Head ‘too religious’ to run a Catholic college
The head of a Roman Catholic college has quit after complaints from pupils that she was too religious.
Seventeen pupils at the sixth form college were suspended for a day for missing Mass, while others were forced to take part in a procession around the playing field carrying religious icons.
Some said they were made to listen to a lecture by US evangelist Barbara McGuigan, who claimed homosexuality was a disorder and if pupils had an abortion they would go to hell.
Now Maria Williams, principal of St Luke’s Catholic Sixth Form College in Sidcup, has resigned after a vote of no confidence by staff.
Michael Aldis, 18, one of the pupils excluded for skipping Mass, said: "We felt we should be allowed to make up our own minds whether to go. We had just a week before A-levels and wanted to spend the time revising. They used to herd us into Mass and then post teachers at the doors to stop us leaving.
"We were suspended for one day and then summoned to what the principal called a re-entry interview and allowed back."
He added: "They once made everyone walk round the playing field, singing hymns and carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary."
Fr. Finnigan who is quoted in this article comments on it at his fine blog The Hermeneutic of Continuity (I feel smarter just reading blogs with titles like that.)
13 comments
They should not have gotten rid of her, we need more principals like her.
That’s the sad state of affairs in Britain.
We’d all be more sympathetic to the kid who wanted to study for his exams if we knew he’d refused similar invitations to parties, frisbee games, and movies because he wanted to study.
“He added: “They once made everyone walk round the playing field, singing hymns and carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary.”
Yes, dear: they’re called ‘May Processions’ and used to be part of school life within living memory.
Just be glad you didn’t have to wear your Communion veil whilst processing.
But if students were suspended for failing to attend some pro-homosexuality rally, the media’d be all for it and the students would be painted as intolerant hacks.
This woman could be my principal any day.
Adding another jot in my running tally of people who attend Catholic schools and complain that they’re Catholic…
What? A Catholic School principal who is religious? How can that have happened? Who can we blame? Oh the humanity….
These kinds of stories are so disturbing. Satan must be cackling in glee.
Which is worse, a faith-alone Protestant or a works-optional Catholic? At least the faith-alone Protestant will try to use Scripture to justify their position. These kids just sound redolently ignorant — like they are too dumb to work spoons.
But in the end, I cannot help thinking the principal may have pushed a little too hard. You know, the whole “you can lead a horse to truth but you can’t give him the super-added graces necessary for the Heavenly enlightenment rational creatures need.” bit.
Mommy made me eat meals and do my homework as well as go to Mass.
Oh, the oppression!
But if students were suspended for failing to attend some pro-homosexuality rally, the media’d be all for it and the students would be painted as intolerant hacks.
Sigh. Don’t move to British Columbia, Canada then. The Ministry of Education has just made a “formal deal” with a homosexual couple promising to teach about homosexual history, positive homosexual role models, the contributions made by homosexuals, and legal issues relating to marriage and adoption from a homosexual perspective. In a Kindergarten (yes, 5 years old) to grade 12 curriculum! Oh yes, and this will be a mandatory component of the curriculum. Parents can’t protect their children from this pro-homosexual agenda.
So far, the government is claiming that they will not force it upon private schools (Catholic, Christian, Muslim, etc. . .) but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.
The thing that bugs me most is the whinging about their A-Level exams. If it’s really so difficult for them, they should have their parents keep them home to study until the exam.
I love reading these blogs, I was a student at St Luke’s up until last year and love how all the reports in th papers have gone spiralling out of control.
I know the boy who is quoted in the papers and I read the original UNEDITED letter he sent to the newspaper, never did he once say the quote “College is too catholic” that was a media spin that has since been adopted by every paper covering this story, but everyone has jumped on the political bandwagon to counter attack Michael’s so-called ‘whinings’.
We never complained of the religious aspect so much, more to the oppressive atmosphere that existed within the college, yes we chose to go to a catholic college but unfortunately the fact that we all attended inner city catholic schools before our sixth forms were shut by the government giving us no choice but to go to St Luke’s means that we were somewhat liberal in our religious beliefs.
The May procession for example was definitely a strange affair, for a start no-one knew why they were doing it because we had never experienced such a public show of. umm, catholicism and the fact that we were herded into mass (and yes we were actually herded like sheep, with all the exits blocked) is a ridiculous image because it was a ridiculoous scenario.
Religion wasn’t the problem, lack of freedom and understanding was. We didn’t understand her religious viewpoints, she didnt understand ours and so we clashed.
We all had religious backgrounds, we all went to church, we had mission weeks in our past schools and went to every mass without complaining.
It wasnt catholicism we disagreed with it was the two faced, un-christian woman who headed our school.
She bullied staff (yes even the theology teacher who is now a Deacon)she singled out students and victimised them and refused to ever accept the possibility that she might be wrong about anything, be it religion or education.
Everyone on here is judging the students because of the fact that you agree with Maria’s religious beliefs, you did not know this woman like we did.
“Adding another jot in my running tally of people who attend Catholic schools and complain that they’re Catholic”
You have proven my argument. Isn’t it just a little suspicious that over half the student body who were brought up catholic ‘suddenly’ rebelled all at the same time and blamed the same person?
Suspicious eh?
Kaye,
“Isn’t it just a little suspicious that over half the student body who were brought up catholic ‘suddenly’ rebelled all at the same time and blamed the same person?”
Yes, it’s suspicious. But not in the way that you think. I suspect the students were engaging in a classic “fire the head” behavior, as is warned about in all the newer classes for administrators.
After a change of administrators or staff, students often resist any change in policy, method, or even just demeanor. In the worst-case scenario, students feed off each other’s complaints and develop a mob mentality, even going so far as to jeopardize their grades and chances for scholarships, just to “prove” that the teacher can’t teach. Or they actively resist any attempt to change policy by ignoring instructions, doing the opposite, etc.
Although you’re protesting that the students were “brought up” Catholic, I suspect that they may have lacked Christian charity in their approach.