Host Presidents' Address: A Discussion on Ways Catholic Higher Education Institutions Can Assist Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools

Abstract

As part of the third Catholic Higher Education Collaborative Conference (CHEC), an event cosponsored by Boston College and Fordham University, the host university presidents, Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., and Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., addressed conference attendees and discussed ways higher education institutions can assist Catholic elementary and secondary schools. This article contains a transcript of their remarks. Fr. Leahy, the 25th president of Boston College, has a keen interest in Catholic schools, understanding their importance for the nation and for handing Father Leahy: I would like to make a preliminary comment before we focus on the question of how the various components of the Catholic educational enterprise can assist one another, particularly how Catholic colleges and universities can help Catholic grade schools and high schools. My prenote is that we cannot expect Catholic institutions of higher education to handle all the issues around personnel, curriculum, funding, and facilities, and absolve the larger Church community of its responsibility to strengthen Catholic elementary and secondary schools. Boston College cannot and will not run the Catholic parochial schools in the Archdiocese of Boston because that is not our mission. While Catholic colleges and universities can and should help Catholic elementary and secondary schools, they should not be seen as entities that can