance on the religious aspects of the education are biased by at least two factors: one, I no longer identify as Catholic, and two, my time at Holy Rosary influenced my de-conversion. :P

EDIT: What jego_misia says was true for me as well; I was learning about long division, the properties of light, and *all* about the American Revolution long before my peers at other schools, as well as reading more advanced books in class. I don’t regret the education one bit.

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[ellenater]

Thought I’d jump in here…

My child attends OLG, another Catholic school in the area, and we are also not Catholic. I would assume the two schools are similar in that religion is mandatory according to the Catholic doctrine. Here’s been my experience thus far:

-My son has expressed an interest in becoming baptized simply because he does not like to have to cross his arms at Mass– which occurs at least four times a month. His interest has sparked many conversations on the difference between spirituality and religion. He has my support should he choose to go through the child’s version of RCIA. It’s an ongoing discussion for which I am grateful. It’s forcing him to think, feel, and decide, processes which I was not privy to in my own upbringing.

– I like that he is educated and is gaining a solid understanding of Biblical writings and theory, but I do occasionally resent some of the doctrines.

-I highly resent having to complete the “Called to Protect” courses which are, in my opinion, just another way for the Catholic Church to redirect the focus around child abuse away from priests. You will have to complete these tired modules annually if you intend to ever step foot in your child’s classroom.

-I adore the school in many ways and could not be happier with the community and education he is getting. I think you will probably find that to be true also. Your child may come home with some offensive (to you) teachings, but it will give you and opportunity to raise questions and expound on your own beliefs. I have found that the religion classes, despite their inherent limitations, have actually opened many dialogue doors.

Good Luck. :)

Oh, and I agree with West Seattle Dood: the ranting, regardless of whose side you’re on, is usually more the problem. If you send your child to a Catholic school, support the school, while openly but respectfully challenging some of it’s doctrines, you are raising a complex person who is guaranteed to have a lot of depth. If you forego sending your child because of said differences, you are missing some real beauty…

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[kootchman]

My daughter went K-8 at Holy Rosary. I am not a Catholic. I did agree to support the school when I enrolled her. She is now a Junior at Holy Names. She is a 3.8 student. She has had foreign languages since the second grade. She has had music since kindergarten. She is bi-lingual, an accomplished musician with a strong social justice commitment, an excellent scholar,tempered by dads Libertarian doctrinaire. As a reasoning child, she sees the contradictions in church dogma and the larger world. She will not spend years at a therapists. If I could have reasonably expected the same outcomes from the Seattle public school system, that is where she would have enrolled. They too have an agenda, a “catechism” of liberalism that is repugnant to me. Their job is to create life long liberals, with PC dominated curriculum. HR has better outcomes in all regards. Teachers serve at the pleasure of the school board, church, and parents. Unlike SPS, there is no tenure. They are responsive and accountable. Parents MUST be involved. Unlike SPS, your childs enrollment is directly related to your supportive parenting. More importantly, the system feeds into the Catholic HS programs. The more complex issues of faith are addressed with greater perception and analysis. Students are safe in Catholic schools. There is no tolerance for bullying. I have nothing but praise for the HR education experience. BTY…my daughter has had, Greek Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and secular instructors at HR and HR. It is a Catholic school, as part of the Catholic ministry, they offer the best education in Seattle to attract and present the Catholic faith. It is a reasonable bargain.

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[kootchman]

A note… you may wish to see what the Catholic church does. I tutored for a couple of years at High Point…assisting as I could to help any kids of any race and any religion find success in the publics school system. About half of the kids were Muslim. Tutoring that was needed for many reasons..illiterate parents, poverty, unstable homes, or just to get some help…tutoring that was not provided by the SPS… not one iota of Catholicism was mentioned… the sponsoring agency of the program? Catholic Charities.

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[kootchman]

A note… you may wish to see what the Catholic church does. I tutored for a couple of years at High Point…assisting as I could to help any kids of any race and any religion find success in the publics school system. About half of the kids were Muslim. Tutoring that was needed for many reasons..illiterate parents, poverty, unstable homes, or just to get some help…tutoring that was not provided by the SPS… not one iota of Catholicism was mentioned… the sponsoring agency of the program? Catholic Charities.

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[Author]

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