Queens and Brooklyn Catholic schools have begun teaching a curriculum on social justice to their students (Sam Balye via Unsplash)
Sept. 27, 2021 By Michael Dorgan
Catholic schools in Queens and Brooklyn are now teaching a new social justice curriculum that aims to teach students about tolerance and respect.
The schools started teaching the new curriculum last week as the Brooklyn Diocese, which oversees Catholic schools in Queens and Brooklyn, aims to address topics such as hate and racism.
The new curriculum involves monthly lessons and conversations on social justice, race, tolerance and equality, according to Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, the Bishop of Brooklyn. The initiative was prompted by a 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virg., where a racist rallygoer deliberately drove his car into a crowd of protestors killing a woman.
“This school year, we are introducing a curriculum in response to the difficulties we have witnessed in our communities and in our nation,” Bishop DiMarzio said. “Within the last year, the significant increase in overt acts of hate and racism is alarming.”
The new curriculum has become a component of religious classes at all Catholic school institutions in the diocese.
Educators are focusing on a different theme each month. For instance, “solidarity” is the basis for this month’s lessons and students are asked to share their personal experiences on the topic.
The curriculum will also incorporate literature, art and activities to deliver the lessons, the Diocese said.
Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn, said that the curriculum is critical to advancing the values of respect for one another and love of fellow man.
“It is important to teach our students the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and understanding if we are to look to bring an end to the tension and uneasiness that exists in our society due to racism,” Chadzutko said.
32 Comments
Student enrollment has increased in catholic schools since the pandemic and more needs to done to keep it growing especially among progressive families living in luxury apartments and well to do POC. They would get more publicity if they taught Critical Race Theory.
Critical Race Theory is flat out racist. It shouldn’t be taught anywhere. Hatred is hatred regardless of who it is directed at.
@keep politics out- There is no mention of critical race theory in this article. Why mention it? The power of repetitive programming hour after hour day after day. Why would any legitimate news network do such a thing? Brainwashing?
Try reading. The comment was a reply to a comment that did cite CRT.
What’s your obsession with Fox News? Just blurting it out as a non-sequitur is not an arguement.
@allow me to retort – You need to address your comments or people may not know what or who you’re responding to.
CNN = FOX
Johnny- Fox has given us the uranium one hoax, over one thousand hours of coverage of a fake news story they said Fox wouldn’t cover because it could not be verified but they stepped around this imposition by just saying the NY Post said;The Fox News program format of many hours of programming repeating the very same dialogue in everyone of it’s shows is actually a brainwashing technique. There are words like socialism, Russian hoax, BLM, Marxist, Obamacare and Antifa that have been repeated over ten thousand times in a week. Fox News has admitted and publicly stated on several occasions to judges in public regarding lawsuits, that they (Fox News) are not obligated to the truth because they are not news they are entertainment and opinion programming owned by News Corp an entertainment company. Whose main share holder is a Saudi Prince.
Go back to school and learn to read…
Last paragraph…
//It is important to teach our students the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and understanding if we are to look to bring an end to the tension and uneasiness that exists in our society due to racism,” Chadzutko said.//
Why shouldn’t we learn about institutional racism? What other subjects offend you?
If you want politics out of the classroom, I suppose you support banning the “Pledge of Allegiance.”
I grew up with kids that were all different and we were all friends and many to this day. I see kids today that are the same all different all friends. Kids in NYC dont need this curriculum
it is a waste of resources. what would be better would be a beginners Financial class. Teach them how to manage their money, saving accounts, interest, the Federal reserve and the Treasury Dep, how to trade on the stock market, Roth IRA accounts the power of compounding interest. I wish I had a class like that when I was their age. If you want people to gain wealth and take care of themselves teach them how to. This will help society more.
More marxist indoctrination under the tolerance cover- oh what hypocrisy!
Wow the bishop of Brooklyn. Sounds like the name of a gang leader. The bishop of Brooklyn!
Catholic schools going soft will soon be politically correct.
Great. Can they also introduce a gay friendly curriculum. There are many catholics that are proud queers including priests.
But this is a Catholic school, run by the Catholic diocese.
Do I need to say it?
“Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn, said that the curriculum is critical to advancing the values of respect for one another and love of fellow man.”
These should be teaching that all speech is free speech. Just because you disagree with someone doesn’t mean you silence them. It means you ask why; the Right to dialogue and the Right to have a conversation.
Did Jesus say “let’s sit down and have a calm chat with the moneylenders in the temple, and the Pharisees?” Or did He take immediate action against what He knew was wrong, and teach His followers to do the same?
The rate of “hate” and “racism” is way less than the rate of school and politician corruption and tyranny.
Truth – I remember when they use to call Rudy Giuliani a “tyrant” back in the 90’s when he closed bookstores, massage parlors and pushed around working girls. How old are you? If you’re hanging around with young people like you’re suggesting in your post then you wouldn’t remember.
and also the other problems you mentioned. They both exist, and our students learn about them. Did you have…some point?
Wow… I’m sure parents will be putting their money elsewhere.
Mot true. NYC is minority majority. Most Folks with money dont care as long as it sounds politically correct and sounds like something is being done to promote social equality. Its being taught for years but the time to make it overt is now. Good luck home schooling if social justice reform curriculum offends you.
And only a few families pay for their child’s tuition. It’s mostly paid for rich companies who want a bleeding heart tax write off.
Source: I used to teach Catholic school in Bronx. Only three of my students had parents who were able to pay.
Lol. Money has nothing to do with it. It is how parents raise their kids. Regardless of wealth, responsible parents care more about our kids learning and excelling on the basics that will lead them into a good future.
You still think parents raise their kids!!? ????
What are they raising? To hit whenever someone LOOKS at you weird???
To get in someone’s face for absolutely nothing???
To spit at authorities???
I’m glad I pulled my kids out of Catholic school.
Enrolled in your American Taliban home school, are they?
You right wingers are really losing your minds.
What is so objectionable about teaching about historical injustices?
Stop teaching Marxist dogma
It’s that simple
Really !
Hey Brendan: if you hate the USA so much, feel free to go back to where you came from. Some of us actually love our country. It is imperfect, but it is still the best country. You leftists really have a bad, bad attitude.
Wow somebody sounds as if he may have an inferiority complex.