Imagery of Regent people and campus

Dissertation Abstract

Catholic Witness: Educating for Virtue

Anne Marie McDonnell
Regent University

Since the late sixties, Catholic education has been adversely affected by the secularization of American culture and society. As we approach the third millennium, Pope John Paul II calls for a new evangelization. In response to the exhortation of the Holy Father, this researcher examines papal teachings, catechetical teachings, research on character development, and actual practices within the junior high curriculum at St. Patrick's Word of God School, a Catholic school in Providence, Rhode Island. As a result, the "Educating for Virtue" Guide has been developed to assist teachers in Catholic schools as they encourage students to develop virtuous habits as a means of attaining eternal salvation, in cooperation with God's abundant grace and mercy, and in full accordance with Catholic doctrine.