By Father Humberto Marquez, Pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Longmont
“And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” - Mt 25:40
Nearly a decade ago, our team at St. John the Baptist in Longmont pondered this passage. We reflected on the fact that all children — no matter their needs — have a right to an education in the faith. We envisioned a school where all children could seek a Catholic education. We hoped and prayed for the Holy Spirit to illuminate a path for us to welcome children of all abilities to St. John the Baptist.
Through the tireless efforts of teachers, parents and our principal at the time, Dr. Kemmery Hill, we began our journey. We provided training for our educators, as well as technology and resources across our campus. We developed structures that ensured students received the accommodations and modifications they needed while also maintaining full integration into the general education classroom.
As we undertook this work, we learned more and began to see its benefits in our community, both for those who are typically developing and those who have more significant needs. We know that students educated in an inclusive environment are less likely to hold prejudicial views of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Evidence on Inclusive Education, Abt Associates). Neurodiverse classrooms teach empathy, mercy, compassion and understanding — values we hold that are of great importance to a Christian education.
We also know that students with disabilities who are included in the general education classroom develop stronger reading and math skills (Szumski et al., 2017) and are more likely to develop independence and achieve further education, and long-term employment (Evidence on Inclusive Education, Abt Associates). Furthermore, typically developing students also see increased reading and language scores and stabilized math scores (Alana Foundation, 2016).
Who benefits from inclusion? In a word, everyone.
These efforts have drawn our community closer together and, as our principals have noted over the last few years, have also made our teachers better educators.
Beyond the clear educational and social-emotional reasons for inclusive Catholic education, we must also consider what the Church tells us.
The USCCB says, “All persons with disabilities have the capacity to proclaim the Gospel and to be living witnesses to its truth within the community of faith and offer valuable gifts. Their involvement enriches every aspect of Church life…They (persons with disabilities) are not just recipients of catechesis-they are also its agents” (National Directory for Catechesis, 49).
“They are also its agents.” It is our duty to prepare and form all children in the Body of Christ for a life of evangelization, to be living witnesses of the faith. We cannot deny any child access to this Catholic right. All children have the capacity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In these efforts to create more inclusive Catholic education, I’m often asked what the role of the pastor is. We know the roles of the teacher, the principal, the support staff and the parents. But what is the role of the clergy and the shepherd of the parish?
As the pastor of our community in Longmont, I must ensure that we are directed toward Christ in all that we do. The same is true for my leadership of our inclusive education efforts. My job is to support and lead this work, to illuminate Christ’s light for our parish and school community so that they may be supported in their efforts. I guide and support our school as it endeavors to welcome all students.
Over the years, as we welcomed additional students with more significant needs, the question of resources to support students came into question. How will we sustain this important work?
That is where the FIRE Foundation of Denver came in.
In 2022, St. John the Baptist applied for a grant from the FIRE Foundation of Denver to support paraprofessionals on our campus. These additional staff members are trained to support students with disabilities and classroom teachers. They are critical to the success of inclusive Catholic education.
This support has been essential to our growth and our welcoming of more students.
As I look back on our years of work together, I'm grateful for the FIRE Foundation of Denver for their help in supporting our efforts to build up our school community.
+++
To support the work of the FIRE Foundation of Denver, so that more children with disabilities can receive the gift of inclusive Catholic education, visit firefoundationdenver.org/donate.
Comments