Christian Schools and Teaching Orders

Types of Schools

From the beginning of the Christian era, the Church has operated schools. The earliest Christian schools were organized along the same lines as traditional Roman academies, but with an emphasis on Christian truth. The Church has always believed that teaching the secular subjects without reference to religion provided an inadequate education. The manner of providing a Catholic education has varied greatly over time and circumstances. Some of the types of schools the Church has sponsored over the years are listed here.

• Home Schools and Tutors — In Roman times, most youth were taught the essentials of reading and primary education at home by private tutors. This method of teaching was easily adapted by Christian families and was very effective in transmitting the faith especially during times of trial and persecution.

• Catechetical Schools — The very first schools founded for the purpose of offering Christian higher education were Catechetical schools. These schools were modeled on the Roman Academies of the age, but emphasized Christian theology and philosophy. Two of the earliest Catechetical schools were in Alexandria (founded by St. Mark), and Antioch. Both were influential in resolving early theological controversies of the Church.
• Episcopal Schools — The first seminaries were schools for training clergy attached to a bishop's office. Before Christianity was legally recognized in the Roman Empire, these were locally run. Episcopal schools evolved into the Cathedral Schools of the Middle Ages.
• Parochial Schools — A Parochial school is a school sponsored by a Catholic parish, usually emphasizing primary education and Christian catechism. Parochial schools have existed from early times, but varied in size and purpose. Parochial schools in urban areas may have employed teachers to hold regular classes, while in rural parishes, they may have consisted only in irregular tutoring by a priest or deacon. It was through parochial schools that academically gifted young men from poor families were identified and sometimes sent to larger towns or monasteries to complete their education.
• Monastic Schools — The rapid spread of monasteries throughout Europe was accompanied by the growth of Monastic Schools, which gradually played a great role in the education of layman as well as the clergy. Just as the size and prestige of monasteries varied, the schools associated with them were very diverse. In many cases, especially in the early Middle Ages, the Monastic schools were great centers of learning, not only regarding classical and biblical literature, but also regarding science, medicine, herbs, animal husbandry, metal working, and agriculture. Not all monasteries had schools that were open to outside scholars, but in the early Middle Ages, many of the greatest institutions of learning in all of Europe were based in Abbeys (Fulda, Fleury, Bec, Malmesbury, Citeauz, Fleury, etc.).

• Cathedral Schools — The Cathedral Schools of the Middle Ages were descendants of the Episcopal schools of ancient times. As dioceses grew in size and influence, the schools or seminaries associated with the Bishops evolved into institutions of great learning, especially in the great Urban centers of Catholic Europe. From the time of Charlemagne, the core curriculum of the Cathedral schools was the Trivium and Quadrivium, but they were frequently the seat of great scholars in science (natural philosophy), theology, Bible exegesis, and classical learning. The Monastic schools and Cathedral schools were the great centers of higher learning during the Middle Ages, and were the direct forerunners of the Catholic Universities.
• Canonicate Schools and Chantry Schools — In the cities and towns where there was no cathedral, the priests of the local church were organized after the manner of the cathedral clergy, and conducted a "canonicate" school that provided both elementary and higher education. A Chantry was a foundation endowed by Christians who sought to assure masses would be said for the souls of the dead. Clergy associated with a particular Chantry would often take on teaching responsibilities, and the Chantry schools were organized in a similar manner to some of the smaller Cathedral or Canonicate Schools.
• Guild Schools and Hospital Schools — Just as Chantry's were Christian foundations that took on the additional task of teaching students, other Catholic Charitable organizations with well-established endowments also determined to found schools. The schools associated charitable organizations, such as guilds and hospitals ranged from the a single teacher ('Magister') acting as a tutor to an organization that supported scholars involved in higher education, or specific fields such as law, medicine or nursing. Guilds were recognized as vocational institutions so the idea that one might form a guild composed of scholars or teachers, was an logical progression. Several of the first Universities in Europe and much of the terminology associated with Universities evolved from Teaching Guilds rather than Cathedral Schools.

Teaching Orders

By the Middle Ages schools had expanded throughout Europe and there was great interest in learning and education. Higher education was clearly the province of the 'Magisters' and graduates of formal schools, but a need was seen for teachers of elementary students and lay persons, and for basic education of impoverished youth. Since priests and religious were already teaching students of all backgrounds at Monastic and Cathedral Schools the first "teaching orders" religious orders formed for the purpose of providing elementary or spiritual education to lay students.

By the 19th century, secular governments began to provide state-funded elementary and secondary education in many countries in Europe and the church redoubled its efforts to provide a Catholic primary education to all students. At this time the number of teaching orders founded to educate Catholic youth increased dramatically. The list below includes many of the earliest or most widely known teaching orders founded before the 19th century, and excludes orders (such as Jesuits and Dominicans), that were dedicated mostly to higher education and scholarship, rather than primary education of lay students.

Many of the founders of the religious orders listed below are also patron saints of Catholic education. Dozens of other holy men and women founded local schools but did not establish new teaching orders.

• Brothers of the Common Life — Founded 1380, Netherlands, by Gerard Groote — Religious order of men who lived in common but did not take vows. Emphasized Christian education as well as spiritual development for laymen as well as religious. Thomas a Kempis, author of "Imitation of Christ" is the most famous member.
• Company of St. Ursula (Ursulines) — Founded 1535, Venice, by St. Angela Merici — Organization of consecrated women dedicated to the education of young women and care of the sick, at a time schools for girls were rare outside of convents. Although the Ursulines began as a lay congregation they eventually established a religious order.

• Congregation of Jesus, Sisters of Loreto — Founded 1609, Calais, by Venerable Mary Ward — Religious congregation dedicated to the education of women. Suppressed in 1632 due to conflicts with the norms of Trent, but re-established in 1703.
• Poor Clerics of the Pious Schools (Piarists) — Founded 1617, Rome, by St. Joseph Calasanz — First religious order dedicated to teaching youth and providing free education for poor children. It provided a model to many other school systems and teaching orders that followed. Famous persons associated with Piarist schools are pope Pius IX, Gregor Mendel, and Victor Hugo.
• Brothers of the Christian Schools — Founded 1679, Reims, by St. John Baptiste de la Salle — Religious congregation established to open free parish schools for the poor boys of France. By 1900 expanded to 14,000 members. Order is affiliated with 560 institutions in 80 countries, ranging from missionary schools to Universities.
• Brothers of Christian Instruction (Gabrielite Brothers) — Founded 1711, La Rochelle, by St. Louis de Montfort — Religious Institute dedicated to Christian Education that was based on schools founded by the great Orator and Missionary, Louis de Montfort.

The following are only a few of many teaching orders founded in the 19th century. Each of these orders grew to involve thousands of religious and serve hundreds of schools.

• Congregation of Christian Brothers — Founded 1802, Ireland, by Blessed Edmund Rice — Established schools throughout Ireland, the United States, and British commonwealth.
• Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur — Founded 1804, France/Belgium, by St. Julie Billiart — Institute of religious sisters founded to provide education to the poor.
• Marist Brothers of the Schools — Founded 1817, Auckland New Zealand, by St. Marcellin Champagnat — Institute of Religious brothers with special devotion to Mary, established to serve neglected youth, especially in overseas missions.
• Congregation of the Holy Cross — Founded 1837, Le Mans, France, Blessed Basil Moreau — Religious congregation, including both priests and lay brothers, established following the Revolutionary/Napoleonic period in France. At the time the Church had been stripped of much of its property, and a whole generation left poorly catechized.
• Salesian Brothers (of John Bosco) — Founded 1859, Turin Italy, by St. John Bosco — Religious Institute founded in the late 19th century to teach urban children of the Industrial revolution.