An historical review of the professional and distinctive formation for Catholic school educators in the United States

Abstract

This article examines the historical context of the growth and development of Catholic education in the United States, and the commitment of Catholic colleges and universities – viewed primarily through the lens of Jesuit Colleges and Universities – to the professional formation of educators for service in Catholic schools. It is a story of the careful navigation by strangers in a strange land to create an unparalleled system of educational institutions, securing academic recognition through accreditation, and providing service to the K-12 Catholic educational system through the delivery of distinctive professional formation programmes for Catholic school educators. These historical challenges continue to the present day and represent a particular mission-driven service of Catholic higher education to the Catholic Church.