“I was principal at SSA for 20 years and obviously, for a Dominican like me, virtue is so much a part of the call. We have the wonderful opportunity in our schools to establish the vision of what we see a Catholic school to be about. With daily Mass and catechetical formation, we strive to bring all the parts of our charism into the schools. And virtue is a part of that. I was noticing different areas where there was a gap as, over time, more of a universal understanding of virtue was falling away.” Not only was there a lack of knowledge of virtue among students, but there were also increasing struggles academically, socially, and emotionally. “My teachers were experiencing fragmentation. There were gaps and disconnectedness in the students’ learning even in areas like math facts. There was the impact of technology and social media, and parents began asking us to address these things.” Noticing that public schools were addressing the same concerns with character formation programs, Sister was prompted to use what seemed like the obvious yet most valuable tool, the Church’s knowledge of human fulfillment stemming from a lived relationship with Christ: virtue.

“It came about organically. The sisters who were teaching in the school made a bulletin board where they listed what each virtue looks like and sounds like, which made it tangible for children. I thought it was brilliant. We began by putting all of that on cards, laminating them, and adding a saint to each one, because the saints are the ones who model it.” The laminated cards prompted other ideas for posters, training tools, pamphlets, and more. And as sisters began using the materials, the word spread that these means of reintroducing the language and practice of virtue was effective and fruitful in schools.

One of many schools using the Education in Virtue program, St. Michael’s in Grand Ledge, implemented the materials more than five years ago. Principal Nathan Sweet says the difference in the culture of the school is notable. “This has been key in allowing us to incorporate these truths through multiple areas.” Whereas before he was seeing a compartmentalizing of the faith, Nathan says that Education in Virtue has brought both teachers and students a way to see the integration of the virtuous life. “In math, for example, when a student is frustrated and says, ‘I’m having trouble,’ we are able to say, ‘Oh, persevere!’ And we have that conversation.”

It didn’t take long for teachers to “buy in,” Nathan says. “Early on, the teachers maybe wondered how they would go about this, or if it was something just for religion class, but they quickly learned they could use it throughout all subjects and they saw how it impacted their class.” With Openlight Media’s posters and visuals in the hallways and in every classroom, students at St. Michael’s School are reminded of the importance of living as Christ lived. “St. Thomas Aquinas said that Christ is the perfectly virtuous man,” Sister John Dominic notes. Forming disciples as followers of Christ naturally includes the language and examples of virtue.”

“Any way we can tie things in with the virtues and help them know this is about their whole life is important,” Nathan points out. “This isn’t just for religion class; this is throughout all the curriculum and that’s what we are called to do at a Catholic school.” When reflecting on the tangible differences in the school, one important one comes to mind for the principal. “Fewer discipline issues! The students see that we all long to be disciples, and we are able to ask in every situation how to go about that. It brings them closer to Jesus.” When students do need correction, Nathan is grateful for the tools the program provides. “When I meet with students, I ask them what virtue would have helped them, and we pray together. Recently, a kid had an issue in class playing with and breaking his pencils. I asked him what he could do differently, and he said, ‘I can show more self-control.’ He came up with that virtue. I talked to him about the virtue of respect for the teacher and his classmates, too. I see that when we tie these instances into faith it clicks for kids.”

Sister John Dominic agrees, noting, “Pope Benedict XVI said that goodness spreads.” Grateful for what God has done in blessing her efforts, Sister says it all comes down to true human happiness in this life and the next. “Living a virtuous way of life is the means of human flourishing. God’s revelation is not for us to pass a test but to live in communion with him. We want people to experience joy and freedom!”