When prenatal tests suggested Vicki Szostek’s daughter Abby would be born with Down syndrome, she wondered if her child would still belong in a Catholic school—and heard too often, “Don’t even try.”
Years earlier, Susan Schuller had asked a similar question about her son Michael only to become convinced that separating children from their peers couldn’t possibly be what Jesus would want.
Those parallel paths met – and from that came Rising Together Alliance, a parent-led effort in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to help Catholic schools say yes to inclusion and to walk with families through the process. From there, Szostek, Schuller and co-founder Caitlin Haas went to work, educating teachers, accompanying principals and pastors, and showing how side-by-side learning changes hearts as well as classrooms.
Read Full Article »