Verso l’Alto: has the school lost sight of Frassati’s vision?
“Verso l’alto” or “toward the top” is the phrase Pier Giorgio Frassati, a mountaineer and servant of the church, inscribed on a photo picturing his arduous climb up Val di Lanzo mountain in Italy. In the photo, Frassati is nearing the pinnacle of the rugged cliff on which he hangs, peering toward the rocky peak preparing to make his next move. Frassati’s “Verso l’alto” mindset led him not only to reach the top of Val di Lanzo, but also guided him through a life that would lead to sainthood.
Frassati stands as an example of what the school, through a Christ-centered education, aims to shape: an empathetic and kind person, seeking to provide service for others in an overall Christ-like way, or in other words “a person for others.” He had the desire to truly know God in his life which he carried out through service. This is what his motto, “toward the top,” aims to communicate: a continual upward “climb” toward Christ throughout life.
Frassati’s story and example within the school first came to my attention during a summer discipleship class led by theology teachers Angela Basse and Lydia Sorrels and stuck in my mind as the school began its new term. More recently, I wrote a news story on his canonization, which once again brought to mind his role within the school and what he meant in saying “toward the top.” As I wrote the story, I began to question if the school’s application of “towards the top” aligns with Frassati’s original focus. I truly believe that the school aims to provide a “Christ-centered education,” but situated in the modern age, is it successful in this effort or does it fall into a more secular approach in our increasingly secular society?
In contrast to this Christian way of teaching, society has shifted toward a more functional form of education. Today, schools prepare students to enter a workforce driven by monetary gain by educating them on more practical knowledge that only acts to serve them a certain way. This, in turn, creates the idea that the “top” is worldly success and that going toward the top means taking steps to achieve this worldly success.
Many educational institutions have ceased sharing knowledge for the sake of learning, and now share knowledge simply so that students may get some material gain out of it. The issue with this form of thinking is that it frames education in a way that only gives value to learning if someone can get something in return, and so if education has no potential for material gain, then it becomes inherently useless. This thought process effectively separates God from His creation, in that God as the Creator gives creation its value. Schmemann explains this issue.
Though many Christian schools claim to be providing a “Christ-centered education,” in reality, they fall short in their practices of maintaining Christ as their main focus by only adding bits of theology on top of a secular education. They teach as though God does not fit into creation, then slap on some “spiritual aspect” when in reality He is what gives creation meaning.
To properly provide a Christ-centered education, and therefore invite worship into daily life, we must simply acknowledge Christ’s work in creation and view the “top” not as worldly success, but our goal in reaching Christ.
Moving forward
In laying out these points, it is necessary to say that I do believe that Bishop McGuinness is successful in providing one of if not the best high school education in the state. In addition, after hearing from past graduates, I believe the school more than adequately prepares its students for college, and provides an environment that fosters high achievement in almost every area of activity because of its focus on success. However, I also maintain that many of the school’s issues in Catholic education stem from this focus. With such an aim of being the best and working “toward the top,” the school can sometimes forget that the top we’re working toward is not only success in AP scores, state titles and college admissions, but a growth toward and understanding of Christ within our lives.
With these problems in mind, if the school truly desires to move beyond secular education and work to climb “toward the top,” it must move past the world’s expectations of success, and better strive to see God in all aspects of education. A Christ-centered education should start students on a path leading to a love of learning through wonder and awe. To truly align with Saint Pier Giorgio’s climb, the school must be reminded that the “top” is not simply worldly success—but an ever-continuing search for Christ’s truth and light in the face of distraction of darkness.
