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1859 | The School Sisters of Notre Dame Ignite the Fire of Catholic Education in Central  Illinois

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1859 | The School Sisters of Notre Dame Ignite the Fire of Catholic Education in Central  Illinois

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Originally founded as the Diocese of Quincy, the first Catholic schools were established by the Fransican School Sisters of Notre Dame who were invited by Bishop Junker in 1859. Beginning with only eight sisters at the Institute of the Immaculate Conception and St. Peter’s School, the diocese quickly boomed and by 1886 there were 418 women religious and 100 parochial schools. This includes the longest running active parochial school in the diocese in St. Anthony’s. Who, due to increasing enrollment, had grown to require fourteen additional grade school classrooms, a gymnasium, a library, and a new high school building by 1929. The Fransican Sisters continue to be the lifeblood of St. Anthony schools with several still actively substitute teaching in the schools today.

Archbishop Michael Miller describes two key marks of Catholic schools to be those founded on a Christian anthropology, and those animated by communion and community. The groundwork laid by the School Sisters of Notre Dame has shaped Catholic education in the Springfield Diocese with nearly every school being able to trace its roots back to their educational philosophies. Philosophies centered on the simple goal of bringing the entire community they serve to the very heart of the real person of Jesus Christ.

This makes all those involved in Catholic schools in the Springfield Diocese stakeholders as the influence of the School Sisters of Notre Dame are present throughout whether it is realized or not. The leadership structures have changed significantly with nearly all administration and teaching positions now being filled by laity.

Sources:

https://dio.org/our-leaders-and-history/#tabs-1

https://ssnd.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Illinois-timeline-for-MOST-2022.pdf

https://church.stanthony.com/about-us/history/

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/education/catholic-

contributions/the-holy-sees-teaching-on-catholic-schools.html

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1877| Catholic School Attendance has Continued to Grow Since Coming to Rochester, MN

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1877| Catholic School Attendance has Continued to Grow Since Coming to Rochester, MN

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The first Catholic school in Rochester, MN, The Academy of Our Lady of Lourdes, directed by Mother Mary Alfred Moes on December 23, 1877, with 210 female students, has since grown to a current count of five co-ed schools ranging from Preschool through twelfth grades with 1,372 students as of the 2023 school year (Post Bulletin). According to Rochester Catholic Schools (RCS) President Annemarie Vega, during a December 14, 2023 KTTC Newscast, saw an increase of approximately 134% of new RCS students in 2023 (KTTC). Whereas, a previous 10-year decline was at 1,271 students. She stated the RCS district usually retains approximately 70% of the 8th and 9th graders. Annemarie Vega stated Covid to be the reason for the increase in school attendance because RCS schools opened their doors when public schools kept their doors closed and students were online only (KTTC Newscast). Catholic parents were and are currently looking for faith-formed education for their children. In the beginning, the Franciscan Sisters were teaching. As more schools opened, in 1991, the schools became one Catholic school system rather than individualized school boards. The schools were to ensure to maintain the same educational philosophies and traditions of the Franciscan Sisters (rcsmn.org).

The board of trustees currently holds six pastors, six lay members, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. The committee consists of a trustee, parent, staff, teacher, and stakeholder. Representatives have met to create the 2025 Strategic Plan. The plan includes the RCS Mission Statement and Vision Statement. The plan states the “stakeholders are critical to the success of our schools” (rcsmn.org/strategic-plan). There needs to be trust and respect between all persons listed above to ensure good communication channels (rcsmn.org/strategic-plan).

Referring to the picture above, the student body has a large percentage of parents who work in the medical industry located in Rochester, MN, which is another aspect Mother Mary Alfred Moes had a part of in the RCS history.

Sources:

https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/as-budgetary-troubles-uncertainty-roil-rps-rochester-catholic-schools-sees-a-rebound-in-student-numbers

https://www.kttc.com/2023/12/15/rochester-catholic-schools-sees-big-increase-student-applications-enrollment/

https://www.rcsmn.org/about/rcs-history

https://www.rcsmn.org/about/strategic-plan

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October 4th, 1955 | Assisi Heights-Rochester, MN ) 

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October 4th, 1955 | Assisi Heights-Rochester, MN ) 

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Assisi Heights was built and modeled after the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Italy for the Sisters of the Franciscan Order, who had arrived in Rochester in the 1870's. When Assisi heights was built it was meant as a place for the Sisters to retire. It consisted of 1,000 beds, an infirmary, all living facility needs, and a place to learn and take vows (rochesterlocal.com). The Sisters played an important role in teaching the children of Rochester to become Christ-Centered children growing up with academic excellence. The Sisters were the first to instill and develop in young people a spiritual, emotional, social and academic growth mindset to help support Catholic parents in the Rochester Catholic School system (rcsmn.org). After a devastating tornado hit Rochester, in 1883, Mother Mary Alfred Moes was the key person to convince Dr. William Worrel Mayo and his sons to become the primary doctors in a new hospital she “spearheaded,” called St. Mary’s Hospital (rochesterlocal.com). To this day, the Franciscan Sisters are still a presence at St. Mary’s, the Mayo Clinic, and Catholic Schools within our area. In fact, we lost a Choir teacher recently at our middle school and a retired Sister came to our school to play the piano for our weekly Mass. Today, Assisi Heights is where people can go for spiritual retreats, classes, events and Sisters can retire there. I had an Aunt, Sister Cecelia Rolling, who retired at Assisi Heights from teaching and started weaving large wall hangings. She made a weaving room on the first floor for visitors to tour and to buy weavings she had made, another way to connect to the community and keep the center open and thriving with business. The stakeholders for Assisi Heights are directly the Sisters but they rent out space to organizations to make money to keep Assisi Heights running. They have financially secured their futures at Assisi Heights from Sisters who have held salaries in the past. Those finances were invested and saved. The Sisters use the money to help with charitable acts. There is one group that rents a room for free because they make clothing for infants of mother’s and families in need (religionsmn.carlton.edu). As Sister Ellen wrote in her book, there was a mutual respect and inspiration between the Mayo brothers and the Franciscan Sisters, bringing science and religion together (religionsmn.carlton.edu). Today in the Co-Cathedral of St. John Middle School (pictured in this timeline), there are many instances of Mayo Clinic and St. Mary’s employees sending their children to Catholic schools and volunteering their time in the classrooms to nurture the academics while also being faith-filled individuals. Having a strong Catholic upbringing, a strong Catholic community, and church volunteers, will allow Catholic schools and the community churches to thrive. When there is a strong Catholic Church presence, then having Catholic Schools for Catholic parents’ children is a finance that stakeholders are willing to contribute to.

Sources:

https://rochesterlocal.com/mom/rochester-historical-landmark-series-assisi-heights/

https://www.rcsmn.org/about/rcs-history

https://religionsmn.carleton.edu/exhibits/show/assisi-heights/mayo-clinic/the-relationship-between-siste

https://religionsmn.carleton.edu/exhibits/show/assisi-heights/finances

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1984 | Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota establishes Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs in Minneapolis. 

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1984 | Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota establishes Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs in Minneapolis. 

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Higher Education has been trending online for the last 15 - 20 years. The Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs started this shift earlier than most. SGPP was founded to expand SMUMN’s offerings, particularly focusing on graduate students and adult learners. This allowed the university to flourish by increasing revenue and creating graduate enrollment thus supplementing the dwindling enrollment at the undergraduate campus in Winona, MN. A “pioneer in outreach education”, the SGPP campus now is one of highest enrolled graduate schools in Minnesota with a mix of online, hybrid, and in-person offerings.

As we consider the history of adult education (or continuing education for adults), I am reminded of the "single story" I have held in my head: a overworked, unkempt mother or father rushing to the local community college to take a class three evenings a week after putting the kids to bed. The shift online has certainly supported the accessibility of higher education by offering asynchronous learning options for busy adult students. The impact this has had on the mission of Catholic Education reflects the universal Church. The access learners have to continuing education (either graduate or undergraduate) is immense. Students from all over the world can receive and partake in Catholic education because of the advances in technology and accessibility. It would seem, too, that there is no turning back. No longer do I consider adult education as late nights at the local community college rather, I see an opportunity to integrate this educational experience (particularly asynchronous courses) into the student's daily life and (particularly if the student attending Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is Catholic) creates space to experience the charism of our school and to join the tradition of innovative Lasallian schools.

While leadership structures may not have a significant correlation to this trend, there is an increased need for technological competence (for both the learners and the institution) with a particular focus on the learning medium from the professor to the student. According to Fabriz, Mendzeheritsaya, and Stehle (2021), (and quite notable) is that "teachers percieved fewer differences between teaching methods in synchronous and asynchronous settings". From a learner centered perspective, this is vital to understand if we are truly seeking to "awaken, nurture, and empower our students to ethical lives of service and leadership". We must be able to understand the student experience in our online programs in order to better serve the student and to better advance our Catholic mission.

Sources:

https://www.teenlife.com/l/college/saint-marys-university-of-minnesota/

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.733554/full

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota: Mission and Statement

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Beginning in 2019, undergraduate enrollment had been trending downward. This was due to a variety of factors. (A notable factor is declining birthrates particularly before the 2008 recession and through the 2008 recession.) According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, "undergraduate enrollment year over year fell by 3.6 percent in fall 2020 and by 3.1 percent in fall 2021. Total undergraduate enrollment declined 6.6 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2021". This has been coined "The Great Interruption".

As we consider this trend, most higher education professionals consider the impact this will have on enrollment. Each university must be able to "pivot" and consider approaches that can capture populations typically not present in higher education. A certainty everywhere is a steady decline in enrollment and thus a steady decline in an institutions' ability to carry out their mission. Leadership structures here are significantly affected because leaders must be innovative in confronting this trend or their institution, which typically is dependent on a revenue model from student dollars (typically credit hours) will be and has been greatly affected. Leaders no longer can use the anecdote of "doing what we always have done will bring students to our campus". Leaders must be data driven and make informed decision based on the information they have. The societal influences, it seems, are still unknown. The trades (plumbing, woodworking, etc.) offer lucrative alternatives to graduate or undergraduate education: no debt, a steady income, and work that is always needed. As our society (USA) struggles to understand the role of liberal arts education, music, theology, English, etc., our youth are faced with what would appear as a practical decision: should I take our loans for a four year degree (or a graduate degree) for which the average student will have $37,000 in debt, or should I join a trade that will train me, pay me, and give me work that positively affects people in my community and pays well? This question is not yet answered but Catholic colleges (and all higher education institutions) are struggling to offer alternatives to this. Again as we consider leadership, this may be opportunities to lean into what we do best: understanding the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and integrating it into our lives rather than simply receiving an accounting degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. This would be a simple value added proposition for higher education. How might we "lean into" the intangibles, the residential experience, the community building, or the affect that positive social interaction has on development? How might we lean into formation of people (through the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and the charism of Lasallian schools)? How might this create value added opportunities for faculty, staff, and students?

Source:

https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/views/2022/02/28/enrollment-changes-colleges-are-feeling-are-much-more-covid-19

https://educationdata.org/average-student-loan-debt#:~:text=The%20average%20federal%20student%20loan,to%20pursue%20a%20bachelor's%20degree.

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2023 | Norbertines Move to Corpus Christi Priory to Help Educate the Educators

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2023 | Norbertines Move to Corpus Christi Priory to Help Educate the Educators

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In a recent letter to educators within the diocese, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki shared a new vision for our Catholic schools. A new emphasis is being placed on developing the Catholic culture inside the schools with the students who are already there. Drawing inspiration from the Diocese of Wichita’s stewardship program (which now provides tuition-free Catholic education for parishioners), Bishop Paprocki desires to make the school a “way of life for the entire parish.” With this bottom up approach he believes the Catholic culture of the school will grow, and enrollments will follow organically.

Of course, this all must begin with well formed educators. In 2023, seven Norbertines from the St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, California moved into the Corpus Christi Priory in Springfield, Illinois. This community of canons regular were not founded on serving a particular ministry, rather whatever the need of the local diocese they serve in. In Springfield, that means forming teachers and

administrators.

The Norbertines “Evermode Institute” combines in-person retreats and events, with video programming that seeks to educate on basic Catholic doctrine and better equip those on the frontlines of discipleship. The church has always grown from its martyr and as Archbishop Miller reminds us, the martyrs in the original sense were witnesses.

This creates an environment which all teachers in the diocese are seen as stakeholders, because all are being formed in a new way. This investment in teachers in much needed and will continue to create more leaders within our school whether they are in administration or not. This also directly impacts all of our school leadership structures as this "inside-out" growth mindset will align everybody more with the plan of Bishop Paprocki.

Sources:

​​https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2023/08/17/catholic-schools-enrollment-covid-pandemic-245875

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/08/13/california-community-of-norbertine-priests-establish-new-priory-institute-in-illinois/#:~:text=California%20community%20of%20Norbertine%20priests%20establish%20new%20priory%2C%20institute%20in%20Illinois,-By%20Jonah%20McKeown&text=St.,Springfield%2C%20Illinois%2C%20this%20summer.

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/education/catholic-contributions/the-holy-sees-teaching-on-catholic-schools.html