Forming ‘saints and scholars’ in today’s world
Faith formation and intellectual formation should grow together, according to Grace Cantillon-Murphy, director of Mater Dei Education.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic ahead of her talk, ‘A New Generation of Saints and Scholars’, Ms Cantillon-Murphy said that faith and reason must go hand in hand. “A saint seeks truth through faith; a scholar seeks truth through reason. They are not opposed—they flourish most fully together,” she said.
Drawing on figures such as Moses, St Patrick and St Columbanus, she argued that Ireland’s tradition of holiness has always been rooted in learning. “A saint and a scholar is not someone who seeks salvation for themselves, but someone who puts their gifts at the service of others,” she said.
She also pointed to confusion around the identity of Catholic education today. “What is called a Catholic school may be historically Catholic but usually demonstrates little sign of a living Catholic faith,” she said, adding that it can become “a counter-witness” when religion is taught without faith.
Looking to Ireland’s past, she noted that periods of hardship have often led to renewed faith. “Periods of hardship can give rise to a new generation of saints and scholars,” she said. “Saints and scholars are not of the past; they are the calling of our present.”