What is the Catholic Liberal Arts?
The Catholic Liberal Arts embody the educational vision and mission of the centuries-old tradition of the Catholic Church. It is not a new program, curriculum, or even something developed by the Diocese of Lansing. Simply put, the Catholic Liberal Arts is a reclaiming of an authentically Catholic education, a way of teaching and learning that has formed some of the greatest thinkers and saints throughout the past 2,000 years. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Lansing are on-mission to cultivate the next generation of saints and scholars through the beauty and tradition of the Catholic Liberal Arts.
The Catholic Liberal Arts embody the educational vision and mission of the centuries-old tradition of the Catholic Church. It is not a new program, curriculum, or even something developed by the Diocese of Lansing. Simply put, the Catholic Liberal Arts is a reclaiming of an authentically Catholic education, a way of teaching and learning that has formed some of the greatest thinkers and saints throughout the past 2,000 years. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Lansing are on-mission to cultivate the next generation of saints and scholars through the beauty and tradition of the Catholic Liberal Arts.
All Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Lansing cultivate "sanctuaries of education”* where:
- Students know and live their true identity as beloved sons and daughters of God the Father, created in His image and likeness.
- Students grow in knowledge, wisdom and virtue through formation rooted in the Catholic Liberal Arts.
- Students develop a love of learning as they pursue Truth, Beauty, and Goodness and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ.
This education prepares our students to flourish in this life and to sanctify them for the next.
*Divini Illius Magistri, Pope Pius XI, 1929
What exactly is a Catholic Liberal Arts education?
“For freedom Christ set us free, so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” -Galatians 5:1
An education that:
- Frees (‘liberal’ comes from the Latin word liber, meaning free) students to joyfully pursue Truth, Beauty, and Goodness as they grow as disciples of Jesus Christ
- Promotes a true Christian Anthropology: a proper understanding of the human person so that students know their identity as a beloved son or daughter of God the Father, made in His image and likeness
- Steeps students in the intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church, uniting faith and reason and encouraging them to view everything they learn in the light of Truth
What does a Catholic Liberal Arts education look like?
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." -Proverbs 22:6
In a CLA classroom, you’ll see:
- Curriculum and instruction rooted in the arts of language and number, forming a solid foundation in the basic building blocks of learning, critical reasoning, and prayerful study
- Teaching practices that lead students to joyfully encounter the truths to be learned, such as fostering wonder, storytelling, experiential learning, memorization & recitation, role-play, imitation, inquiry, seminar discussion, and the reading of great literature.
What will my student gain from a Catholic Liberal Arts education?
“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” —Jeremiah 29:11
Students acquire:
- A vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church, allowing them to discern their God-given vocation and pursue a life of holiness
- The skills, dispositions, and virtues needed to read well, write well, think well, calculate well, and live well in preparation for high school, college, and beyond
- A deeper intellectual life that results not only in improved standardized test scores but a greater joy in learning as a lifelong pursuit
Steve Vaughan is an associate superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Lansing.
