Thousands of words have been written and spoken about the horror that hit Annunciation School in Minneapolis on August 27. The Mayor of the City cast doubt on the efficacy of prayer in such situations and subsequently turned the whole tragedy into the need to protect “trannies,” rather than innocent children; the ex-Catholic Governor of Minnesota had the gall to appear on the scene when he twice removed funding from the State budget to provide security for Catholic (and other “private”) schools; we have learned how the divorced parents may have enabled their confused son to “transition” (which process he apparently eventually regretted).
On a more positive note, Catholic school officials at the diocesan and parish levels have sought to reassure parents of the safety precautions in place for their sons and daughters.
At this moment, however, I would like to take the conversation in another direction—namely, how beautifully that horrific tragedy was dealt with at every level of ecclesial life.
In the interests of full disclosure, let me state at the outset that I have been very involved with the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis for many years. Archbishop Bernard Hebda is one of the top five or ten prelates most committed to Catholic education, as well as a long-time personal friend; Superintendent of Schools, Jason Slattery, is recognized throughout the Catholic educational community as a premier leader; I conducted a workshop for the school pastors of the Archdiocese last year, and could not have been more impressed by their support for the school apostolate. All of this has ensured the excellence and high “Catholicity” quotient of the schools.
Now, let me first turn to the children themselves.
I was struck by the calmness with which we witnessed children leaving the disaster scene, in contrast to other school shootings, where students, parents, and teachers often reacted with screaming, hysteria, and rage. I do not doubt that the Annunciation pupils were fearful; after all, they are not unfeeling robots. However, their demeanor suggested that something else was in the mix, about which more in a moment.
The spirit of self-sacrifice was astonishing, with little ones and bigger ones throwing their bodies onto classmates to save them from harm: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13).
Within minutes of the tragedy, media folk descended on the parish and began to interview children as young as nine and ten, who spoke articulately, in coherent and grammatically correct sentences (yes, our academics are top-flight). Once more, all the while acknowledging the sense of confusion and loss, no hysteria was exhibited (yes, our human formation is equally exemplary).
All of this redounds to the credit of the school. For years, the school has employed the “buddy system,” whereby older students are paired with younger ones to serve as mentors, guides, and friends. That system is usually most apparent as the “buddies” are responsible for their little charges in church as they train them in proper comportment and participation. It was that ground plan that probably kept chaos at bay and saved many lives.1
At root, though, is the “Education in Virtue” program, produced by the wonderful Dominican Sisters of Ann Arbor, Michigan. That program, in place for more than a decade now and in use in hundreds of our schools nationwide, teaches children and their families how to form good habits for life, based on Gospel principles and the best in educational psychology. Which is to say, in short, that those kids were in training to be saints.
The pastor’s tranquility and empathy, in equal measures, provided an atmosphere whereby parents and children alike could confront the evil in humanly productive ways. The teachers, too, were among the unsung heroes of the day.
Speaking of heroes, the little ones who lost their lives were genuine martyrs—killed in odium fidei—and martyrs of charity at one and the same time. How well does the Collect for the feast of the Holy Innocents apply to them, who gave their “witness,” “not by speaking but by dying.” That prayer’s conclusion ought to be the petition of each of us: “…that the faith in you which we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of life.”
So, yes, giving assurances to parents about school security is important, but even more so that their children are being taught how to handle adversity, how to live meaningful and virtuous lives, and even (perhaps especially) how to die a holy death.
No one can promise with certainty the total safety of any school, given the uncertainties of contemporary society; only a Catholic school can promise the other three assurances.
Thank you, boys and girls of Annunciation School, for teaching us “big” people some valuable lessons in Christian living and virtue.
Endnote:
1In our country, violence and bullying are regular occurrences in the government schools. Similarly, we read daily of the problems of teenage suicide and clinical depression. Commentators shake their heads and ask why this is the case and what can be done to remedy the situation. In the midst of these ongoing conversations, a study has surfaced—coming from a rather unlikely source, namely, researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara— titled Self-Discipline and Catholic Education. It documents impressively how “Catholic school children argued, fought, got angry, acted impulsively, and disturbed ongoing activities less frequently” than those in state schools and even other private institutions. Further, they “were more likely to control their temper, respect others’ property, accept their fellow students’ ideas, and handle peer pressure.” [The full study is available from The Thomas B. Fordham Institute.]
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