By Hannah Naughton
Special to The Leaven
“The National Conference helped me to refocus and engage my vocation as a Catholic educator. It reminded me of my love and sense of mission of introducing souls to Christ.” — ICLE National Conference attendee
ATCHISON — The energy and joy of the 462 attendees at the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education’s National Conference here at Benedictine College July 9-12 demonstrated the momentum of the renewal movement in Catholic education.
ICLE’s 12th annual conference for pre-K to 12th grade Catholic educators, clergy, superintendents and scholars was its largest ever, and centered on the theme: “Behold the Beauty of the Lord.” This yearly gathering invites participants to deepen their understanding of the nature and purpose of Catholic education and its roots in the liberal arts tradition — a tradition developed centuries ago by the Catholic Church.
The renewal movement urges Catholic educators to step away from the secular model and to reclaim their heritage in a tradition that formed many of the holiest saints and keenest minds in history. The result is vibrant communities of faith and learning.
“To be able to have time and space to not only receive from the talks but also to process them with colleagues and other ICLE friends I’ve made over the years was a great gift,” said Sister Teresa Marie, School Sisters of Christ the King, who teaches second grade at St. Teresa School in Lincoln, Nebraska.
This year’s conference welcomed hundreds of participants, representing 160 schools and organizations, 56 dioceses, 34 states and three countries. The event saw a record number of religious and clergy in attendance, including three bishops, 18 priests, 32 women religious and two deacons. Dozens of schools also streamed the event online.
“We are graced with seeing how deep this renewal is in the heart of the church by the presence of so many religious and clergy represented here this week,” said Michael Van Hecke, president of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education.
Bishop Earl K. Fernandes, of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, delivered this year’s keynote address, titled “The Imago Dei and Imago Christi: The Role of Catholic Education.” In his talk, Bishop Fernandes addressed the theme of beauty as it relates to the image of God and spoke to the profound call that Catholic educators have to share the beauty of Christ with their students.
“[Christ’s] presence reaches young people now — not only through the clergy, but through you educators,” he said. “It is really the beauty of Christ — the beautiful shepherd — that attracts and saves the world.”
Bishop Fernandes was joined by more than 50 other speakers, whose talks on beauty and other topics engaged participants. Some were tailored to teachers and offered practical strategies for immediate implementation in the classroom, such as “From Bland to Beautiful: Improving Student Essays”; “Rich Encounters with Truth: Unit Planning from Multiple Sources”; and “Lifting Our Gaze: Better, More Beautiful Math.”
Other talks were tailored toward school leaders and offered ideas for forming an authentically Catholic school culture, such as “How to Make the Eucharist the Heart of Your Curriculum”; “Living and Teaching the Liturgical Year”; and “Reaching Parents: How School Leaders Connect with Millennial Parents.”
Mass, confession, eucharistic adoration and morning prayer were woven throughout each day’s schedule. Participants even had the opportunity to join the monks at St. Benedict’s Abbey church for the Liturgy of the Hours.
“It was the most fruitful experience of my life,” said a conference attendee in an event evaluation. “Through prayer, formation and communion — through, with and in the Eucharist — I feel more alive, free and full.”
The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education’s 13th annual national conference will be held July 15-18, 2025, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Learn more at the website at: catholicliberaleducation.org/events/national-conference.
