Going to a Catholic school as a non-religious student
The Catalyst / George Retelas
Class of ’21 line up to receive a blessing during their Junior Ring Ceremony.
Attending mass, participating in prayer, and involvement in other religious customs is part of the NDB student life. For a lot of girls, Catholicism has been a part of their lives for a long time. However, for other students, Catholicism is a new concept.
As someone who is not Catholic, I often get asked why I went to NDB. Simply put, the religious aspect of the school did not matter to me. I was more interested in getting a good education, and I was willing to learn about beliefs that differed from mine in order to achieve it. Just because I do not believe in a higher power does not mean that I am unable to learn at a Catholic school.
“I decided to come to Notre Dame honestly for the academic [side], so the religious aspect didn’t really play much of a role”, said junior Sarah Massoudi. “I wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’m going to a Catholic school because it’s a Catholic school,’ it was more of like, ‘I want to go to the school because academics are really good.’ So religion didn’t play much of a role, but I was willing to learn about it.”
Some activities, such as prayer services and Communion, are different experiences for me in comparison to someone who is Catholic. Personally, the time is a moment for reflection and meditation. Even though I do not get the same experience as other girls, the moment is still special.
Another unique experience is religion class. Every year, NDB mandates that students take a religion course, learning about the past, present, and future of Catholicism. This includes daily prayers, religious history, and more. Students who have already been involved in Catholicism do well in the class, knowing the stories and knowing the history. However, some of those who are new come into the class knowing nothing. They have a disadvantage with little understanding of the faith.
Luckily, most teachers ensure that the non-religious students are not left in the dust. Furthermore, certain activities are open-ended in nature, giving non-religious students a different option. Prayers can be practiced as “quiet time”, rather than a strictly Catholic experience.
Being able to attend a religion class does actually provide valuable insight. I would likely go through high school and college knowing little about the Catholic experience without this class. Going to masses and having Catholicism be a part of the school puts life in a different perspective.
To put it simply, NDB is an all-around good school. Just because it is Catholic does not deter students from attending. In fact, it encourages girls to open their understanding and appreciate something they would not likely otherwise experience.
Brooke Horvai is a member of the Class of 2022 at Notre Dame High School in Belmont, CA (NDB). She is the assistant opinion editor for the school newspaper,...
