THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION

We often take for granted the fact that education is valuable. It is a universally accepted axiom, like the fact that the earth is round. But when was the last time you stopped to ask why education is valuable and why it is a uniquely human good that ought to be accessible to all people?

In simplest terms, education matters because it cultivates the beautiful gift of human reason, our capacity for intelligence, creativity, language, and consciousness that sets us apart from the rest of the created order.

Here are five key reasons why education matters:

• Our capacity for reason gives us the ability to act as stewards of the earth and of each other.

• For Catholics and Christians, human reason represents our share in the Divine Intelligence and in the Divine Word of God. We are created in His Image, capable of thought, wonder, and communion with nature and other people.

• Opening up access to education offers people the chance to ignite their God-given capacity to learn and know about the world around them. It lets people access accumulated human knowledge about science, agriculture, mathematics, and the written word.

• It opens doors to opportunity and unity that otherwise remain firmly shut. An illiterate person has little chance of opening a business, understanding the history of their people, or learning about distant cultures and far away places.

• Most crucially, illiteracy is linked to a shortened life expectancy.

In the context of our Catholic missionary service around the world, Divine Word Missionaries are committed to the primary importance of education in the life of each human person and to offering access to education wherever they are called to minister and serve. 

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE STATE OF GLOBAL EDUCATION

Here’s a look at some recent statistics and facts about the state of global education.

There are significant moments in human history when the opportunity for learning opened up for the common man and woman.

Perhaps the most significant came with the invention of the printing press and movable type by Johannes Gutenberg in 1439. Suddenly, one technological advance from a German inventor gave people who were not wealthy or elite the chance to learn to read and to own and read their own books. Education and literacy have been advancing to the most remote, impoverished communities ever since.

The past century has seen great strides in the global effort to improve access to education. However, far too many people remain uneducated or illiterate.

CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS ORDERS PLAY A SPECIAL ROLE IN 
EDUCATIng AND LEARNING

Catholic religious orders have a long history of promoting and offering education to the most vulnerable and marginalized. Long before governments and nations began to take responsibility for offering education to their citizens, the Catholic Church was the center of education and learning in Europe through monastic and cathedral-based schools.

When Catholic missionary orders first traveled to distant countries to serve people and spread the Gospel, many brought along a high regard for education. Missionaries have established parishes, hospitals, and orphanages around the world, but primarily they have established schools. Arguably, giving young people access to education does more to improve the lives of communities and countries than any other act of service.

When St. Arnold Janssen founded the Society of the Divine Word, he encouraged education in two ways:

1. Our capacity for reason gives us the ability to act as stewards of the earth and of each other.

2. For Catholics and Christians, human reason represents our share in the Divine Intelligence and in the Divine Word of God. We are created in His Image, capable of thought, wonder, and communion with nature and others like ourselves.

Today, education remains a key priority for Divine Word Missionaries, both for the people we serve through mission and also for those who wish to learn more about and support the work of missionaries and mission ministries.

 LEADING HUNDREDS OF
SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES,
AND SEMINARIES

Divine Word Missionaries do more than talk about the importance of education. We see the need for education, and we act. Because of this, Divine Word Missionaries established, headed, or staffed hundreds of schools, predominantly in areas where education is uncommon or hard to access.

• We work with local churches and local authorities to offer education to children who are impoverished or face serious social stigma due to tribal systems, caste systems, or disease. We also operate regular parish schools in places where Divine Word Missionaries are responsible for parish life.

• We establish, staff, and teach at places of higher learning, like colleges and universities.

• We offer theological training and formation in seminaries around the world, helping young men who have experienced a call to religious life fulfill that vocation. Our seminaries are also places where women religious and lay people can learn about counseling, pastoral ministry, the Bible, and Catholic teaching.

JOIN US AND MAKE AN
IMPACT ON EDUCATION

We hope you have enjoyed learning more about the importance of education, the work that Divine Word Missionaries are doing to educate the most vulnerable, and the changes in people and communities that they see happen through the power of education and literacy.

Join Mission Impact and support the educational work of Divine Word Missionaries for the impoverished, the illiterate, the suffering, and the marginalized.

Want to connect with us and stay up-to-date on stories from the mission field?