26/09/2026
"...And may all our Catholic schools become one great constellation of hope, always pointing our young people toward our Rock, our Light, and our HopeโJesus Christ."
HOMILY | CEAP NATIONAL CONVENTION - Closing Mass
Theme: โNewness in Catholic Education: Charting a Constellation of Hopeโ
Readings: Ecclesiastes 3:1โ11 | Luke 9:18โ22
My brother bishops, priests, consecrated persons, Catholic educators, dear friends in Christ:
As we close this National Convention, the first reading gives us a very familiar line: โThere is a time for everything.โ
A time to be born and a time to die. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to be silent and a time to speak.
And perhaps, as Catholic educators, it is good to ask: What time is it now?
Sadly:
It is a time when violence can enter even our schoolsโplaces that should be sanctuaries of learning, friendship, and dreams.
It is a time when our young people have access to more information than any generation before them, and yet they struggle every day to distinguish truth from fake news.
It is a time of deep polarization. People easily label one another.
It is a time when public discourse can be dominated by conflict rather than cooperation.
It is a time of environmental crisis. Our mountains, forests, rivers, seas, and communities are telling us that something must change.
And our students are exposed to many of these issues.
So what time is it? I believe it is a time for Catholic education to become more Catholicโnot simply in name, but in spirit, in identity, and in mission.
Allow me then to leave you with three challengesโand some practical ways we can respond.
First: It is time to teach our students not only how to think, but how to discern.
Today, information is everywhere. Artificial intelligence can produce answers in few seconds. Social media can give opinions in milliseconds.
But Catholic education must offer something deeper: wisdom and informed conscience.
The challenge today is no longer access to information. The real challenge is conscience formation. And we cannot allow algorithms alone to form the conscience of our young people.
But how do we do this?
We should not limit values formation to Religion or Christian Living classes. Every subject should help form conscience.
When we teach science, teach respect for life and creation.
When we teach business or governance, talk about honesty, justice, corruption, transparency and accountability.
When we teach technology and AI, teach students not only what technology can do, but what it should doโand what human beings should never surrender to machines. Help students understand how algorithms work and how they can create echo chambers.
When we teach history and social studies, teach students to examine sources, recognize propaganda, listen to different perspectives, and search patiently for truth.
And before important decisions, teach our students something increasingly rare: to stop, to be silent, to pray, and to listen to their conscience before God. Let us highly encourage our students to spend quality time with God inside our school chapels or prayer rooms.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts Catholic education can give this generation is the ability to say:
โBefore I click, before I share, before I follow the crowd, before I make this decisionโlet me ask what is true, what is right, and what God is asking of me.โ
Second: It is time to make our schools sanctuaries of hope.
Many young people today enter our classrooms carrying burdens we cannot see. Some are anxious. Some are lonely. Some are bullied. Some are struggling with their families. Some are quietly asking whether their life still has meaning.
A Catholic school cannot simply be a place where students are educated. It must be a place where every young person can find hope and experience being loved and cared for.
But again, how do we do this?
We can begin with something very simple: notice the child.
Notice the student who suddenly becomes quiet. Notice the student whose grades unexpectedly fall. Notice the child who is always alone during recess. Notice the student who is being bullied. Notice the young person whose social media posts may already be a cry for help.
And then create structures that make caring possible.
Strengthen guidance and counseling. Train teachers to recognize warning signs. Have ways for students to easily report bullying, abuse, threats, or emotional distress. Build strong partnerships with parents. Strengthen campus ministry. Make prayer, accompaniment, and the sacraments truly accessible.
Perhaps it is good if our schools can put up a โListening Roomโ - a safe space where students can come without fear of judgment, speak openly, cry, and be listened to by someone they trust.
And please, take care of our teachers as well. A burned-out teacher will find it difficult to become a source of hope for a struggling child. Our teachers also need someone who listens to them, supports them, forms them, and reminds them why their vocation matters.
Third: It is time to help our young people encounter Jesus.
In todayโs Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples: โWho do you say that I am?โ Peter answers: โThe Christ of God.โ
We can give our students excellent facilities. We can give them good academics. We can prepare them for prestigious universities and successful careers. But if ours is truly Catholic education, somewhere along the journey they must encounter Jesus Christ.
Again, how do we do this?
Not simply by adding more prayers to the schedule.
Our students must first see Jesus in us. Let them encounter Jesus in the patience of a teacher. In the fairness of an administrator. In the honesty of school leadership. In the compassion shown to a struggling student. In the way we treat janitors, security guards, maintenance personnel, and the poorest members of our school community.
Let them encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, in Scripture, in prayer and retreatsโbut also in service to the poor, care for creation, concern for the vulnerable, and courage to stand for what is right.
Perhaps before asking, โHow can we make our students more Catholic?โ we should also ask: โCan they see Christ in us?โ Because ultimately, we cannot give what we ourselves do not have.
So teachers, remain close to Jesus.
Principals and administrators, remain close to Jesus. School presidents, superintendents, religious, priests, and bishopsโwe too must remain close to Jesus.
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The Psalm today inspires us to say: โBlessed be the Lord, my rock.โ
Our programs will change. Technology will change. Educational methods will change. The challenges facing our students will change. And yes, Catholic education must also change, adapt, and become new. But our Rock remains: Jesus Christ.
Perhaps this is what โNewness in Catholic Educationโ ultimately means.
Newness does not mean abandoning our identity in order to follow every new trend. It means allowing Christ to make us new, so that we can respond creatively and courageously to a changing world.
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I like the image in your theme: โCharting a Constellation of Hope.โ
A constellation is not just one star. It is many stars shining together, helping people find their way.
Perhaps that is what CEAP is called to be.
Thousands of Catholic educators. Hundreds of Catholic schools. Different congregations, dioceses, traditions, and communities. Many starsโbut one constellation. And when the night becomes darker, stars become more important.
So when there is misinformation, teach truth. When there is polarization, build communion. When there is violence, teach peace. When there is despair, offer hope. When creation is being destroyed, teach stewardship and responsibility. And when young people are searching for meaning, lead them to Christ.
There is a time for everything. And perhaps this is our time.
โโ
Let me end with a simple story.
One evening, a father and his little son were walking home.
The night was very dark.
The boy looked up and said, โPapa, there are so many stars tonight.โ
His father smiled and said:
โMy son, the stars were always there. But sometimes we see them best when the night is dark.โ
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My dear Catholic educators, perhaps we are living through a difficult night. There is violence, confusion, division, loneliness, fear about the future.
But I believe God has placed you precisely in this time because our young people need stars to help them find their way.
So go home to your schools and shine. Not alone. Shine together.
And may all our Catholic schools become one great constellation of hope, always pointing our young people toward our Rock, our Light, and our HopeโJesus Christ.
