Catholic Diocese Research Articles

Integrating Strategies of Parental Care to Enhance Morality in the Youths in Secondary Schools Managed by the Catholic Diocese of Morogoro, Tanzania

Integrating Strategies of Parental Care to Enhance Morality in the Youths in Secondary Schools Managed by the Catholic Diocese of Morogoro, Tanzania

Can Decentralized School Systems Pursue Common Ends? An Analysis of Urban Catholic School and System Leaders’ Perceptions of Reform

There has been little research examining how decentralized Catholic diocesan systems have worked toward their stated system-wide goal of keeping urban Catholic schools sustainable. Through a new qualitative analysis of interviews with Catholic school and system leaders, we demonstrate in this article how leaders agreed about the issues preventing urban Catholic elementary schools from becoming operationally sustainable but disagreed about potential solutions to this problem. Our findings indicate these leaders believed decentralized systems constrained their ability to pursue coherent system-wide reforms. We connect these findings to broader calls for decentralization in large urban systems attempting to pursue educational equity initiatives.

Catholic Diocesan and Religious Priests’ Perceptions of Social Support from Their Fellow Priests, Bishops, and Religious Superiors

In the wake of the clergy sexual abuse crisis in 2002, the Catholic Church underwent a tectonic shift that affected the well-being of priests and the relationship between bishops and priests. The present study aims to understand how Catholic priests perceive social support from both their fellow priests and their episcopal leaders nearly 20 years after the crisis’ wake as it could potentially have significant implications for the well-being of priests. The data gathered for this article is from in-depth interviews with U.S. Catholic priests ( N = 104) including both diocesan ( n = 70) and religious priests ( n = 34). This article explores the question “How do Catholic diocesan and religious priests perceive support, or lack thereof, from their fellow priests and their bishop or superior?” Our analysis examines the presence as well as absence of vertical and horizontal support among diocesan and religious priests. By further understanding how priests experience social support from those in their organization, we can cultivate better avenues of support for Catholic priests that are specific to their needs and desires which could potentially improve their overall well-being. Some practical implications of this study are discussed which could help aid Catholic leaders and formators in nurturing these kinds of support structures.

New York City Catholic Schools Operating in the Public Space in a Post-Makin World

ABSTRACT Given recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, specifically Carson v. Makin, which permit public funding for religious schools, we examine how Catholic diocese and school leaders interpret these legal shifts for Catholic education. We utilize the Catholic education sector in New York City as a case study to examine how Catholic school leaders interpret local, state, and national policy shifts in funding for Catholic education. Specifically, we examine how Catholic school leaders currently navigate public–private partnerships and how they think Makin will affect future funding of Catholic education in New York City. We find that Catholic school leaders are already participating in limited public–private partnerships and are enthusiastic about potential policy windows for opportunities such as tax-credits and religious charter schools. However, Catholic school leaders in New York face challenges in terms of state politics, Catholic identity of schools, and other school-choice advocates including public charter schools.

Moody’s Catholic Ratings: Institutional Communication of the Church for Issuing Religious Bonds

The issuance of religious bonds by some American Catholic dioceses is a model of ecclesiastical financing that works thanks to the institutional communication of the Church in the economic field. This procedure, by which important resources are obtained in case of emergency, requires from those responsible for the administration of temporal goods a creative and clear institutional communication. Credit rating agencies present the financial situation of the diocese, especially to obtain new investors. Diocesan administrators usually turn to the faithful when they need more resources, but this system of issuing religious debt in the stock market represents a novel effort that can be imitated by other ecclesiastical entities.

A synodal campus ministry in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan context

Questions about what walking a synodal path means for the Church in different local contexts undoubtedly occupy a central place in academic and pastoral discussions regarding the currently convoked synod on synodality. A particular concern is how the youth can be actively involved in this process. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the campus ministry in living out and actively participating in the process of synodality in response to Pope Francis’ call for a Synodal Church. Vatican documents will be analyzed and compared with local Church and university documents for this study. The result of this study reveals that despite the shared vision of inclusivity in terms of ‘journeying together,’ the local interpretation of synodality in the Philippines takes a different route. Moreover, Campus Ministry programmes that could animate the youth to be engaged in the synodal process also need to provide appropriate avenues for the praxis of the synodal vision from the perspective of both the Vatican and the local context. Since the Church is both global and local, or ‘glocal’ in nature, this paper proposes an assimilation of the global and the local Church vision in navigating the synodal processes in the local context. The direction in which the Campus Ministry must walk must also be further identified. Thus, this study probes into the Synodal Campus Ministries in the Philippines. Researchers’ investigation goes deeper, however, in a specific context of De La Salle Araneta University or its Campus Ministry.

The Levels of psychosocial wellbeing among Catholic Secondary School Students raised up by Single parents in catholic Diocese of Butare - Rwanda

The Levels of psychosocial wellbeing among Catholic Secondary School Students raised up by Single parents in catholic Diocese of Butare - Rwanda

Boundaries Beyond the Bathing Suit

A literature review and analysis evaluating how the practices of Intimacy Choreography support the aims of one of the Catholic Church's sexual abuse prevention programs collectively called VIRTUS. This article defines scenarios of legally unacceptable risk (high stakes) as well as legally acceptance risk (low stakes) and how the tools of Intimacy Choreography (Theatrical Intimacy Education, in particular) and VIRTUS both aim to establish and uphold boundaries, but in different capacities. This article compares the tools of each area, and makes an argument for how Intimacy Choreography's consent-based practices are a good for Catholic diocesan schools' theatre programs that utilize VIRTUS training.

Religious-secular as non-competitive: Encouraging participative church in a Czech Catholic diocese

The presented text builds upon 4 years of applied research intended to support the transformation of a Czech Catholic diocese into a more participative organisation, internally and externally. This process allowed us to see different positions in the relationship between the religious and the secular within the highly secularised Czech Republic. In some places, the religious and the secular appeared incompatible. Elsewhere they influenced each other and intermingled. And still, in other places, the religious escaped horizontal opposition to the secular and differentiated itself vertically as a transcendental other. In all cases, it was evident that we cannot consider the religious and the secular as categories which define mutually competitive worlds. This definitional opposition is disappearing, and the terms are losing clarity as well as the capacity to organise the lives of Western subjects. We suggest using Dalferth’s differentiation of R-secularity and D-secularity as a tool to gasp this shift.

'Tausi Feagaiga: A Project to Train Caregivers and Empower the American Samoan Community.

The 'Tausi Feagaiga (Covenant Keeper) project was a partnership to support the traditional values of tausi matua (caring for one's elders). The partners included a non-governmental organization (Pacific Youth and Community Development), a faith-based organization (Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago), and an institute of higher education (University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine). The project was created to address the lack of community-based health care such as home health or hospice, and families needing to work outside the home. A culturally based caregiving curriculum was developed to educate caregivers and improve their knowledge and skills. Using a train-the-trainer model, 125 caregivers were trained in family caregiving from 2016-2020. Training was conducted through an intensive workshop followed by practicum at Hope House, the Catholic Diocese home for the aged. Participants who expressed a willingness and competency were mentored to be trainers to continue the 'Tausi Feagaiga project. The mean self-rated confidence in caregiving improved significantly from 3.17 ± 1.02 (mean SD) pre workshop to 3.53 ± 0.71 post workshop (P = .001). Competence in geriatric syndromes was improved from 18.04 ± 4.27 to 21.31 ± 4.30 after attending the workshop (P < .001) and the feedback was extremely positive. Technical assistance was provided to obtain funding through American Samoa Medicaid State Agency to improve the existing infrastructure of Hope House, obtain much needed supplies, and increase ability to hire the participants. 'Tausi Feagaiga positively impacted the lives of the residents of Hope House, the course participants, the elders in the community, and those who care for them.

“The Desert of Spoken Words”: Conversations of Bishop Márton Áron Recorded by the Securitate in 1956–1980

Márton Áron, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Alba Iulia (1938–1980), came to the attention of the Securitate from the founding of this repressive institution until the autumn of 1980, when he passed away. The reasons for his surveillance were his popularity among the faithful, his outspoken anti-communism, his loyalty to the Vatican and the fact that he came from the country’s largest national minority. The results of this extended surveillance are reflected today in the bishop’s files in the Archive of the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives in Bucharest. One of the main methods used by the Securitate in the surveillance process was the use of microphones. They were installed in the bishop’s office in 1956 and operated with short interruptions until the end of his life. The transcripts of the recorded conversations are today in the bishop’s files and represent a “gold mine” for historians interested in the Catholic Church in Romania during the Communist regime.

Gossip and Interpersonal Relationship Among Adults in St. Matthew’s Felele and St. Theresa’s Ganaja Parishes Catholic Diocese of Lokoja Nigeria

Gossip and Interpersonal Relationship Among Adults in St. Matthew’s Felele and St. Theresa’s Ganaja Parishes Catholic Diocese of Lokoja Nigeria

Migration of Telugu Catholics in Madras Presidency – ce 1780–1910

Abstract The Catholic dioceses of Madras-Mylapore and Chingleput are home to 44 Telugu Catholic villages. These villages were established between 1780 and 1910 by Telugu Catholics who migrated from Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu. This article delves into archival materials to trace the origins and destinations of these migrants, the factors that prompted their migration, the key protagonists and institutions involved, the caste dynamics at play, the assimilation process, and the contributions they made to the local society from a historical perspective. While this article primarily focuses on research about early colonial peasant migrations, it also explores the micro history of the Telugu community, offering insights into the challenges faced by contemporary migrations, including issues of land ownership, citizenship, and identity crisis. Furthermore, it analyses the post-migration environment, highlighting the social interactions, as well as the cultural, religious, and spiritual experiences of these communities. This analysis aims to demonstrate how these Telugu communities have successfully assimilated into the local society while preserving their unique identities.

Risk Response Planning and Project Implementation Among Faith-Based Construction Projects in The Diocese of Ngong

Projects are marred with various challenges and uncertainties from the onset of their inception to implementation and completion phases. These uncertainties if not mitigated properly affect subsequent delivery of project objectives thereby causing delays, cost overruns and sometimes may lead to project failures. Therefore, risk response planning are major features in project management that project managers, project teams and related stakeholders must effectively employ to deal with the risks and uncertainties that may interfere with the projects in order to realize the project success. This study therefore sought to analyze the effect of risk response planning on project implementation among faith-based organizations in Kenya. The study focused on the projects in the Catholic Diocese of Ngong. Contingency theories informed the foundation upon which the study variables were reviewed to establish their relationships. The study adopted a descriptive case design to analyze how risk management practices affect the implementation of projects in Catholic Diocese of Ngong. The target population involved 240 members that were drawn from the PPC and PEC. The sample size was 72 members whom were selected by simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques to give each member in the population a chance of selection and ensure that only those with relevant information are involved in the study. A structured questionnaire aided in gathering primary data for the study. The questionnaires were issued to the respondents through a drop and pick method and data collected were analyzed with the help of statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 23. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive analysis while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis and data presented in frequency tables, pie charts and graphs. The study found a strong significant positive relationship between risk response planning and project implementation.. The study recommended that organizations should formulate and put in place elaborate risk response plans to enable them succeed in their project implementation. The researcher further recommends for more studies to be conducted on risk response plans other than the ones the study concentrated as they only accounted for 57.8%.

The Catholic Mission and Early Educational Activities in Gusii: A Historical Metabletical Overview

This study discusses the role played by the Catholics in the development of Western education in Gusii. This is a historical study that has utilized both primary and secondary sources of data. To put the topic into focus, the study starts by tracing the origins of the Catholic Church to Gusii. The study shows that just like other missionaries who evangelized the area, the Catholics also took education as an important instrument for evangelization. It emphasized catechism and memorization of the scriptures. In Gusii, the first education centre for the Catholics began in Nyabururu in 1912. Catholic education in Gusii was quite slow; the first secondary school St. James Nyabururu was established in 1961 by the Catholic Diocese of Kisii upon its formation. Later, it was transferred to Mosocho and it was named after Bishop Otunga of Kisii Diocese in 1962. The school was run by Tilburg Brothers from Holland; however, the school project was funded by the government. The study also shows the contribution of the Catholic Church to the Social-economic development of the people of Gusii.

Music in Sacred Liturgy: Some Factors to be Considered for the Catholic Dioceses in Kenya.

Music is an integral part of worship. Liturgical music has been a topic of interest for centuries. Good liturgical music elevates the hearts of worshippers, uniting them to the heavenly liturgy. There is an ancient saying which proclaims: Bis orat qui bene cantat (who sings well prays twice). St. Augustine also remarks rightly, ‘Singing is for one who loves’ (PL 38:1472). With this in mind when we look at the Catholic liturgical music today in Kenya, we find several issues to be addressed. In this paper we shall look at some general principles in liturgical music, suggested criteria for assessing music and texts, and some emerging issues regarding music in liturgy today, proposing some possible solutions.

Єпархія української греко-католицької церкви в Канаді та її участь в організації побуту для українських переселенців на початку ХХ століття

Background. Migration of Ukrainians to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century – a complex and multifaceted page in the history of Ukrainian emigration. In its scope, it covered various social strata, which exported Ukrainian culture, traditions, and the church beyond ethnic territories. The church, in particular, occupied a special place in the life of the diaspora, turning into an authoritative institution. In particular, the article talks about the role of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the organization of assistance to Ukrainian resettlement in Canada. Methods. For a comprehensive view of the role of the diocese of the UGCC in Canada, its mentoring programs for Ukrainian immigrants, the principle of systematicity, analytical understanding, and chronological sequence was applied, which was used for a step-by-step analysis of the work of the diocese of the UGCC in Canada with Ukrainian immigrants. Results. The article presents the beginnings of the work of the diocese of the UGCC in Canada with Ukrainian emigrants in the first decade of its creation. In particular, the main emphasis is placed on the activities of the first Greek-Catholic bishop Nikita Budka, who was the first to create mentoring programs at the diocesan level for the faithful of the UGCC. The work reveals a wide range of challenges faced by both emigrants and the church. Were demonstrated the integrity of the social service of the UGCC, the role of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi in the organization of the Ukrainian diaspora, etc. Conclusions. Based on the analysis of a wide range of special sources, the key vectors of the activities of the Greek Catholic Diocese of the UGCC in Canada, primarily its head Nikita Budka, have been identified.

The Big Five Personality Traits and Marital Satisfaction Among Couples in Kilungu Deanary in Catholic Diocese of Machakos in Makueni County, Kenya

Marital satisfaction is a key indicator of happiness and stability in marriage, yet modern family life faces significant challenges, including rising divorce rates, declining marriage prevalence, increased cohabitation, and the complexities introduced by same-sex marriage legalization. This study examines the Big Five personality traits and their relationship with marital satisfaction among couples in Kilungu Deanery, Catholic Diocese of Machakos, Makueni County, Kenya. The research objectives included assessing the prevalence of these traits, evaluating marital satisfaction levels, identifying factors affecting satisfaction, and exploring ways to enhance it. Grounded in the Five-Factor model of personality and Bowenian family systems theory, the study utilized a correlational research design with a sample of 178 married individuals (90 males and 88 females) aged 30 to 67, each married for at least five years. Data were collected using the Big Five Inventory and the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, and analyzed with SPSS version 25. Findings revealed that Extraversion correlated positively with the Idealistic Distortion scale but showed no significant correlation with marital satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were positively associated with marital satisfaction and negatively with dissatisfaction. Conversely, Neuroticism was negatively correlated with marital satisfaction and positively with dissatisfaction. Openness correlated positively with marital satisfaction but not significantly with dissatisfaction. The study recommends that government and religious organizations offer family life counseling and premarital education to improve partner compatibility and reduce failed marriages.

The Development of the Attitude toward Catholic Beliefs Scale

The purpose of this study was the development and initial examination of the psychometric properties of the Attitude Toward Catholic Beliefs Scale (ATCBS) administered to 263 adult Catholics living in a Roman Catholic diocese located in central Canada. The underlying factor structure of the ATCBS was ascertained by conducting exploratory factor analysis (principal axis factoring). Four factors or subscales were identified: Incarnational Attitude (IA), Scriptural Attitude (SA), Moral Attitude (MA) and Eschatological Attitude (EA). The alpha coefficients of the four subscales were calculated, and it was found their level of reliability ranged from acceptable to outstanding. Correlational analyses indicated that the four subscales demonstrated convergent validity. The findings of this study provide preliminary evidence that the twenty-one-item ATCBS is a reliable and valid self-reporting instrument that measures attitude toward Catholic beliefs pertaining to dogma, doctrines, and fundamental practices. Implications for pastoral planning and future research are discussed.

A leitura popular da Bíblia

The popular reading of the Bible proposed by Ecumenical Center for Biblical Studies (CEBI) is a concrete way of approaching the text based on the demands of reality, thus fitting into what the Pontifical Biblical Commission calls the Liberation Approach. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the document on The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, we bring to reflection the memory of the work of popular reading of the Bible carried out in the Catholic Diocese of Mossoró-RN within the methodology proposed by the CEBI. Examining the reports of the meetings that took place in the seventies and eighties of the twentieth century, we can see the strong presence of women, the relationship with ecclesiastical and base communities and popular movements and the resistance of the group that remains active even in the face of a adverse ecclesiastical situation.