We are down to the wire on College choice and my atheist child, raised in a completely secular home is thinking about a lasallian, catholic school.
I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with this. If it were a Jesuit school, I think I’d be ok with it because I’m more familiar with their approach, but the Lasallian seem a lot more catholic, catholic. Like there are ‘brothers’ on campus and one of the religious courses is specifically bible based. I don’t have any problem with exposure and exploration of different beliefs and philosophies, but am concerned with the religious ideology that might flow over into curriculum &/or school policies.
Would love any thoughts you might be willing to share.
seems like a kind of snarky remark - but to answer you - she applied because she was encouraged to by her counselor and she has a friend who went there. She also applied to many other schools which she got into all but one. As parents, we thought this one would easily get sorted out, but for some reason it has stayed near the top. Again, we think it is a good school but now are just narrowing it down to what day to day life will look like.
Yes, Catholic ideology, culture, may visibly flow into daily life. Prayer, crucifixes, devout students and consecrated religious may joyfully give praise and glory to God aloud, in art, in prayer groups, etc.
Yes - it has been addressed at a variety of points. And to be clear, it is actually my kid who is now getting worried about the potential influence. I mostly just wondered if others had been in a similar situation and had any insight.
Check code of student conduct, or whether there are strict rules about who may visit in dorms, or breaks from class for Catholic holy days. Many Catholic colleges try to be welcoming, not onerous.
Check if there is a requirement to do service hours for the poor.
I would look at things like code of conduct, requirements for religion classes, etc. to determine if any of these things which will definitely impact her feel problematic.
I’d next consider things that are likely to have more of an impact on vibe. Will she mind a prayer before a game? Will she mind if most of the dating pool is Catholic? If there are major traditions that revolve around religious events/holidays?
If she’s okay with it after considering this, I see no problem. In fact, it’s an education of a different sort and speaks to her openness. But I do think it’s right to be mindful that most of her classmates will not share her world view.
As an aside, there’s a wonderful book called The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose, a Brown student who did his semester "abroad " at Liberty University. Far more extreme culture gap, but a worthwhile (funny and thoughtful) read on being the other in a very religious school. Your D’s experience would be far less dramatic, and with friends at Lasallian, she could probably imagine how similar/different her experience might be.
I’d also have your student read the student newspaper and look through the listing of clubs and organizations. Those can sometimes give clues to the campus culture.
FWIW my agnostic kid, who went to a Catholic HS (only looked at Jesuit and BotHC) became more agnostic with exposure, and ruled out applying to any religious college. She couldn’t stomach one more theology class, no matter how benign it sounded.
@maman69 - My D23 is at currently a senior at a LaSallian college (Manhattan College) if you want I’m happy to answer any questions you have. I think you would find the experience very similar to a Jesuit college. Shoot me a message if you want
Interesting conversation and I admire that your child is considering it. I wonder if the daily reminders would eventually be a normal and comfortable part of her day. Or would it always slightly bother her?
My family has no religion and my daughter is an atheist. She felt Boston College was much too religious in vibe for her. She also thought it was “weird” seeing priests walking around on campus. So despite the lovely architecture and great reputation, it was very firmly off the list.
I’m somewhat getting the impression that the friend is a major part of the picture. If the friend hadn’t attended, would she still consider it?
Is she clinging to it because this friend is someone she trusts?
I’d ensure that your child fully understands what it might be like to attend every day and have to do classes focused on the Bible. OTOH, maybe your child is actually curious and open to exploring the religious aspect of it.
I second the suggestion to strongly consider rules of conduct and consequences for breaking them. Especially lifestyle rules. In my experience I’ve seen at least one suboptimal outcome with this.
Have your child think through a couple of theoretical examples to figure out what happens to someone who breaks a (for example sexual or gender identity based) rule. What happens to those around that person? Are they also questioned? Are many “secrets” kept that would not have to be secrets elsewhere? Etc.
Another thought. Does she have strong opinions on contraception and access to women’s healthcare? For example, many colleges provide free condoms on campus. Would it bother her if this college didn’t? Would the college’s view on reproductive rights be acceptable to her? What about views on LGBTQ people? Would she be concerned if she discovered that most of the people at the college hold the same views as the college itself?
Those are perhaps the more important questions she has to consider.
Btw, I’ve read the book mentioned above and it is very entertaining and eye opening.
It really depends on the college and it would be helpful if you could share which school they are considering as they are all so different. Disclosing would enable you to obtain feedback from students/parents currently in attendance at that school. Parent groups on FB are a good resource as well. Some Catholic schools run more conservative than others regardless of whether they are Lasallian, Jesuit, etc. I was an atheist at a Catholic college with over 85% of the students identifying as Catholic. There was an underlying assumption on campus that everyone was Catholic which was annoying but not a deal breaker. The campus did skew more conservative but I found my people easily. If anything, the Catholicism expressed itself in terms of a campus wide community that “gives back” in multiple forms of volunteerism and humanitarian efforts. Sunday night mass was very well attended and a great time to complete schoolwork in a quiet dorm. Major World Religions and 2 other religion classes were required. A wide variety of options were offered that made them interesting electives. Many religion classes were taught by priests, one by a Rabbi. Many priests were present on campus, some in residence, some as professors, many were beloved, including by me, and developed great, close relationships with the students. No one cared about my lack of religious beliefs and everyone invited me to the homes over our 4 day Easter Break when I opted to stay on campus and study for finals. Look at the student orgs. Is there an LGBTQ or Allies org? Are there multiple political groups? What are the religion courses that are required? Are dorms coed by floor or building? How many priests teach classes? Contraception offerings at on-campus health centers is usually a deal breaker for most Catholic Schools but a Planned Parenthood is often nearby. Check out the Niche and Fiske Guide reviews too and look for you tube student panels on that school for more insight.
Very school and student dependent. My daughter has been in Catholic school from K-12th grade and is an atheist. She is currently at a Jesuit high school and at least one teacher is also an atheist. I graduated from a Catholic high school many years ago and many of my classmates are atheists, agnostic, and/or very outspoken against the Catholic Church. You will find a similar break down in many Catholic colleges. Yes religion will be visible and you may have to take a religion class but often Jesuit colleges are more relaxed in regards to religious requirements then some other religion based colleges. Visit the school, talk to the student body and faculty and go from there