Secretariat for Education - Mission and Creedal Statement

MISSION
AND
CREEDAL STATEMENT

MISSION

In order to assist the Catholic Church of Pittsburgh to participate more fully in the teaching mission of Christ and to aid the Bishop in his own task as shepherd and teacher of this local Church, the Secretariat for Education has been established to proclaim the Gospel, to communicate the teaching of the Church, to fashion a people in whom the Word of God has taken root, and to provide the coordination and administration of those programs and services which foster a living, conscious, informed, and active faith.

CREEDAL STATEMENT

CONCERNING GOD AND THE HUMAN PERSON, WE BELIEVE:

That each person is unique, made in the image of God, and so possesses a sacred dignity which must be respected and defended;
That the human person, who is incomplete without God, finds fulfillment only in and through God;
That God's self-communication is extended to every person in every age;
That every person enjoys the capacity to know, love and serve God.

CONCERNING JESUS, WE BELIEVE:

That, in Jesus, God has offered salvation to the world;
That Jesus, the Christ, is the font and the fulfillment of faith;
That the gospel of Jesus liberates as well as enlightens.

CONCERNING THE CHURCH, WE BELIEVE:

That Christ continues His saving work in and through His Church;

That membership in the Church and participation in its missions are an essential part of God's plan for the salvation of all people;

That, in baptism, all are called to holiness, to community, and to ministry;

That the Spirit bestows a variety of charisms on individuals for the good of the community.

That these charisms are often expressed in differing roles which, while distinct, are complementary;

That the teaching office in the Church continues in our day to be the voice of the apostles leading the Church in the appreciation and application of the gospel;
That the community of faith is called to pass on to its own members and to all who would accept it the living and lived faith which has been received from the apostolic Church;
That race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability have no bearing on access to or admittance into the Church;
That the Church is called to actively welcome all those who seek to join the community of faith;
That the Church is called to reach out to those who do not know God or Jesus as the Christ;
That all those baptized and in communion with the Church should have equal access to being active participants in the life and ministry of the Church, according to their call.

CONCERNING EDUCATION, WE BELIEVE:

That the family in all its forms is the primary and fundamental context for religious education and formation;
That the continuing education of adults is at the center of the Church's educational mission;
That parents have the primary responsibility for the faith formation of their children;
That education is a process of formation;
That the process of formation is a lifelong task;
That the lifelong process of formation involves the total person - body, mind, will, emotions, and spirit;
That the goals of education are lifelong personal conversion, the formation of a faith community, and the enabling of people to become agents of transformation in the world;
That worship, community, and service are all formative means of education;
That, in carrying out its teaching mission, the Church is called to be a responsible steward for the physical, fiscal and human resources entrusted to its care.

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