Crosses and Prayers in Schools

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I remember a few years ago hearing about a movement in the United States to removes crucifixes from schools and churches. The rational being that the image was too traumatic to our young children.

I don't know about you but I thought (and still believe) that the above reasoning was rediculous.

I've always gone to Catholic schools and was never bothered by the crucifixes which were in every classroom. Nor did I hear of any other student who was. Even after we started gaining an appreciation for what it represented.

Does anyone out there know whether the crucifixes were actually removed?

Another question I have is on daily morning prayer at school. I remember saying the Our Father every morning with the entire school during Elementary. Then the practice was discontinued. Why? I thought it was a beautiful way to start the morning. The only change I wanted to see was to alternate prayers between the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostles Creed.

Anyone know what happened?

-- Anonymous, June 16, 1998

Answers

At the Catholic high school I taught at, the students would have rebelled had we removed the crucifixes or done away with prayer. They wanted and needed both and they found comfort in them.

-- Anonymous, June 17, 1998

The few American Catholic schools I have visited still display crucifixes in the classrooms. Colleges, however, are a different story, partly because they receive federal funding which makes them susceptible to attacks on any perceived attempts to hinder their students' religious freedom. I am a student at a Boston-area Jesuit college which several years ago removed all the crucifixes from the classrooms, afraid that non-Catholic students would be "offended" by them. Recently, some students have begun a movement to bring back the crucifixes, much to the dismay of the politically correct administration and faculty. They were inspired by students at another Jesuit college who have gained quite a lot of popular support for their position. Interestingly enough, the Jesuits at my school have remained virtually silent about the students' effort, voicing only mild, neutrally-worded support when pressed to do so or appear to be denying the importance of Christ in the Catholic university. It is ironic that the students who affirm it are right now in the "radical" minority.

-- Anonymous, June 19, 1998

What a strange sounding idea. Removing crosses and crusifixs from Catholic school?? And the question of what harm they can do?? We said a prayer usually a hail Mary or act of contrition, sometimes our father before every class period in High School. Did not hur me, A Mormon, at all. The act of contrition if fact gave me a deeper understanding of our own techings of repentance and daily obedience.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 1998

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