Students of Diverse Faiths Enrich Catholic Environment
By Lisa MorinelliThe religious mission of Marian, according to the handbook and Miss Elizabeth Kish, Head of School, nurtures the goal to offer instruction which will give each student a contemporary intellectual grasp of the key philosophical and theological questions pertaining to faith and Christian living.
Further, Marian's religious mission strives to provide its students with opportunities for personal commitment to Christian values.
With these goals in mind, Marian will admit any academically qualified girl regardless of race, creed or national and ethnic origin. For this 2000-01 school year, 13 percent of Marian students are not Catholic. This means 94 girls attend Marian's religion classes, Masses and retreats of a faith they do not call their own.
Each non-Catholic student at Marian came for a different reason. Each views her position at the school in a unique way. Each one of these students truly adds to the community.
"Coming into Marian I thought it would be hard to adjust to the Catholic environment, but it has turned out to be a learning experience for me. When I learn about certain issues in religion class, I check back with Baptist teachings and see if that's what I believe," said sophomore Shardea Gallion. Gallion is a Baptist and said that she saw attending Marian as a fresh start and a good chance to get into a good college.
"I didn't understand being required to attend Mass initially, and don't enjoy it. But now I realize, if this was a Baptist school all students would be required to attend our service as well. I made the choice to attend Marian, and I respect going to Mass and understand," said Gallion.
Along with being required to attend Mass, Gallion, like all other Marian students, is required to take a religion course each year. "I love religion class and people listening to my point of view. I'm never condemned for my point of view," she said.
The topics discussed in religion classes vary each year, and each religion teacher will accept non-Catholic students in a different way. Ms. Kathy Tocco, a first-year religion faculty member at Marian, already sees what students of varied faiths can add to her classes.
"Having non-Catholic students in religion class influences the class in a positive way because it provides another viewpoint, and if the students are involved in their non-Catholic communities and proud to profess it, that broadens the vision of church for Catholics," she said. Teaching Catholicism to non-Catholic students, Ms. Tocco also sees what might be harder for them to understand.
"Being told that they are not able to receive communion might be the hardest for a non-Catholic to adjust to at Marian. If they are part of the community in every other way, they wonder why they are excluded," she said.
In her fourth year as a Methodist student at Marian, senior Darcey Riha knows very well that Roman Catholics do not celebrate with an open table.
"I don't receive communion out of respect for Catholic Church rules but I know a Catholic could receive communion while attending my service," she said. Riha has learned to adjust to the Catholic environment at Marian over the years, but can point out how being Methodist at a Catholic school isn't always easy.
"Being in religion class is hard, constantly learning against what I've always been taught. Methodists have contradictory views on topics such as abortion and euthanasia. Assignments such as writing papers on Catholic Church teachings is difficult because I don't have the experience with the religion as most do and Catholic beliefs and not as easy for me to understand, " she said.
Raised in a Mormon family, sophomore Rachael Watson has grown up with Mormon teachings, but is not currently practicing the faith. She also struggles with Catholic teachings and can offer an idea on how better to accommodate non-Catholic students.
"I would like to see teachers with a better understanding of other religions; teachers who are more understanding of those who don't have the same views of the Bible, Jesus and Mass. I struggle with writing assignments when we have to assess how Jesus affects our lives. Perhaps teachers could grade on a different level for those that are not Catholic," said Watson.
When asked how other students accept her as a non-Catholic, Watson smiled. "The girls are very accepting, and I have had no problems with other students," she said.
From a teacherUs point of view, Ms. Tocco would agree. "My perception of my Catholic students reacting to my non-Catholic students is that they are as they would be with other Catholics- encouraged and open to other young women that profess their faith regardless of their denomination," said Ms. Tocco.
In so many ways, each Marian student is unique. For each of the 94 non-Catholic students at Marian, religion plays a major part in her uniqueness and ability to enrich the Catholic environment of the school. The number of non-Catholic students at Marian rises each year.
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