Pittsburgh bows out of major education
meeting
By PATRICK ONEILL
Special to the National Catholic Reporter
A priest who serves as secretary for education in the Pittsburgh
diocese has barred staff and educators there from attending the National
Catholic Educational Association convocation because Benedictine Sr. Joan
Chittister will be a featured speaker, NCR has learned.
Chittister, a noted Catholic author and speaker, has been a strong
advocate for womens full equality in the church. The convocation will be
held in Milwaukee in April.
In a vaguely worded, one-page memo, dated Nov. 22, the priest, Fr.
Kris D. Stubna told educators in his diocese, It has become apparent that
the program does not have the quality that would warrant participation and
expenditure on the part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The memo was sent to elementary and secondary principals,
catechetical administrators and youth ministers in the 220-parish diocese. The
boycott is likely to reduce attendance at the convocation by several hundred
people. Despite that impact, an official for the association said Chittister
would remain on the program. Her topic is spirituality and educational
leadership.
The four-day convocation is expected to draw between 10,000 and
12,000 participants. Members pay $140, and non-members pay $210.
Stubna would not give specifics regarding his decision to issue
the memo, but the education association, responding to inquiries from
NCR, said Stubna had written the association to object to
Chittisters role. His letter was dated Nov. 14.
The association, a professional organization for Catholic
educators, has no direct ties to the churchs hierarchy, though it relies
on support from diocesan staff and educators. President of the
associations board is Bishop Robert J. Banks of Green Bay, Wis.
The associations response to NCR was in the form of a
prepared statement in which the organization acknowledged it had been in
dialogue with Fr. Stubna about this issue for several weeks. Like Stubna,
association officials were not willing to discuss the specifics of the
disagreement over Chittister.
Chittister, reached by e-mail in Rome, said she was surprised and
distressed to learn of the boycott, though she realizes that some might
disagree with her views.
I presume my commitment to the ordination of women might be
a stumbling block to those who believe, contrary to the experience and proof of
history, that theology never develops, she said.
Chittister said Stubnas actions amount to intimidation
and censorship, both of which are shameful in a so-called academic
community.
That someone would deal with basic ideas differently or see
things from another perspective only stands to reason, she said.
That is the very nature of idea development. What does not stand to
reason, in my opinion, is to deny other people the right and opportunity to do
the same.
That would seem to me to be a sad position for educators to
take who claim to be training the next generation to think.
Other general-session speakers featured on the program are
Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland, who heads the Milwaukee archdiocese, and Howard
Fuller, distinguished professor of education at Marquette University in
Milwaukee.
In his memo to diocesan staff and educators, Stubna made the
following points:
- No diocesan staff will attend the associations meeting;
- No diocesan expenditure will be permitted for any expenses
related to the meeting;
- No continuing education credit will be granted for any part of
the 2001 convocation for anyone in the diocese.
Stubna wrote, Our participation in the NCEA has always been
predicated on the assumption that our ministry as Catholic educators in the
church would be strengthened and nurtured. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II,
has consistently maintained that any presentation of faith and Catholic
education in the name of the church must have completeness and authenticity. It
appears that the program set forth by the NCEA at its upcoming convocation
suffers from a lack of completeness in its program and an incompatibility with
authentic teaching. These circumstances, in fact, are detrimental to the faith
development of persons in ministry. Regrettably, these failures make it
unacceptable for Catholic educators in the Diocese of Pittsburgh to participate
in the convocation.
The vice president of the education association, Claire Helm, said
Stubna and the associations president, Leonard DeFiore, had exchanged
letters about Chittisters role. Helm said Stubna did not issue an
ultimatum regarding Chittisters participation in the convocation.
He just expressed his concerns about her presence on the agenda,
Helm said.
In an interview with NCR, Stubna said: Were
simply raising issues that we think the program, in general, this year suffers
from a lack of completeness and some incompatibility with what we consider to
be authentic teachings of the church. I just cant, in my position, allow
the diocese to give credit for a program that has some flaws in it like that.
Its really a formation experience. This isnt a social gathering or
a fellowship experience. It really is a formative experience for our people in
ministry, and it has to be formative in ways that support our objectives and
our goals. I think we expect our catechists and our teachers to be in a
position, in whatever ministry theyre in, whether in school or [religious
education programs], to present the complete faith as set forth by the
catechism of the Catholic church; to do it in a way that promotes fidelity to
the church.
Without specifically saying so, Stubna indicated that his decision
to boycott the convocation had the approval of Pittsburgh Bishop Donald Wuerl.
This decision came only after extensive conversations with NCEA and with
our own diocese, Stubna said.
Helm said the association took Stubnas criticism
extremely seriously, but the invitation to Chittister would not be
withdrawn. Helm said Stubnas criticism, which could result in perhaps
hundreds of fewer participants at the convocation, was certainly not
handled lightly or dismissed as simply a minor complaint. The 98-year-old
organization trains Catholic educators and provides educational programs.
Stubna said several hundred teachers from the
Pittsburgh diocese attended last springs convocation in Baltimore.
The financial impact of Stubnas decision in terms of
numbers ... is probably not as significant, Helm said. But
thats a big diocese, and any statement like that I think ... would be
very troubling certainly if it was felt that the convention wasnt going
to be helpful, which its designed to be.
Stubna said his department oversees 2,000 schoolteachers in 120
elementary and 11 high schools, nearly 6,000 volunteer religious education
catechists and more than 100 professional or semiprofessional youth ministers
who together serve the educational needs of more than 100,000 youth.
Obviously its my hope, too, that our concerns will
also have an impact on the kinds of decisions that people at NCEA will make for
their future convocations, Stubna said. Pittsburgh is a large
diocese. We generally have a good number of people attending, so I would think
they would obviously be sensitive to our concerns.
Stubna said this was the first time in his eight years as
education secretary that he had taken such action against the assciation.
I would obviously hope that it represents a unique kind of time and that
this wont happen again, because, generally speaking, the NCEA has always
provided a very strong and solid program, he said.
He also said his decision was not designed to send a message to
the associations officials. I can honestly say my concerns rest
solely with being a person of some integrity with regard to directing our
teachers to those kinds of programs that are going to support their
formation, he said. This is the very first time that weve
raised concerns about the NCEA program.
Stubna said he has refused to grant continuing education credits
for other organizational gatherings that dont measure up, such as the
East Coast Conference for Religious Education. We havent given
credit for that for eight or nine years now, he said.
With both Stubna and the association unwilling to elaborate on the
boycott, some Pittsburgh educators are seeking more information.
St. Joseph Sr. Margaret Berry, principal of St. John of God
Elementary School in McKees Rocks, Pa., said she has written to Stubna and
asked him respectfully for the reasons behind his sending the
November memo.
I dont know the reasons why the letter came,
said Berry, who has attended previous association meetings. As an
educator, I think I need to know the reasons why. ... I understand why we would
not get diocesan money if a program were totally against, for instance, the
teaching of the church.
I dont know the reasons for it. I have
taken the appropriate steps to find out the information.
St. Joseph Sr. Janice Vanderneck, a religion teacher at St. James
Catholic School in Sewickley, Pa. said she has contacted the association and
plans to write Stubna in hopes of getting more information about the
dispute.
Vanderneck, who has read some of Chittisters books and
articles, said, Making that kind of a proscription on a diocesan staff
really doesnt take into account their ability to critique and discern for
themselves. Further, she said, to bar her, along with other educators,
from participation lacks any respect for my ability to make good
professional decisions about information that I hear, talks that I hear and
things that I read.
Several other educators in the diocese declined to comment on
Stubnas memo.
The associations Helm said Stubnas is the only
complaint the group has received regarding the upcoming meeting. When its
over, the associations staff will evaluate the gathering and take another
look at Stubnas complaint, Helm said.
Weve had a hundred years of these conventions,
Helm said. I dont know of one of them that probably hasnt
generated some heat or, better yet, light, about somebody on the agenda.
Theres no way that were going to ever satisfy everybody. I think he
has a right to disagree. I think its fair to say I respect his right to
do that. To say that we were intimidated by that is probably not accurate. We
took it very seriously, and Sr. Joan is still on the convention
agenda.
National Catholic Reporter, December 22,
2000
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