Religious Education symposium
Teachers from the different Jesuit colleges met in the Westgrove Hotel in Clane on 5 February to reflect on the context, value and quality of Religious Education in our schools. The ‘symposium’ was prompted by Fr. General’s exhortation that “all involved in the Jesuit schools in Ireland [should work] to ensure the intellectual quality of what we offer”. Assisting reflection were Andrew O’Connell (Presentation Brothers & Iona Institute) and Fr. Bruce Bradley (CWC), both of whom spoke about the critical need in Ireland to give students a certain theological literacy and imbue them with a strong sense of public service. Other speakers included Brian Flannery (Education Delegate), Frank Clarke (CWC), and Nicky Cuddihy (Crescent), all of whom reflected on the relative merits of existing programmes. In conclusion, Danny McNelis (Gonzaga) reflected, in his own inimitable way, on the life and spirituality of Ignatius Loyola.