Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

Many people today are skeptical about the existence of objective truth. Objective truth is something that helps all people, across all cultures and ages, reach their final purpose. For instance, food is an objective truth; it is true that all people in every age need nourishment to fulfill their life’s purpose.

In the public sphere, numerous ideas compete for attention, each claiming to be true or right. In earlier times, many early missionaries worked among cultures that had already instilled a sense of the divine and aspirations for transcendental values such as truth, goodness, and beauty. Today, many youths lack even the fundamental framework these ancient cultures provided.

In the Diocese of Lincoln, our vision of education begins with sensory experience, as taught by St. Thomas. Traditional Catholic thought posits that we come to know the world through our senses. Each of our five senses provides specific data to common sense, which organizes it and passes it on to the imagination.

The resulting image encompasses sight, sound, taste, touch, and feeling in a rich mental picture. Healthy mental pictures are necessary for the intellect to form concepts aiding higher-level reasoning and judgment skills. It is here in the imagination where we can help youth immersed in today's virtual world.

Building imagination can be engaging. In classrooms, we aim for children to interact with the real world as much as possible. There is a difference between seeing a salamander on a computer screen and observing one in a classroom terrarium. Real-world interaction engages all senses fully rather than just projecting an image onto a lifeless screen.

Especially in lower grades, students should have robust experiences with natural sciences. For example, one teacher created a miniature section of the Nemaha River so students could study local flora and fauna firsthand. Such experiences coupled with literature about river life provide fertile ground for young minds to dream about God’s creation.

Imagination building continues with great stories of virtue and heroism. Students should learn about saints' lives and miracles attributed to them. Time should be allocated for plays and poem recitals in class. Memorizing great poems allows students to reflect on their beauty and deeper meanings.

High school dedicates significant time to speech and drama; incorporating themes like martyr virtues or scenes from Sacred Scripture would be beneficial.

Catholic education's vision extends beyond imagination-building. With rich stories and images filling their minds, students can elevate these into concepts forming a Christian worldview—a framework for higher aspirations.

In high school years, students should study St. Thomas’ five proofs for God’s existence and proofs for soul immortality—foundations for meaningful religious conversations.

Significant investment has been made in training young priests thoroughly on these questions so they can assist in teaching them effectively.

Going forward, I want evidence of higher-order thinking skills in graduating students who need analysis skills to evaluate post-secondary ideas critically.

Education often stops at knowledge level without challenging students to analyze opposing arguments critically. We must equip young people with tools against emotional arguments prevalent today.

Attention should continue on grammar and writing skills foundational for communication. Education must go beyond rote learning facts; graduates should express learned material intelligently in written form while analyzing arguments critically.

Despite challenges today, I believe rooting children firmly in real-world truth is essential through sensory gifts from God leading ultimately to Jesus His Beloved Son.