|
Vincent J. Duminuco, S.J., rector of the Fordham Jesuit Community and visiting professor at the Graduate School of Education, was recently called to Rome to present on the realities of Jesuit education in contemporary society. Before an audience of 300 that included members of the Vatican Secretariat of State, the Vatican Congregation on Catholic Education and LaSapienza University, Father Duminuco outlined a set of educational guidelines that he helped develop over the past two decades that are still relevant today.
“The degree of interest in Jesuit education from people outside the first world, in Asian and African countries, was amazing,” said Father Duminuco of the reaction to his March 4 presentation at the Gregorian University. “There was a huge amount of interest and many questions following my presentation on how to make Jesuit pedagogy real in non-Christian countries.”
|
Vincent J. Duminuco, S.J.
|
|
Using the 16th-century code of Jesuit education and Ignatian spiritual writings for inspiration, Father Duminuco helped create the educational guidelines in 1986 as chair of the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education. Those guidelines remain a pertinent roadmap for educators today on how to make Ignatian philosophy real to teachers and students in the classroom. Father Duminuco and his co-commissioners developed a framework—one with global sensibilities—around which teachers “from Brooklyn to Bangkok” could build lesson plans.
“First, context is so important,” said Father Duminuco, who was secretary of education for the Society of Jesus in Rome from 1986 to 1996. “Teachers must take into account the cultural, social, religious, economic and political situations of the communities in which their students live.”
Educators must also consider the holistic Ignatian experience—in which imagination and feelings are as important as intellect—and they must teach their students to reflect on their studies.
“Reflection is the most important concept in Jesuit education,” said Father Duminuco. “Students need to reflect on the human meaning of what they’re learning. What does it mean to them, their families and communities, and the poor?”
Finally, students need to put these ideas into action and constantly evaluate the results.
Father Duminuco’s influence is not limited to Jesuit education. He was one of 100 people invited to Washington, D.C., by the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) in January to help chart the future of Catholic education in America.
“The biggest challenge we face today is that the dominant role of Catholic education is passing to the laity,” said Father Duminuco. “We need to capitalize on the wonderful gifts of the laity, while complementing that with Catholic fundamentals.”
Father Duminuco and his co-attendees created an action plan to preserve the identity of religious education programs and train lay administrators and teachers, and to suggest ways in which Catholic schools should interact with other segments of society. The group will release its strategic plan in April at the NCAE’s annual conference in Boston.
Back to top
More Top Stories in this issue:
Return to Top Stories index
Return to Inside Fordham home page
Copyright © 2004, Fordham University.
|
