PRIESTS’ LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING CATHOLIC SCHOOL

IDENTITY: MEDIATING EFFECT OF WORK ENGAGEMENT

Charez Bandao Gringco

BS Accountancy, Holy Cross of Davao College, 2001

MBA, Philippine Christian University, 2008
MDiv, Seton Hall University, 2012

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MA, Seton Hall University, 2013

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Mentor
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Gerald M. Cattaro, EdD

Readers
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Dennis Gunn, PhD

Thanos Patelis, PhD

DISSERTATION

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

NEW YORK
2022
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COPYRIGHT
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© Charez Bandao Gringco, 2022, All Rights Reserved
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am deeply grateful to my brother priests for sharing their precious time and insights on

Catholic school education and leadership style. I am also deeply indebted to the presbyterate of

the archdiocese of Newark and its leadership, His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Tobin, C.Ss.R.,

Rev. Msgr. Thomas Nydegger, and Rev. John Chadwick, for making this project a reality.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my mentor Dr. Gerald M. Cattaro, and my

readers, Dr. Dennis Gunn, CFC, and Dr. Thanos Patelis. Their scholarly expertise and

professional collaboration make this project a success. I am indebted to Mrs. Kathryn Mantineo,

whose patience in proofreading brings clarity and preciseness to this work. I also extend my

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appreciation to my professors and colleagues at Fordham Graduate School of Education in
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Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy. Their professionalism and companionship

broaden my appreciation for education and its importance today.

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I am grateful to my priest friends, Jeivi Hercules, Richard DeBrasi, Vinod Fernandes SJ,

and the Franciscans of Holy Name Province and Friars Kevin Mullen, Roland Gliata, Thomas

Cole, Robert Frazetta, Robert Lentz, and Richard Trezza for their prayers and brotherly support.
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A special thank you to my spiritual family: Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Mother of

Perpetual Help Ministry, and Daughters of Mary in Maywood; St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in

Montclair; and to the people I serve as their priest. To you, I am eternally grateful. Thank you,

and may the Lord continue to bless you.

Finally, salamatay kamayo (thank you) Mama (Tita) and Papa (Aseclo Jr.), Manang

Adulwesa, Ate Bernie, Donna, Lilibeth, Florife, Gerson, Merry, and Emmagyn (deceased), my

nephews and nieces, and my brothers-in-law, for your love and support. May the good Lord

continue to bless you abundantly.

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DEDICATION

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I dedicate this humble work to those involved in forming priests of the Holy Catholic

Church and those who dedicate their lives to Catholic school education. I also dedicate this to the
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loving memory of my grandparents, Purification Bustamante and Aseclo Gringco Sr. and

Saturnina Daungcay and Serafion Bandao who valued highly the importance of education.
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Above all, I humbly dedicate this work to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the first

teacher of our Lord Jesus Christ, in her humble school of prayer in Nazareth. May God’s praise
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and thanksgiving be proclaimed forever.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii

DEDICATION iv

LIST OF TABLES xii

LIST OF FIGURES xv

ABSTRACT 1

CHAPTER I: THE PROBLEM 2

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Background of the Problem 4

Statement of the Problem

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Purpose and Significance 12

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Research Questions 13

Definition of Terms 16

Theoretical Frameworks 17
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Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations 19

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 23

The Historical Importance of Education 26

The Nature of Catholic Schools 27

Philosophy and Purpose of Catholic Education 29

The Catholic School Movement in the United States of America 31

The Paradigm Shift of American Catholic Schooling 34

The Conditions of Catholic Education in the United States of America 37

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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Catholic Schools across the US Arch/dioceses: A Snapshot 45

The Value of and Need for American Catholic Schools 48

Priests and American Catholic School Education 52

Sociological and Cultural Challenges of Priests in the United States 57

Demographic and Cultural Backgrounds of Priests 61

Educational and Professional Experiences of Priests 70

The Work Engagement of Priests 74

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The Vigor of Priests in Ministry 76
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The Dedication of Priests in Ministry 78

The Absorption of Priests in Ministry 79

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Priests and Commitment to Fostering Catholic School Identity 82

Identification with the Mission of Catholic Education 85

Involvement in Fostering Catholic School Identity 87

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Loyalty to the Mission of Catholic Education 90

Organizational Identity and Catholic School Identity 93

The Core Identity of Catholic School Education 96

The Distinctive Identity of Catholic School Education 97

The Enduring Identity of Catholic School Education 98

Catholic School Identity: A Prologue 99

Catholic School Standards and Benchmarks 101

Standard 1: Rooted in Gospel Values 102

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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Standard 2: Academic and Religious Programs 104

Standard 3: Communal Prayer and Social Justice 106

Standard 4: Adult Faith Formation and Service of Social Justice 109

The Challenges of Catholic School Identity 111

Catholic School Leadership and Priests 113

The Teaching Ministry of Priests 114

Leadership Defined 115

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Servant Leadership and Priests 116
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The Seven Dimensions of Priests’ Servant Leadership 120

Conclusion 127
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CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 130

Research Questions 130

Research Design 132

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Sample and Population 135

Ethical Consideration 139

Sample Size and Power Analysis 140

Measures 140

Independent Variable 140

Mediating Variable 143

Dependent Variable 143

Unit of Analysis 143

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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Scale Measurement 144

Instrumentation 144

The Value of and Need for Catholic Schools Scale 145

Catholic School Identity Scale 146

Servant Leadership Scale 147

Frequency of Support for Catholic School Scale 148

Educational and Professional Experiences 148

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Demographic and Cultural Backgrounds 149

Work Engagement Scale

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Commitment to Fostering Catholic School Identity Scale 151

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Procedure 154

Data Analysis 157

CHAPTER IV: RESULTS 161

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Introduction 161

Preliminary Analysis 162

Descriptive Statistics 163

Test of Assumptions 168

Test of Hypotheses 170

Qualitative Data from Priests’ Comments 171

Research Question 1 177

Research Question 2 180

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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Research Question 3 183

Research Question 4 187

Educational and Professional Experiences Indicators 191

Research Question 5 195

Research Question 6 198

Research Question 7 201

Research Question 8 204

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ANOVA of Categorical Variables 210

Quantitative Results Summary

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Priests’ Comments on American Catholic School Education 216

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Catholic Identity 216

Church’s Leadership 218

Relevance of Catholic Schooling 219

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Funding for Catholic Schools 221

Parish Life and Religious Education 224

Human Resource and Data Management of Priests 226

Summary 229

CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 231

Overview of the Study 231

Review of Results, Conclusions, and Discussions 235

Priests’ Commitment to Fostering Catholic School Identity 236

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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Ministerial Engagement 237

Priests’ Age Group 239

Priests’ Ordination Cohort 241

Priests’ Race and Ethnicity 242

Priests’ Experiences in American Catholic School Education 243

Priests’ Perceptions of the Value of and the Need for Catholic Schools 245

Priests’ Perceptions of Catholic School Identity 246

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Priests’ Support for Catholic Schools 249

Priests’ Servant Leadership

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Implication for Practice 254

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Funding Catholic Schools 255

Strengthening Catholic Identity 256

Partnership Between Catholic Schools and Parish Religious Education 256

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Managing Human Resource Data 257

Ongoing Priestly Formation and Pastoral Education 258

Enhancing Servant Leadership Skills 260

Recommendations for Future Research 261

Limitations 262

Conclusions 263

REFERENCES 266
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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APPENDICES

Appendix A: Letter Asking Permission to Modify and Adapt an Instrument 315

Appendix B: Permission to Use the Value of and the Need for Catholic Schools Survey
Scale 317

Appendix C: Permission to Use Utrecht Work Engagement Scale 319

Appendix D: Permission to Use British Organizational Commitment Scale 321

Appendix E: Permission to Use and Adapt Catholic Identity Survey Scale 323

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Appendix F: Permission to Use and Adapt Servant Leadership Scale 326

Appendix G: Letter to the Archdiocesan Official to Conduct Study on Diocesan and

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Religious Priests 328

Appendix H: Permission to Conduct a Survey with the Diocesan and Religious Priests
Affiliated with the Archdiocese 331
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Appendix I: Letters to Participants 333

Appendix J: Archdiocesan Memo to Recruit Priests 337

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Appendix K: Adapted and Modified Instrument of Priests’ Leadership and Commitment

to Fostering Catholic School Identity 339

Appendix L: IRB Letter of Action 350

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. Students Enrolled in Parish CCD and Catholic School Religious Education 46

2. Catholic School Staffing Academic Year 2019-2020 59

3. Priests and Catholics in the United States 63

4. Priest Participants’ Distribution 137

5. Participants’ Current Assignment and Ministerial Background 137

6. Participants’ Education and Importance of Ongoing Formation 138

7. Demographics, Cultural and Ministerial Backgrounds 139

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8. Pilot Study for Scale Reliabilities of Priests’ Leadership and Commitment
Questionnaire IE 153

9. Descriptive Statistics for Scale Variables 165

10. Scale Reliabilities of Priests’ Leadership and Commitment Questionnaire 166

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11. Correlations Coefficients of Independent Variables 167

12. Non-Parametric Statistics and Correlations of Independent Variables 168

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13. Collinearity Statistics of Independent and Dependent Variables 169

14. Participants’ Comments on Catholic School Education in the United States of America
(n = 86) 171

15. Model Summary for Predicting Priests’ Commitment to Fostering Catholic School
Identity c 174

16. Regression Coefficients of Independent Variables Predicting Priests’ Commitment to

Fostering Catholic School Identity 175

17. Mediation Analysis 1: Age Group Predicting Priests’ Commitment to Fostering Catholic
School Identity Mediated by Work Engagement 177

18. Mediation Analysis 2: Ordination Cohort Predicting Priests’ Commitment Mediated by

Work Engagement 181
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LIST OF TABLES (continued)

Table Page

19. Mediation Analysis 3: Race and Ethnicity Predicting Priests’ Commitment Mediated by
Work Engagement 185

20. Mediation Analysis 4: Educational and Professional Experiences Predicting Priests’

Commitment Mediated by Work Engagement 189

21. Educational and Professional Experiences Indicators Predicting Priest Fostering Catholic
School Identity 192

22. Regression Model for Eight Indicators and Work Engagement Predicting Priests’
Commitment 193

23. Mediation Analysis 5: The Value of and Need for Catholic Schools Predicting Priests’

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Commitment Mediated by Work Engagement 196

24. Mediation Analysis 6: Catholic School Identity Predicting Priests’ Commitment

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Mediated by Work Engagement 200

25. Mediation Analysis 7: Support for Catholic Schools Predicting Priests’ Commitment
Mediated by Work Engagement 203
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26. Regression Coefficients of Servant Leadership Dimensions and Work Engagement

Predicting Priests’ Commitment to Fostering Catholic School Identity 206

27. Mediation Analysis 8: Servant Leadership Predicting Priests’ Commitment Mediated by

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Work Engagement 207

28. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for Categorical Variables Predicting Priests’

Commitment 211

29. ANOVA for Race and Ethnicity in Predicting Priests’ Fostering Catholic School
Identity 212

30. Percentage Results of Priests’ Ratings for Commitment to Fostering Catholic School
Identity 217

31. Means, Standard Deviations, and Regression Coefficients for Priests’ Perceptions of the
Value of and the Need for Catholic Schools Predicting Commitment to Fostering
Catholic School Identity 220

32. Means, Standard Deviations, and Regression Coefficients of Priest’ Support for Catholic
Schools in Predicting the Level of Commitment to Fostering Catholic School Identity 223
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LIST OF TABLES (continued)

Table Page

33. Means, Standard Deviations, and Regression Coefficient of Priests’ Work Engagement
Predicting Commitment to Fostering Catholic School Identity 227

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1. Percentage of Religious/Clergy and Lay People Serving US Catholic Schools 40

2. CCD and Catholic School Enrollment: A Comparison 41

3. Declining Number of Diocesan and Religious Priests 67

4. Ethnic Backgrounds of the 2020 Newly Ordained Religious and Diocesan Priests 69

5. Overview of Path Model 133

6. Plot of Residuals of All the Predictor Variables on Commitment to Fostering Catholic

School Identity 170

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7. Path Model for Mediation Analysis 176

8. Path Model for Direct and Indirect Effect of Age Group on Priests’ Commitment
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Mediated by Work Engagement 179

9. Path Model for Direct and Indirect Effect of Ordination Cohort on Priests’ Commitment
Mediated by Work Engagement 183
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10. Path Model for Direct and Indirect Effect of Race and Ethnicity on Priests’ Commitment
Mediated by Work Engagement 187

11. Path Model for Direct and Indirect Effect of Educational and Professional Experiences on
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Priests’ Commitment Mediated by Work Engagement 191

12. Path Model for Direct and Indirect Effect of the Value of and the Need for Catholic
Schools on Priests’ Commitment Mediated by Work Engagement 198

13. Path Model for Direct and Indirect Effect of Catholic School Identity on Priests’
Commitment Mediated by Work Engagement 201

14. Path Model for Direct and Indirect Effect of Support for Catholic Schools on Priests’
Commitment Mediated by Work Engagement 204

15. Direct and Indirect Effect of Servant Leadership on Priests’ Commitment Mediated by
Work Engagement 209

16. Priests’ Level of Vigor, Dedication, and Absorption in Current Ministry 228
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Abstract

PRIESTS’ LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING CATHOLIC SCHOOL

IDENTITY: MEDIATING EFFECT OF WORK ENGAGEMENT

Charez Bandao Gringco

Fordham University, New York, 2022

Mentor:
Gerald M. Cattaro, EdD

This study uses priests’ servant leadership style to investigate its impact on their level of

commitment to fostering Catholic school identity mediated by work engagement. Servant

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leadership is an inner desire to serve others. The purpose of this study was to explore priests’
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perceptions of the need for and value of Catholic schools, Catholic school identity, educational

and professional experiences, support for Catholic schools, demographics and cultural
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backgrounds to aid those in leadership positions with priests’ preparation and ongoing formation,

and to enhance leadership skills and competence. The study analyzed the data of 160 priest

participants in the northeastern dioceses. The mediation analyses were conducted on eight
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research questions using Hayes’ PROCESS model number 4 version 3.5 in IBM SPSS version

25. The result indicates a statistically significant indirect effect of priests’ servant leadership on

the level of commitment to fostering Catholic school identity through work engagement, b = .26,

95% BCI [0.12, 0.42], with slightly large effect size, b = .13, BootSE = .04, 95% BCI [0.06,

0.20], ES = .35. The results also reveal that priests are happy in and proud of their priesthood and

are still convinced of the importance of Catholic schools in American society. However, they are

concerned about the weakening of Catholic identity, lack of funding, and leadership. This study

contributes to the growing knowledge of priests’ servant leadership and their role in Catholic

school education regardless of ministry. Implications for practice and research were discussed.
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CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

The coronavirus pandemic stunted the world communities and brought incalculable risk

to struggling institutions such as the Catholic schools in the United States of America (i.e.,

America) which educate millions of children from all walks of life. Newark’s archdiocese closed

ten schools before the start of the 2020-2021 school year because of financial difficulties and

Covid 19. Despite the insatiable pandemic, Catholic schools across the country have been trying

to adapt to survive and thrive. Although the task of Catholic schooling is vital, it is a ministry

that needs visionary leaders to update the institution to modern times in order to be vibrant yet

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rooted in its mission and identity. An article cited that “the era of parochial school, ⎯ at least in
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the form that dominated Catholic education in recent memory ⎯ is over,” which challenges

stakeholders to innovate and embrace change not just to survive but to thrive (Shirley, 2019, p.
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22). Perhaps the urgency of this study lies not just in keeping schools open, but also in the

critical leadership role of priests in Catholic education.

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Catholic schooling educates and forms various successful personalities in private and

public corporations. Chris Lowney (2003), influential JP Morgan leader, was educated by the

Jesuits. Joseph Biden, the 46th President of the United States, was educated in Catholic school.

Congressional representatives John Andrew Boehner and Paul Ryan, former Speakers of the

House of Representatives and currently succeeded by Nancy Pelosi, were all educated in

Catholic schools (U. S. Congress, 2020). Although they disagree on public policies, they share a

common inheritance and values taught in Catholic schools. Additionally, Supreme Court justices

such as John G. Roberts (Chief), Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Michael

Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett among others, were educated in Catholic school (Mitchell,
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2018). The insurmountable success of Catholic schooling amidst legal constraints, financial

difficulties, inadequate pedagogy, and divergent styles of governance are historical strands of

which future generations may be rightly proud.

Current rampant secularism and materialism challenge its distinct Catholic identity.

Although Catholic schools create a haven for parents in preserving heritage and family tradition,

they are viewed as antithetical to modern Catholic Americans who embrace American values and

democracy. However, some parents still consider Catholic school identity as a deciding factor for

a child’s education. Indeed, Catholic school identity is not a varnished institution from the past

but rather a new worldview of humanity seen through the incarnate Christ, the Eternal Word of

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God (Cattaro, 2016; Cattaro & Russo, 2015; Miller, 2006).
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The 1960s were the golden age of American Catholic schooling, when the number of

schools and enrollments reached a zenith. But in 1962, the Catholic Church convened the Second
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Vatican Ecumenical Council (Vatican II), an epoch-defining event for renewal and embracing

the modern world (O'Malley, 2008). Unfortunately, after the Council many priests and religious

left their ministries, which impacted the staffing and leadership of schools.
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Today, the shortage of priests is a real pastoral concern of the Church, even as declining

enrollment and closing and merging of schools impact religious formation (Gray, 2014;

Kramarek & Gaunt, 2018; Uecker, 2008). Although the institutional Church keeps Catholic

schools available, fewer and fewer Catholic families send their children for Catholic schooling

(McDonald & Schultz, 2018; Murnane & Reardon, 2018). Catholic schools are perceived as

elitist and exclusive, which defeats the mission of Catholic education for families with limited

financial resources (Baker & Riordan, 1998). Some parents also suspect a weak Catholic school
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identity and find greater interest in charter schools, which also offer an excellent academic track

and discipline.

The dedication of priests and religious has kept Catholic education stable. Although

sociological changes and the political climate refine Catholic school identity, the role of priests

in educating the faithful is stable throughout the history of Christianity. Priests connect the

people with God, the culture and faith; yet there are limited quantitative studies on the role of

priests fostering Catholic school identity in Catholic education. Thus, investigating the role of

priests is critical in the context of American Catholic schooling for maintaining thriving and

relevant schools in the 21st century.

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Background of the Problem
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The role of priests in American Catholic schools changed drastically after Vatican II. The

ritualistic and cultic priesthood of the Council of Trent was not abolished; instead, it took on a
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new form of pastoral leadership at the service of the people of God (Akinwale, 2008; Benedict

XVI, 1966/2009; Galot, 2005). Some priests in the 1970s abandoned parish ministry and took an
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active role in social justice work, which they believed was the vision of Vatican II (Stewart,

1969). Priests were not only divided on pastoral practices but also on theological matters.

Although priests are considered men of God, they also need pastoral competence to serve

the people of God well. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ([USCCB], 2006) in

the document Program for Priestly Formation V (PPF-V) stresses a cohesive integration of

intellectual, pastoral, human, and spiritual development in seminary formation. However,

Catholic school philosophy and its historical development in the American context are limited

when it comes to priestly formation (Boyle & Dosen, 2017; Calkins & Convey, 2019; Simonds
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et al., 2017). Priests are at a disadvantage in promoting Catholic schools and fostering Catholic

school identity.

Furthermore, the involvement of clergy and religious in Catholic schools decreased from

90.1% in 1950 to 2.6% in 2020 (McDonald & Schultz, 2020). In order to lessen the gap of

closing and merging schools, religious and diocesan officials enhanced organizational structure

and governance. Although a new governance structure keeps Catholic schools thriving, the

leadership role of priests is limited (Cimino, 2010; Haney, 2010; Roman Catholic Archdiocese of

Newark [RCAN], 2014a; Sheehan, 1997). Furthermore, restructuring Catholic elementary and

high schools leads to less interest in Catholic schooling on the part of priests. According to the

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Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate ([CARA], 2019), leading researcher on the
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mission of the Catholic Church, since 1970, the number of priests and religious men and women

continues to decline by 11% every decade. Thus, the role of the priests in influencing significant
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stakeholders of Catholic education depends on the level of appreciation of the need for and value

of Catholic schooling.

The shortage of priests impacts the administration of the school and its Catholic identity.
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The demographics of priests and parishioners shift dramatically, which influences the level of

support for Catholic education. In order to address the shortage, bishops welcome international

priests and sponsor foreign seminarians to study in the US for ordination. Although foreign

seminarians study in the US seminaries, their exposure to Catholic school education in America

is limited or absent. Similarly, international priests bring unique pastoral and theological

mindsets from their native countries, which influence their perceptions of American Catholic

schooling. A national study on US seminaries found limited seminary training and academic

instruction about American Catholic schools (Calkins & Convey, 2019; Simonds et al., 2017).
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Equipping future and current priests with educational and cultural competency in carrying the

mission of Catholic education is critical for ministering to a diverse and multi-faith American

society. A consideration of demographics and cultural backgrounds, as well as educational and

professional experiences of priests, is crucial for investigating their level of commitment to

fostering Catholic school identity.

The apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis Evangelium Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel),

teaches that Catholic schools are the “most valuable resource for the evangelization of culture”

(2013, para. 134). However, only 0.6% of priests are directly involved in Catholic schools

nationally (McDonald & Schultz, 2020; The Official Catholic Directory [OCD], 2018). Studies

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have shown that priests and seminarians are less likely to support Catholic schools when finance
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is not sustainable (Calkins & Convey, 2019; Convey, 1999; Fitzmaurice, 2018). Likewise,

research revealed that principals desire spiritual guidance and support from priests (Rieckhoff,
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2014; Spesia, 2016). The need for a clearer role of priests in Catholic schooling and the urgency

of keeping excellent pastor-principal relationships are critical in furthering the mission and

stabilizing Catholic identity (Brock & Fraser, 2001; Rieckhoff, 2014; Schafer, 2004). Leadership
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style is critical to advancing Catholic schooling while evangelizing the culture through Catholic

education (Cattaro, 2016).

Despite the shortage of priests in ministry, priests are happy and content compared to

other professionals in service industries. The high demands of priestly ministry lessened

ministerial commitment to Catholic education (Kane, 2017). Thus, the application of vigor,

dedication, and absorption of the priests in ministry demonstrates ministerial engagement (i.e.,

work engagement), which mediates in predicting the level of commitment (Schaufeli et al., 2019;

Zhang et al., 2015). Even then, commitment depends on the level of identification with the
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organizational mission, which increases commitment and creativity. Thus, to foster Catholic

school identity, a certain level of understanding about the nature of organizational identity is

imperative. Otherwise, priests maintain the status quo rather than move the organizational

mission forward despite challenges.

According to the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), which focuses on

Catholic school education, there were 1,336 schools closed since 2008 (McDonald & Schultz,

2018). For instance, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark ([RCAN], 2020b) in New

Jersey closed 100 Catholic schools in less than two decades because of declining enrollment and

financial difficulties. Recently, a few dioceses in the Northeast closed schools citing the lack of

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financial sustainability and declining enrollment, which was also intensified by the novel
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Coronavirus (Catholic News Service [CNS], 2020; RCAN, 2020a). The national enrollment

dropped drastically from 5.2 million in 1965 to 1.7 million in 2020. Even though school closures
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slowed down in the 1990s and enrollment increased steadily, tuition continued to increase.

Additionally, the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) reported an alarming growth

in homeschooling from 1.7% in 1990 to 3.4% in 2012 nationally (Redford et al., 2017). During
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2018, in the Southeast and Western United States, Catholic secondary schools increased by

36.3% while the Northeast continued to experience closures (McDonald & Schultz, 2018).

Data from national and local schools have shown declining enrollment, and school

merger and closure continue to threaten the stability of Catholic schools. Furthermore, there is a

65% decrease in elementary and high school enrollment from 5,253,000 in 1960 to 1,835,376 in

2018 (McDonald & Schultz, 2018). In the Southwest and Midwest, schools and enrollment are

increasing, but educating priests for Catholic school leadership and administration to support
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Catholic education and foster Catholic school identity is lacking (Ozar & Weitzel-O'Neill, 2013;

Ozar & Weitzel-O’Neill, 2012; Schuttloffel, 2007).

Sacred Scripture records the divine command to “teach all nations,” which indicates the

essential missionary character of the Catholic Church (Matthew 28:16-18, Revised Standard

Version Second Catholic Ed. [RSVCE]). The Congregation for Catholic Education ([CCE],

2017) in Educating to Fraternal Humanism teaches that the Church, the new People of God,

always “defended the freedom of education when, in secular and secularist cultures, the space for

forming people to religious values seemed to be shrinking” (para. 28; Vatican II, 1964, Chapter

II). Catholic education, which keeps in view the unity of the body and soul of a human person,

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seems anachronistic to modern culture (Arbuckle, 2013; Dillon, 2000). However, research
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suggests that Catholic education continues to form faithful and responsible citizens across

millennia (Bryk et al., 1993; NCES, 2012). To this end, the Codex Iuris Canonici ([CIC; Code of
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Canon Law, 1983), authoritative in governing the Catholic Church, states that a local bishop

must ensure the availability of Catholic schools in his jurisdiction (para. 803). Catholic education

is integral to the social justice mission of the Church in the modern world.
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The Catholic school teaches “the principles and values of public coexistence when

modern societies, deluded by scientific and technological (as well as legal and cultural)

achievements, believed the Catholic culture to be meaningless” (CCE, 2017, para. 28). The core,

distinctive, and enduring character of Catholic school identity is critical for a continuing

conversion of human society. Authentic Catholic identity is crucial for the relevance of the

mission of Catholic education in integrating the human and divine through culture in the 21 st

century. Priests play a vital role in making the mission of Catholic education relevant today.

Despite the sexual scandal and polarization within the Church, priests are still the visible signs of
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hope for those hurt by circumstances and human conditions (Baniak, 2015; Cornelio, 2012;

Rossetti, 2011). Perhaps the role of priests in modern society is far from obsolete and needed

desperately.

Catholic schools are unique spaces for the American Catholic experience. For this reason,

Catholic families consider the importance of the academic opportunities and spiritual values

offered by Catholic schools (Bryk et al., 1993; D'Antonio et al., 2007; DeFiore, 2011; Notre

Dame Task Force on Catholic Education [NDTF], 2008; Nuzzi, n.d.). For instance, a study from

CARA revealed the long-term effect of Catholic schools on Mass attendance (Gray, 2014).

Thirty-six percent and 34% of millennials who attended Catholic high and elementary schools,

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respectively, participated in the Holy Mass weekly. In contrast, only 5% who attended Mass
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weekly never went to Catholic school. Thus, the need for and value of Catholic schools are

demonstrable, not just in the global village of education but also for a vibrant Catholic Christian
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community.

Despite tuition subsidies from parish, diocese, religious congregations, and

philanthropists, the average cost per student for elementary school is $5,178 and $10,575 for
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secondary (McDonald & Schultz, 2020). The high cost of Catholic schooling seems

contradictory to the teaching of social justice on the preferential option for the poor (Martin &

Gadd, 2015; McDonald, 2015). Also, the falling number of priests and religious exacerbates

administrative costs and religious leadership in schools. Consequently, laypeople in Catholic

schools are more visible, which drives up the cost of tuition in order to pay a higher living wage.

As stated previously, the problem of declining enrollment, the merging and closing of

schools, the sexual scandal in the Church, a weak leadership or lack of leadership vision, the

increasing cost of education, multi-faith students and teachers, and a secularized and polarized

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