Office of Catholic Schools

43 Cooperation with the Catholic Community in Parish and Family Life The school is an important place to form disciples, but cannot stand alone in this mission. It requires the support of the parish and the broader Catholic community. The Catholic community is comprised of the faithful and families who find their spiritual center in the parish which, in turn, grounds the community of the school. First, the pastor and chaplain provide essential leadership in overseeing the Catholic mission and identity of the school. This comes most importantly through his role in bring - ing the sacraments to the community and serving as the chief spiritual shepherd of the community. The pastor or chaplain should play a key role in forming the implementation plan for this f rame- work and for arranging discipleship-focused forma- tion for staff and students. Pastors and chaplains model, lead, and guide the efforts to form disciples in the school. A positive parish-school connection (where appli- cable) is also essential to our students becoming disciples. The school should draw upon the broader mission and activities of the parish and serve as an expression of them. The parish should draw fami- lies into the school (even for parishes without their own school) and schools can help to reengage fam- ilies in faith and support them in becoming more active in the parish. Large parishes require smaller groups, through which groups of disciples can meet for prayer, fellowship, and learning. Commu- nity-wide events also create important touchpoints and strengthen the relationship of parish and school. Active disciples in the school should also live the Christian life by becoming more active in the

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