As summer comes to a close, it can be easy to get swept away in the chaos of back-to-school preparations – whether you’re a parent purchasing school supplies, a teacher planning lessons, or a student figuring out your class schedule. Today, we pray you are inspired by this collection of posts with back-to-school encouragement – from stories of great saint educators to selected verses, prayers, and more!
3 Exceptional Catholic Educators
Be encouraged by the stories of three Catholic saints who were instrumental in furthering education. Whether they were founding parochial school systems in the United States, furthering immigrant education, or establishing teacher’s training programs, each took strides in improving educational opportunities for students across the globe.
How St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle Revolutionized Education
Jean-Baptiste de La Salle was the last person anyone would have expected to become a leader of educational reform; he himself was never an exceptional student, and his family never supported his passion for education and charity. Yet his life is proof of how God works in mysterious ways and how his “power is made perfect in weakness,” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Find out more about his path from unexceptional student to cutting-edge educational leader.
The Stories of 3 Great Saint Educators
Did you know that the first mission school for Native Americans was started by a nun? Learn how Katherine Drexel helped provide access to education for minorities, how Alphonsus Liguori went from studying law to ministering to pagan rural groups, and more in this post about faithful saint educators. Discover how their care for students, love of learning, and love of God guided their lives.
10 Verses for Students
Returning to school can bring a dizzying mixture of excitement and anxiety. But with school, just as in every other area of our lives, God is there to help us and give us strength. We invite you to meditate on these verses of encouragement, and pray that they lighten your heart and uplift your spirit.
3 Prayers for Education
As Catholics, we recognize the vital importance of education, and thank the Lord for our teachers, students, and the families who support them. Reflect on these prayers, asking the Lord to help prepare the hearts of students, parents, and teachers as they begin another year of learning.
6 Inspiring Quotes for Students from the Holy Fathers
If you are a student, you stand at a unique point in life – a time where you need to make your faith your own. And while you may feel like you’re waiting for your life to begin, you still have the opportunity now to grow in your faith and live in a way that honors God. As you prepare to begin another school year, we hope you are inspired by what the Holy Fathers have to say about living and learning as a student.
Sources:
Butler’s Lives of the Saints, ed. Bernard Bangley.
The Way of Saints, Tim Cowan.
Rohling, Geraldine M., PhD, MAEd. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Guide and Tour Book. Washington, D.C.: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 2018.