Why is there Catholic Education?

Education is not an accessory, but central to evangelization. – Pope Leo XIV

Yesterday, a representative from Seton Teaching Fellows visited our students at Duke University. He shared how graduates can dedicate a year to educating underprivileged children. It’s inspiring to see Catholic organizations leading such initiatives. This continues the Church’s long tradition as a force of education throughout the world.

At times, it can seem that the Church has fallen out of touch with the world. It appears the Church has little to contribute to the modern conversation about education. But what does the Church have to say about education in 2025? Pope Leo XIV just released an Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope marking the 60^th anniversary of the Conciliar Declaration “Gravissimum educationis.” For now, the document is officially available only in Italian.

Education and Evangelization

In the introduction, the Pope reminds us that education is not an accessory, but central to evangelization. This is how the Gospel becomes an educational gesture, a relationship, and a culture. Every generation carries the responsibility of transmitting the Gospel to its own time. This is particularly meaningful in this Jubilee Year. This year, so many groups have journeyed to Rome in an expression of the Church’s universality. I think especially of the Jubilee for influencers that took place a few months ago.

Pope Leo XIV acknowledges that education today is complex, fragmented, and profoundly shaped by digital technology. This transformation touches every field – I see it even in engineering students who once were forbidden to use AI but now rely on it daily to stay competitive. He uses the image of the stars to show how the Church is called to be light and a guide for students in increasingly confusing times.

Digital Connection

In a world connected through digital means – which gives a marked advantage to the wealthy in acquiring knowledge and new wealth – the Pope speaks about the importance of helping the poor. He recalls what he wrote in his Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te: “For the Christian faith, the education of the poor is not a favor but a duty. Children have a right to knowledge as a fundamental requirement for the recognition of human dignity.” (Pope Leo XIV, Dilexi te, 72). His teaching helps us to grasp how complex it will be for the Church to proclaim the Gospel in a world that is increasingly divided and siloed.

As we learn new things, we should be focused on creating new means and opportunities for connection. We can fall into the trap of isolation and self-interest when we should be growing in compassion and concern for others. Reaching out and serving others directly is a powerful way to do this. I am encouraged by seeing some of our students reach out and tutor underprivileged children – one of the outreach opportunities encouraged and promoted within our Service branch of ministry.

Bringing Education to the Peripheries

It is also one of the reasons that I am excited to take a group of students during Spring Break to help underprivileged kids at a school in Mexico. Only by bridging the gaps between rich and poor can we build up a society that is sustainable and just. Seeing how service missions transform the lives of students has been one of my deepest joys as a priest. Although the experiences often challenge us, they allow us to discover greater and deeper truths about life, about ourselves, and about God. I feel it is more important now than ever, since it seems necessary to preach the Gospel in an increasingly globalized world. By reaching out and addressing real problems, we make our proclamation of the Gospel more believable. St. James reminds us that we cannot simply profess our love for the poor without acting to care for them.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world (James 1:27).

There are so many ways to reach out to help the underprivileged, I feel blessed to do this particularly through education. Pope Leo XIV emphasizes the value of this in his first Apostolic Letter, Drawing New Maps of Hope.

When we bridge the gap between rich and poor, we don’t just build a more just society – we open paths where the Gospel can be heard, seen, and lived.

Subscribe to the newsletter to never miss an article.

Check out my Substack.