Christ at the center of the educational process in Catholic schoolsCatholic Schools launches a message of encounter and dialogue at its congressThe XVII Congress The opening ceremony of the Catholic Schools Conference held in Madrid was an opportunity to express a deep sense of solidarity with the victims and those affected by last week's devastating hurricane Dana. The regional secretary of Escuelas Católicas Valencia, Vicenta Rodríguez, brought the audience to its feet with her words on the opening day, remembering "beyond the figures, the human drama, the lives destroyed and missing, and the need now to care for and accompany".
Vicenta Rodríguez expressed the importance of solidarity in times of adversity and thanked all the support and tokens of affection received. "Now is the time to coordinate sponsorship between schools," she said, "and to join hands and help each other. Hence, the campaign that Catholic Schools has launched, with the slogan "We need to help the poorest of the poor. "Schools on their feet"for the reconstruction of the affected schools".
"Help from everyone"
The Valencian secretary stressed that the spirit that guides them now is the one expressed in the regional anthem of the Valencian Community: "Valencians, let us stand up and let the light greet the sun again", and this is what the schools are doing with the help of everyone because "from Valencia schools are already standing up," she added.
During the inauguration ceremony, attendees received a video message from the Pope, recently recorded by EC's management team during a visit to Rome. In his words, he emphasized the importance of educational work and stated: "Education is an investment for the future". With this message, Pope Francis underscored the value of education as a fundamental pillar for building a more just and hopeful society, inspiring those present to continue their commitment to the formation of future generations."
"Putting each person at the center."
In allusion to the motto of the Congress -The president of Escuelas Católicas, Ana Mª Sánchez, said that to say our name is to recognize our personal identity, and that saying it together reminds us of what we are: "Catholic schools that evangelize and make education their passion.
In conclusion, he reminded us to keep in mind the objective of the Global Education Pact proposed by Pope Francis: "to put every person at the center, every day, with our way of being and educating".
"Go and teach."
For his part, the secretary general, Pedro Huerta, who closed the congress together with the director, Victoria Moya, emphasized that the motto of the Congress was "three verbs to which other attributes have been incorporated throughout the months of preparation for this event, such as direct complements, indirect complements and subjects, which are "those that give life, give strength and move away from the infinitive of the verbs to make them a reality".
"Subjects, which are, according to his words, the congress participants, the members of the organizing CE of the Congress, the families, the students, the educational, parish, religious communities... and prepositions that "with proper name", but not in his own name, but in the name of Jesus who today says again 'Go and teach'."
Ministry of Education: "complementary nature of subsidized education".
The Deputy Director General of Centers and Programs, Librada María Carrera, who attended on behalf of the Ministry of Education, had some initial words of comfort and affection for the Catholic schools of Valencia and the families affected. She stressed that the motto of this Congress is a reflection of what Catholic schools are and should be, "schools that not only transmit knowledge, but that discover the potential of each student with his or her own name, that recognize diversity in the classroom, that guide, accompany and personalize learning".
The high official of the Ministry, expressed the real commitment of the Ministry with the concerted school to which she recognized its work for inclusion, solidarity, quality education and to get the best out of each student, reported Catholic Schools.
Librada María Carrera also underlined "the importance and complementary nature of both networks", public and subsidized, each with its own singularity, and being aware that in order to continue fulfilling its mission, the subsidized school must be provided with the necessary and sufficient resources, and a fair remuneration for its teachers. "The Ministry is aware of the importance and complementary nature of subsidized education," he said.
Bishop Argüello: "walking together".
Luis Argüello, President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, who called for a shared journey, to walk together, appealed to synodality and proposed to the audience to help each student to discover his or her secret name written in the book of life to discover "who he or she is" and "who he or she is for".The closing ceremony was preceded by the Eucharist celebrated early in the morning by Monsignor Alfonso Carrasco Rouco, president of the Episcopal Commission for Education and Culture, and animated by a choir composed of representatives of 10 educational institutions. About two thousand Catholic school educators took part in the congress.
