BOSTON, MASSACHUCETTS, March 25, 2001: Twenty-six first-graders from St. Catherine of Genoa School in Somerville file into the basement chapel of the Roman Catholic church. But Hriday Chawla isn’t thinking about Jesus Christ. He’s speaking to Ganesh, the Hindu God. Classmate Rupinder Kaur, a girl with long dark hair, worships the Sikh Waheguru. Roughly 25 percent of the 195 children in the pre-kindergarten-through-grade 8 school are non-Catholics, said Principal Theresa Demsey. Nationally, 13.6 percent of Catholic school students are non-Catholic, a number that’s risen steadily from 2.7 percent 30 years ago. All students are required to take courses in Catholic religion and to attend services. The religion classes are sure to confuse and confound the religious beliefs they are taught at home. Yet parents ignore this devasting impact upon the child’s mind in the hope of getting a “better education.” Even the Church is questioning why it teaches non-Catholics, especially for those Catholic schools where there are no Catholic children at all.
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