As September draws near with the promise of cooler days ahead, families begin the end of summer rituals, shopping trips, and preparations—harbingers of the fast- approaching return of school days.  Whether this strikes joy and excitement or fear and displeasure into your heart, Catholics can take encouragement and inspiration from the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us.  

Throughout the history of the Church there have been many holy men and women who dedicated their lives to the betterment and education of children, particularly the children of the poor, who were likely not to receive much, if any, education. Regardless of circumstances, each education-minded saint sought, above all else, to carefully, thoroughly, and lovingly teach the Faith to their pupils. Many taught more subjects than just “faith formation” and some taught the Faith only through the example of their lives, but no matter their other duties, nothing ever usurped the priority of imparting the Faith—a sad comparison when contrasted with many of our Catholic schools today. A full education includes more than knowledge of the Faith, of course, but a true Catholic education will not lose sight of the salvation of the students as the final, and most important, goal. I have had the pleasure (and battled the challenges) of teaching in a few different Catholic schools, and what I found was that, no matter how difficult that year was, or how much I may have disliked an administrator, or which subject matter stumped my students, there were always, always teachers who endeavored against all odds to communicate the knowledge they had and the love of Christ to students as well as students who struggled fearlessly to grow their minds and gain virtue and sanctity. May these saints, outlined below, intercede for you as you strive to be those teachers or students. 

Topping many lists of saintly educators is St. John Bosco. St. John Bosco is known for his revolutionary educational philosophy, his oratories for outcast boys, and his enduring legacy in the teaching order he founded, the Salesians. Living in the mid-1800s, his focus on kindness, religion, and reason was revolutionary and still holds value for educators today. Because he lived with the boys he taught, he was able to enter into their lives in a way teachers cannot today. However, modern teachers can learn from his insistence on offering the sacraments frequently without forcing them, his refusal to punish a pupil publicly to avoid embarrassment, and his skill in getting to know and love his students, which in turn, gained him their respect and love. When, as is inevitable, things become difficult in the classroom, teachers can take heart that it was often his playfulness that piqued interest and trust in his boys. “The Educational Philosophy of St. John Bosco” was the most impactful book I read during my time in the classroom and I would highly recommend it to any teacher or parent (or really anyone!). 

The patron saint of teachers and educators, St. John Baptist de La Salle lived in the mid-1600s to early 1700s. Although he born into a noble and rich family, with the promise of an easy life ahead, a chance encounter led him realize that God’s will for his life comprised of his founding schools for poor boys.  After this realization, he dove in headfirst, giving away his fortune, his easy job posting, and became as poor and little as those he served. He then founded an order, the Brothers of the Christian School, which taught the poor boys using methods he developed. He also established training schools for teachers as well as, interestingly, homes for delinquent youth of rich families! However, although he changed the hearts of many of his students, his life was not without difficulty—and may provide some comfort to educators struggling in their schools. Put concisely: he suffered “heart-rending disappointment and defections among his disciples, bitter opposition from the secular schoolmasters who resented his new and fruitful methods, and persistent opposition from the Jansenists of his time, whose moral rigidity and pessimism about the human condition John resisted vehemently all his life.” What teacher is not comforted by these familiar and discouraging situations! Even the greatest and most saintly teachers have encountered them and persevered! 

Despite not being a teacher or student in the traditional sense, St. Ambrose deserves a spot on this list. Although his life was interesting in many other regards, he is possibly most well-known because of his influence in St. Augustine’s conversion. It is said that St. Augustine’s mother, St. Monica loved him whom she saw "as an angel of God who uprooted her son from his former ways and led him to his convictions of Christ." His role as an influential preacher came about much to his own surprise. Though he was educated in Rome and served for many years as governor, he immediately and heartily rejected his election as bishop. The electors persisted and he was made bishop of Milan. Perhaps feeling unequipped in this unforeseen and new role (and what teacher has not felt the same!), he began studying Greek, theology, and the Old Testament more deeply. It was from this new font of knowledge that his impactful preaching issued forth. Perhaps this is why he is now the patron of learners instead of teachers!

Like St. Ambrose, but about 1500 years later, St. Katharine Drexel seemed destined for a life much different than God planned. Born into wealth and comfort, it wasn’t until she nursed her step-mother during a terminal illness that her perspective on life changed. After this conversion, Pope Leo XIII himself encouraged her to become a missionary to the Indians in the western United States. After 3 years of training, St. Katharine and her newly formed order headed out to educate the native Americans. Motivated by a love for the people she ministered to, by the end of her life she had founded schools in 13 states. However, neither was her work without controversy. She was often opposed by segregationists, some of whom even burned down one of her schools in Pennsylvania. However, her love for God and people drove her forward and she never lost her fervor for bringing knowledge to those she had been sent to serve. 

Finally, a saint that often comes to mind when thinking of teachers and students, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton has had countless schools named after her. During her varied life she was many things, including wife, mother, widow, convert, American citizen, and, of course, teacher. After the birth of her five children, her husband’s death, and her conversion to Catholicism, she moved to Maryland. It was here that she started her order, the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s, the first religious order for women in America. One of her own daughters joined her in the order, although she died after making her final vows. At the same time, she began St. Joseph’s School, the first free Catholic school in the United States. Although she had her own children to care for, she opened her heart and gave her time and energy to improving the lives and education of the poor children around her as well. Because of her establishment of St. Joseph’s parochial school, she is known as the mother of the parochial school system and thus can be a special intercessor for teachers and students in the parochial system!

This is the message of Our Lady of Champion (the only approved Marian apparition in America): “Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation. . . Teach them their catechism, how to sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments.” Whatever the subject matter we teach, let us strive for excellence, always keeping our eyes and hearts on the Lord. May He grant all educators and students the grace to enlarge their minds and deepen their intimacy with Him. 

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=16 

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-baptist-de-la-salle/

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-katharine-drexel/ 

https://setonshrine.org/elizabeth-ann-seton/ 

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-elizabeth-ann-seton-105