visit our school

The school visit: what to look for, what to ask

by: The GreatSchools Editorial Team | Updated: December 5, 2023

Print article

Be sure to visit all the schools on your list, if you can. A visit is the best way to determine whether a school is right for your child. Even a short visit will help you identify a school’s strengths and challenges. It’s also the only way to get a feel for a school’s climate — intangible but important factors like the dynamism of the teaching, engagement of the students, quality of communication, level of respect between students, teachers, administrators, and parents, and the overall sense that the school offers a safe and inspiring learning environment .

School visit checklists

Use this printable guide to help you plan your elementary, middle, or high school visit.

Before your visit

• Do your homework. Read about the schools you’ll be visiting. Examine their school profiles on GreatSchools.org. Talk to other parents and check your local newspaper for articles about the schools.
• Contact the school.  Most schools conduct regular school tours and open houses during the enrollment season — typically in the fall. Call the school or go online to schedule a visit.
• Ask and observe. Jot down your questions before your visit (the sample questions below will help you create your list).

Key questions to ask

• Does this school have a particular educational philosophy or mission?
• What curriculum does the school use for math, reading, science, etc? Ask if the school follows the Common Core State Standards , Next Generation Science Standards , and which program(s) are they using to teach children to read ?
• What is the average class size ?
• What is this school’s approach to student discipline and safety? Do they practice restorative justice ? Are the discipline practices fair for families of color ? Do they practice corporal punishment , and if so, can you opt out of that for your child?
• How much homework do students have? What is the school’s philosophy/approach to homework ?
• What kind of library resources are available to students?
• How is technology used to support teaching and learning at this school?
• How do the arts fit into the curriculum? Is there a school choir, band or orchestra? A drama program? Art classes?
• What extracurricular opportunities (sports, clubs, community service, competitions) are available for students?
• How do students get to school? Is free school busing available?
• Is bullying a problem at the school? Does the school have an anti-bullying policy ?
• Does the school have a program for gifted students ?
• How does this school support students who have academic, social or emotional difficulties?
• What strategies are used to teach students who are not fluent in English?
• What professional development opportunities do teachers have ? In what ways do teachers collaborate?
• Does the school offer Physical Education (PE) classes?
• What are some of the school’s greatest accomplishments? What are some of the biggest challenges this school faces?

Features to look for

• Do classrooms look cheerful? Is student work displayed, and does it seem appropriate for the grade level?
• Do teachers seem enthusiastic and knowledgeable, asking questions that stimulate students and keep them engaged?
• Does the principal seem confident and interested in interacting with students, teachers and parents?
• How do students behave as they move from class to class or play outside?
• Is there an active Parent Teacher Association (PTA) ? What other types of parent involvement take place at this school?
• How well are the facilities maintained? Are bathrooms clean and well supplied, and do the grounds look safe and inviting?

Especially for elementary schools

• What are some highlights of this school’s curriculum in reading , math, science and social studies?
• What criteria are used to determine student placement in classes?
• How does this school keep parents informed of school information and activities? Are they easy to communicate with ?
• Does the school let parents know what their rights are (and aren’t ) in regards to your child’s education?
• Is quality child care available before and after school?
• How much outdoor time do kids get each day?

 Especially for middle schools

• How does the school guide and prepare students for major academic decisions that will define their options in high school and beyond? Do they provide advice to parents on how to help this age group ?
• Does the school offer tutoring or other support if students need extra help?
• Are world language classes (French, Spanish, etc.) offered to students?
• If the school is large, does it make an effort to provide activities that create a sense of community ?

Especially for high schools

• Does this school have a particular curriculum focus, such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) or the arts?
• What kind of emphasis does the school place on college preparation ?
• Does the school have a good selection of Advanced Placement (AP) and honors classes?
• What percentage of students take the SAT or/and ACT ?
• Where do students go after they graduate? How many attend four-year college? Are graduates prepared for college ?
• Are counselors available to help students make important decisions about classes?
• Is college counseling and support available?
• Does the school offer a variety of career planning options for students who are not college bound?
• Does the school staff set high expectations for all students?
• Does the school have a tutoring program so students can get extra help if they need it?
• How do students get to school? Is there a parking lot, and are buses (public or district-provided) available?
• Does this school have any school-to-work programs or specialized academies ?
• What is the school drop-out rate ?

Especially for charter schools

• When and why was this school created ?
• Does the school have a specific focus?
• Who is the charter holder, or the group that created the school?
• How does the school select teachers? Are the teachers certificated?
• Is this the permanent location or facility for the school? If not, will the school be moving to another location in the near future?

Homes Nearby

Homes for rent and sale near schools

Why your neighborhood school closes for good – and what to do when it does

5 things for Black families to consider when choosing a school

6 surprising things insiders look for when assessing a high school

Surprising things about high school

Yes! Sign me up for updates relevant to my child's grade.

Please enter a valid email address

Thank you for signing up!

Server Issue: Please try again later. Sorry for the inconvenience

Publications

On-demand strategy, speaking & workshops, latest articles, write for us, library/publications.

• Competency-Based Education
• Early Learning
• Equity & Access
• Personalized Learning
• Place-Based Education
• Post-Secondary
• Project-Based Learning
• SEL & Mindset
• STEM & Maker
• The Future of Tech and Work

Timothy Jones and Mason Pashia on What Education Can Learn From Poetry

Sydney schaef on the future9 competencies, getting smart on minnesota school visits, omaha taskforce on driving regional work-based change, recent releases.

Unfulfilled Promise: The Forty-Year Shift from Print to Digital and Why It Failed to Transform Learning

The Portrait Model: Building Coherence in School and System Redesign

Green Pathways: New Jobs Mean New Skills and New Pathways

Support & Guidance For All New Pathways Journeys

Unbundled: Designing Personalized Pathways for Every Learner

Credentialed Learning for All

AI in Education

For more, see Library |  Publications |  Books |  Toolkits

Microschools

New learning models, tools, and strategies have made it easier to open small, nimble schooling models.

Green Schools

The climate crisis is the most complex challenge mankind has ever faced . We’re covering what edleaders and educators can do about it. 

Difference Making

Focusing on how making a difference has emerged as one of the most powerful learning experiences.

New Pathways

This campaign will serve as a road map to the new architecture for American schools. Pathways to citizenship, employment, economic mobility, and a purpose-driven life.

Web3 has the potential to rebuild the internet towards more equitable access and ownership of information, meaning dramatic improvements for learners.

Schools Worth Visiting

We share stories that highlight best practices, lessons learned and next-gen teaching practice.

View more series…

About Getting Smart

Getting smart collective, impact update, the power of visiting schools –  how to plan your next visit.

One of the best ways to see deeper learning in action is to visit schools. For many policymakers and educators, these visits are transformative, offering them an opportunity to be escorted through the school environment by student guides, visit classrooms, see teachers facilitating student learning, and talk to administrators about their role in creating an engaging learning space for all. Through schools visits, tour participants gain a greater understanding of why it’s important to help young people prepare for college, career and life not only by academic knowledge, but also by mastering skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork.

For 25 years, our organization–the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF)–has been conducting study tours for policymakers, and more specifically for the last seven years the organization has conducted deeper learning  study tours, which have been funded by the Hewlett Foundation . Through the tours, small teams of state and federal policy leaders and educators have had the opportunity to see deeper learning in action, with the aim of informing them about what conditions are necessary to provide innovative learning experiences to all students. Ideally, they will then move from contemplating change to taking action. Through conducting these tours and receiving recommendations for improvement from WestEd ’s independent evaluation of them, we’ve learned that they remain valuable vehicles for adult learning. Here are some recommendations for you to consider as you organize your own tours of schools, or participate in these experiences.

Consider your goals

Before organizing a study tour, it’s helpful to think about why you’d want to bring people (be they policymakers, business leaders or educators) along on a tour, and what you expect to happen following the tour. You might consider using a framework similar to the one that WestEd evaluators provided us to help us clarify our tour goals and to think about our theory of action. This framework has four stages for understanding behavior change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, and action (this is the Transtheoretical Model of Change ). As we organize tours, our goal is that, having heard from policy leaders and having visited schools, participants will move from contemplating change, to a period of preparation, to taking action. Our purpose with these tours is to promote deeper learning opportunities for all students, so we work towards clarifying what actions policymakers and educators will need to take to accomplish this goal.

Select and Prepare Participants Carefully

Study tours work best when the audience is comprised of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and roles. We have typically included representatives from various levels of policy (state and local), from higher education and K-12, from the business community, and from a variety of community organizations. All trip participants receive preparation materials well in advance, including draft agendas and information on the sites they will be visiting. Based on our evaluation’s recommendations, we will spend more time in the future connecting preparatory materials to documents that will be used for reflection on participant learning during the tour. We will also examine ways to conduct pre-trip needs assessments, to help participants better focus their learning. These could include the use of surveys, or a webinar that walks participants through identifying what they most need to learn about.

Provide High-Quality Tours

A high-quality tour includes framing remarks by state- and district-level leaders, site visits to schools, and time for guided reflection and networking. Participants generally appreciate the chance to tour schools, but always want more time to interact with administrators, teachers and students. School visit agendas should maximize this kind of meeting time, offering participants multiple opportunities to engage with the principal (usually at the start and end of the tour), to hear from teachers (through classroom visits, panel discussions, or sitting in on teacher planning meetings), and to interact with students (through guided tours, classroom visits, panel discussions, or shadowing them at their internships). It’s also helpful to hear from students who have graduated from high school, as this provides a window into their experience of how well their high school prepared them for postsecondary options. Having seen deeper learning in action, usually at two school sites, it’s important to provide time and structure for participants to tease out which components of the school models presented they could possibly incorporate into their own work. The evaluation of our tours revealed, unsurprisingly, that our participants want to focus even more on learning about the policies and processes at the teacher and administrator level that enable deeper learning. They also want to figure out how they can implement helpful policies – or quit doing some of the unhelpful ones!

Conduct Follow-Up and Provide Additional Resources!

Following the trip, we provide our participants with resources, including panelist presentations and information on the school sites. Additionally, we mail them a self-addressed postcard on which they have shared the action steps they committed to take, based on what they learned. This activity with the postcards is conducted right at the end of the study tour, and mailing it a few weeks after the trip provides a gentle nudge to action. We are exploring the ideas of conducting follow-up webinars to learn what resources and help participants still need, and possibly even creating toolkits that help them transition from learning on the trip to implementation back at their jobs. Part of this conversation will center on how we help participants tell the story of their experience, as we know they typically share information with colleagues. What story will they tell about deeper learning? About their encounters with students?  About the need to provide this kind of engaging, hands-on learning experience to each and every child?

The Learning Journey is an Iterative Process…

Participating in a tour to a school can be a transformative learning experience for attendees – but only if they continue to grapple with issues raised by the tour, and have a dedicated forum for contemplating possible action. Following our tours, participants continue to explore the intersection between deeper learning and career and technical education . They struggle with how to be more effective in providing deeper learning to diverse student populations. How to recruit, train, and provide ongoing professional development for teachers who facilitate deeper learning remains a topic of profound contemplation.

Organizing an effective tour takes time and effort. Going along on a tour requires dedication to one’s craft and a willingness to be open to new experiences. As you think about participating or organizing a tour, remember that these are iterative learning experiences, moving from precontemplation towards action. Just like the students and teachers we are visiting with, we are always on a learning journey–one we should ideally engage in with curiosity, an open mind, and plenty of zest!

For more, see:

• Professional Learning: The Power of School Visits
• 100 Middle & High Schools Worth Visiting
• An Innovative K-8 Human-Centered Approach at Design39

Loretta Goodwin is Deputy Director of the American Youth Policy Forum . Follow her on Twitter:  @LearningZest  

Stay in-the-know with all things EdTech and innovations in learning by signing up to receive our weekly newsletter, Smart Update .

Guest Author

Discover the latest in learning innovations.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Related Reading

Building the Car While We’re Driving It: Lessons Learned and Back-to-School Priorities in Four Districts

Cool New Schools

Inviting Learners into Work That Matters

The Education Revolution Revisited: Chugach 25 Years Later

Leave a comment.

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.

Nominate a School, Program or Community

Stay on the cutting edge of learning innovation.

Subscribe to our weekly Smart Update!

Smart Update

What is pbe (spanish), designing microschools download, download quick start guide to implementing place-based education, download quick start guide to place-based professional learning, download what is place-based education and why does it matter, download 20 invention opportunities in learning & development.

DC Public Schools

Dc agency top menu.

• Français
• Español

Search form

• DCPS School Profiles
• Printable School Directory
• Locate Your Boundary School
• School Planning
• School Data
• School Leadership
• Teachers & Educators
• DCPS Accolades
• Back to School Night
• Continuous Education Plan
• DCPS Connected Schools
• Modernization Projects
• School Calendars
• Sustainable Schools
• Technology at DCPS
• Academic Programs
• College and Career Programs
• Dual Language
• Early Learning
• Elementary School
• High School
• Middle School
• Special Education
• Student Assessment
• District-Wide Summer Programs
• Guide to Curriculum at DCPS
• Pre-K to Graduation Policies
• Behavior and School Culture
• Empowerment & Support
• Afterschool Programs
• Community Service
• Health & Wellness
• School Mental Health
• Food and Nutrition
• Student Safety
• Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board
• Kids Ride Free on Rail Program
• School Counseling
• Student Attendance & Support
• Student Concerns
• Student Placement
• Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Board
• Local School Advisory Teams
• Parent Organizations
• Parent Resources
• Community Action Team
• School Partners
• Make a Donation
• Stay Informed
• Give Us Feedback
• District Knowledge Network
• About Title IX
• Community Engagement
• Family Engagement
• Language Access for Families
• Office of Integrity
• Parent University
• Parent/Visitor Concerns
• Volunteer in Our Schools
• Organization
• Strategic Plan
• Budget and Finance
• Core Leadership Team
• DCPS Policies
• Doing Business with DCPS
• Press Center
• Open Government and FOIA
• Career Opportunities
• Human Resources
• Frequently Used Links
• Inclement Weather Guidance
• Internships

Visit Our Schools

Visiting is one of the best ways to learn about a DCPS school. If your child is currently enrolled, it’s a great way to get to know teachers and staff and gain insight into what your children experience each day. If you are a prospective DCPS parent, attending an Open House allows you observe the culture and atmosphere of the school, and determine if it’s right for your child.

DCPS recognizes the importance of fostering parents’ ability to become true partners in their child’s education; to understand their child’s experiences at school; and to develop skills that will enable them to promote learning at home by connecting classroom experiences to their child’s home experiences. Visiting your child’s school can enable students to share their school experience with their parents and provide parents with a window into their child’s school experiences. Visiting the school can also help parents to understand the skills that are being developed at school and to build a strong partnership with school staff.  

DCPS parents who wish to visit their child’s school should follow the procedures outlined in the School Visitor Policy . Each school's start and end times may be found here . 

Parents and Families

Here, you will find dates and times for Back to School Nights . 

ECE Parent Visitation: 

Pre-K parent visitors should adhere to the school security procedures outlined in the School Visitor Policy . During morning arrival, schools will have a designated area for early childhood parents to drop off their Pre-K children and where children will be appropriately supervised and escorted to the classroom by a school staff member. In alignment with the School Visitor Policy, if parents would like to escort their child to the classroom during morning arrival, they are permitted to do so as long as they follow the schools’ security procedures and they exit the school by the start of the instructional activities. Schools will also provide additional opportunities for Pre-K parents to visit the classroom at regular intervals throughout the year. 

American Visitors and Delegations

US-based groups interested in conducting a site visit should contact the  school’s principal  to request access and make arrangements. If you are interested in conducting a site visit in relation to a certain program (ex. competency-based education or restorative justice), you can also contact the district’s director for that program. The district director can provide you more information about the program and make recommendations about potential school visits.

DCPS International Visitor Process

DCPS attracts visitors from all over the world, and welcomes new voices and perspectives on education whenever possible. In order to best monitor and support the multitude of requests schools receive, international visitors or organizations requesting a visit to must first complete the International Visitor Process (IVP)  form. This information allows DCPS to secure visit approval from the DC Executive Office of the Mayor, and allows DCPS to align international visitor's goals with the ideal DCPS Representative and/or school setting. Once this form is completed and approved, international visitors and schools will be supported by a member of the Global Education team with arranging details for the visit. For additional information, please contact Kirsten Hagen .

MARIAN CATHOLIC  HIGH SCHOOL

Visit Marian Catholic

Visit our school, the best way to learn about marian catholic high school is to spend a day with us we encourage you to visit our campus and spend time attending a class, meeting our faculty, and learning more about our marian community. contact us about scheduling a visit, we are happy to schedule a tour of our school with a representative from our admissions office. tours generally take around 30 minutes and are monday through friday between 8:30am and 2:30pm. please email the enrollment office at [email protected] to request a tour., shadow program.

We understand that the high school selection process can be difficult. An important part of that decision is a school where your student feels like they belong. Our Shadow Program is a wonderful way for your child to get a feel for our school environment and see our school from a student’s perspective. Visits are from October through May. If you wish to schedule a visit after March, please contact the enrollment office at  [email protected] .

• Academies of Anchorage
• Special Schools
• Abbott Loop Elementary
• ACT Program
• Airport Heights Elementary
• Alaska Middle College School
• Alaska Native Cultural Charter School
• Alaska State School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Alpenglow Elementary
• AKChoice K-12 Learning
• Anchorage STrEaM Academy

Aquarian Charter School

• ASD Safe Computing
• Aurora Elementary
• Bartlett High School
• Baxter Elementary
• Bayshore Elementary
• Bear Valley Elementary
• Begich Middle School
• Benny Benson Alternative High School
• Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School
• Birchwood ABC Elementary
• Bowman Elementary
• Campbell STEM Elementary
• Central Middle School of Science
• Chester Valley Elementary
• Chinook Elementary
• Chugach Optional Elementary
• Chugiak Elementary
• Chugiak High School
• Clark Middle School
• College Gate Elementary
• Creekside Park Elementary
• Denali Montessori
• Dimond High School
• Eagle Academy Charter
• Eagle River Elementary
• Eagle River High School
• Faculty and Staff
• Dr. Etheldra Davis Fairview Elementary
• Family Partnership Correspondence School
• Family Support
• Fire Lake Elementary
• Frontier Charter School
• Girdwood K-8
• Gladys Wood Elementary
• Goldenview Middle School
• Government Hill Elementary
• Gruening Middle School
• Hanshew Middle School
• Highland Academy Charter School
• AKChoice Virtual Learning
• Homestead Elementary
• Huffman Elementary
• Inlet View Elementary
• Kasuun Elementary
• Kincaid Elementary
• King Tech High School
• Klatt Elementary
• Lake Hood Elementary
• Lake Otis Elementary
• McLaughlin School
• Mears Middle School
• Mirror Lake Middle School
• Mountain View Elementary
• Muldoon Elementary
• North Star Elementary
• Northern Lights ABC
• Northwood Elementary
• Nunaka Valley Elementary
• Ocean View Elementary
• O'Malley Elementary
• Orion Elementary
• Polaris K-12
• Ptarmigan Elementary
• Rabbit Creek Elementary
• Ravenwood Elementary
• Rilke Schule German Charter School of Arts & Sciences
• Rogers Park Elementary
• Romig Middle School
• Russian Jack Elementary
• Sand Lake Elementary
• SAVE High School
• Scenic Park Elementary
• Service High School
• South High School
• Spring Hill Elementary
• Steller Secondary
• Susitna Elementary
• Taku Elementary
• Trailside Elementary
• Tudor Elementary
• Turnagain Elementary
• William Tyson Elementary
• Ursa Major Elementary
• Ursa Minor Elementary
• Wendler Middle School
• West High School
• Whaley School
• Williwaw Elementary
• Willow Crest Elementary
• Winterberry Charter School
• Wonder Park Elementary

• Anchorage School District
• Visit our schools

Visit our Schools

Page navigation, visit our schools month.

February is ASD's Visit our Schools Month. This is a time when ASD schools may welcome community members, businesses, and parents to visit and learn more about their school's culture and educational opportunities.

Events to note

Aquarian will hold a tour every Monday and Tuesday during the month of February.  Monday tours are scheduled from 10:15-11:15 and Tuesday from 1:30-2:30.  We do ask that folks call the front office, 907-742-4900, to RSVP, as we try and keep our tours to ten individuals or less.

Bowman Elementary School

Bowman Open Optional Program will hold a tour every Tuesday during February.  Tours are scheduled from 9:30-10:30. Outside these days, small group tours are available as needed. Call for availability. Feel free to RSVP for the Tuesday tours by calling the front office at 907-742-5600 or emailing [email protected] . 

Campbell STEM

School visit schedule: School Tours - Lottery on 2/9/24 at 10am, 2pm and 4pm

Chinook Optional School

Open Optional teachers will offer three tour options.

Please choose from the following:

Tuesday, 2/27 8:00-8:30 am

Wednesday, 3/6 11:15-11:45 am

Tuesday, 3/19 6:00-6:30 pm

To sign up for a tour:  https://forms.gle/GU14y9Ekq9rGDWob8

Chinook Open Optional Website:  https://sites.google.com/asdk12.net/chinook-open-optional/home

Ocean View Elementary School

School tours are scheduled for Feb. 7, 21, and 28 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Polaris K-12 School

School information including tour dates are available here: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/20337

Steller Secondary School

Steller is hosting an ice cream social Feb. 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.  Interested students and their families can come learn about programs and enjoy ice cream.  Steller will also offer tours and visits from Feb. 1st -March 26th. Parents can call our front office at (907) 742-4950 to schedule the visit. 

Do you have a student entering kindergarten in the fall? Then you'll also be interested in our Kindergarten Roundup! Roundups are a set time for ASD school staff to share what to expect as your child begins kindergarten in the fall. Together we will partner to help your child be best prepared to experience early school success. For dates and times, please visit our Kindy Round-Up page !

Visit our Schools Month FAQs

Why February? Having Visit Our Schools Month in February will give parents an opportunity to research school options prior to the spring lottery, which is typically held at the end of March. The lottery is now conducted online and can be used to apply for all ASD charter, alternative and optional schools and programs. The online lottery includes zone exemption applications. Is February the only time for tours? No. Many schools give tours upon request throughout the school year. Visit Our Schools Month supports a coordinated effort during the month of February to provide parents and community members an opportunity to learn more about the many educational opportunities available to them. What should I expect? Please arrive on time. Tours may include the school principal and key staff members. A current parent or student may accompany the session to help answer questions and give different angles of feedback. The school will have a small packet of informational materials to share with participants if they wish.

• Questions or Feedback? |
• Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated) |

Quest Charter Academy

• Parent Portal

Visit Our School

Interested in visiting Quest Charter Academy? We invite you to schedule a tour! Learn more about our personalized teaching, moral focus program, extracurricular activities, athletics, and more. We are excited to welcome you to our school and learn more about you and your student.

What to Expect on a School Tour

• Please bring your ID, you will be required to show it at check in.
• Tours are typically given by the school's admissions representative and last about 15 minutes.
• School office
• Grade wings: K-2, 3-5, 6-8
• Specials classrooms (technology, art, music)
• Parent room
• During this tour you will learn about what makes Quest Charter Academy so great!
• You will be able to ask any questions you may have.
• An information packet will be provided to you with information about the school.
• After the tour, please feel free to contact the school office or the admissions representative with any questions.

A Look Inside an NHA School

Our school is a warm, welcoming environment with bright, colorful classrooms ready for your student to achieve their highest potential. Watch this video to see inside an NHA school. Want to tour Quest Charter Academy in person? Schedule a tour below!

Enrollment Information

Are you ready to apply or are you thinking about applying? We want you to know what to expect along the way. Click below to view our enrollment guide. This guide provides some frequently asked questions as well as information on our application process, Open Enrollment and lottery procedures, and enrollment requirements.

What Quest Charter Academy Parents Are Saying

"We are new to Quest, but I have only very positive things to say. I’m very impressed with their communciation. My kindergartener has made great progress and now loves attending school!" - Quest Charter Academy Parent

Schedule a Tour

Schedule a school tour and learn more about what Quest Charter Academy has to offer.

What is a Charter School?

Visit Our School

3k-8 campus tours .

To schedule a private tour, email Julie Mills .

Virtual Tours 

• Aftercare Sign Up!
• Weekly E-News
• FACTS Login
• School Eatery

• Visit our School

We welcome you to visit our wonderful school community with a campus visit. Please email [email protected] to connect with us!

Tours are offered weekly throughout the school year. To request a tour please contact the admissions office via email [email protected]  or by phone, 707-935-0122 ext 202.  

KINDERGARTEN SNEAK PEEK

Our Kinder Sneak Peeks occur in the fall and winter each year. Sneak Peeks are for families with prospective kinder students to experience a portion of our Kindergarten day from 8am-10am. Students will join in for the morning together with the current Kinder class, while parents tour the campus with Emma Evanson, our Director of Enrollment, and a few student ambassadors. Following the tour, there will be a brief Q&A with our Head of School, Curriculum Coordinator, and the Parent Ambassadors. 

Click here to sign up for a 2023-24 Sneak Peek

Family Open House 

Open House is on February 8, 2024 and is open to the public. Prospective students and their families are given the opportunity to tour and view the campus, while current families learn what’s to come and explore the future classes. Click here to learn how to RSVP!

SHADOW DAYS

We invite students applying to first through eighth grade to visit the school for a half day/day. Students will visit in the grade in which they are currently enrolled. Once we receive your application, we will contact you to schedule a shadow day. The day visit offers each student the opportunity to learn more about Presentation and allows us to learn about your child, both personally and academically. During the visit, students will participate in the activities of the day and also work individually with teachers to demonstrate their skills in math, writing, and reading. 

Shadow Visits for grades 1-2 will be from 8:15 - 12:00    Shadow Visits for grades 3-8 will be from 8:15 - 3:15

KINDERGARTEN SCREENING

We do not have a cutoff age date for candidates for kindergarten. Families with children applying for kindergarten will join us for a two-hour play group in early March. Once we receive your application, we will contact you to schedule a screening play group. Children spend time with other applicants in the kindergarten classroom and will be involved in an informal game-like screening process geared to assess developmental readiness for kindergarten. The screening includes subsets on speech and articulation, fine and gross motor control, and cognitive work with numbers and letters. While the play group meets, parents will chat our Head of School, Jackie Gallo.

MID-YEAR ENROLLMENT

Pending specific class enrollment, it is possible to enroll your child mid-year at The Presentation School. The school works strategically to make sure that joining our school community mid-year is an easy, exciting and positive experience for your student and family. To discuss this possibility, please contact our Admissions Office.

For more information, please contact our Admissions Department at (707) 935-0122 x202  [email protected]

• Welcome from Admissions
• The Independent Advantage
• Process at a Glance
• Request Information & Apply Online
• Tuition & Affordability
• TPS Viewbook
• The "Right" Fit
• 2024 Family Open House

Innovative School

• Administration
• Our Approach
• Infant/Toddler Team
• Foundation Team
• Elementary Team
• Innovation Spaces
• After-School
• Shalom Baby
• Parent Portal

Tour Our Campus

Upcoming tours.

No events found.

For Educators

Tours may be scheduled by contacting our school office at 305.532.4756

Questions? Please email Admissions at  [email protected] .

Temple Beth Sholom Innovative School 4144 Chase Avenue Miami Beach, FL. 33140

Metered street parking is available and there is a metered public parking lot next to the corner of Wells Fargo on the NW corner of Arthur Godfrey and Chase Ave.

Temple Beth Sholom Innovative School welcomes families from diverse backgrounds who support our mission, educational philosophy, approach, and values. Temple Beth Sholom Innovative School admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender identity, gender expression, religion, medical condition, disability, sexual orientation, and family structure to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to its students. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender identity, gender expression, religion, medical condition, disability, sexual orientation or family structure in the administration of its educational or admissions policies or other programs.

Schedule a Tour

Mail paperwork.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content

BASIS Independent Schools

• Our Campuses
• Why BASIS Independent Schools?
• Mission & Philosophy
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
• Early Learning Program
• Primary Program
• Middle School Program
• High School Program
• The Senior Year
• Admissions Overview
• Admissions Process

Visit Our School

• Tuition & Fees
• School Year Calendar
• International Student Program
• Student Services
• Clubs & Activities
• Sports & Athletics
• Summer Programs
• International Performance
• College Admissions
• Advanced Placement

Explore the variety of ways to visit our school and learn more at one of our campus events.

Information Session An introduction to our school’s advanced program, as well as our mission and philosophy. Learn about the well-rounded, high-achieving BASIS Curriculum, our Learning and Subject Expert Teachers, and the student experience and outcomes. Get to know school leadership and faculty. Prospective students are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Open House Open Houses are designed to offer a full, immersive overview of our program. Participants will get to tour our campus, meet school leadership, students and parents, and connect with our Learning and Subject Expert Teachers in varying subjects and grades, as they share their vision of the student learning experience. Prospective students are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Campus Tour Campus Tours are individual, private tours and provide families an opportunity to learn more about our program, view our classrooms in action, and ask school leadership any questions that they may have. Prospective students are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Meet with Admissions Meeting one-on-one with a member of our team is a great way to learn more about our vibrant school community, share more about your family, and ask the questions that are important to you.

Waldorf School of Baltimore

• Parents Portal
• Faculty/Staff Login
• Board of Trustees Login
• Parent Resources

Visit Our School

Windows into waldorf.

There is no end to the powerful stories parents have tell as their children flourish at Waldorf. Prospective Parents (Preschool 2's-4's, Forest Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Grades 1-8) are warmly invited to join us for a morning tour of our indoor and outdoor classrooms and play spaces, accompanied by those who know it best: Waldorf Parents. This casual yet powerful morning is not to be missed. Coffee and a few nourishing bites will be served.

Windows into Waldorf Winter Tours

• April 12, 8:45am – 10am

Waldorf 101: Virtual Open House

Join Admission Director, Ilene Wise, for a bite-sized, online introduction into what makes Waldorf so wonderful. We will explore 14 highlights of a progressive Waldorf School of Baltimore Education, leaving time for a question and answer session at the end. This thirty minute bite-size zoom is the perfect starting place on your admissions journey. Hosted monthly throughout the year.

Parent and Child Classes

Hosted in four seasonal sessions: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer

Parent Child Class is the perfect way to experience the magic of Waldorf with your child 9 months-3 years. You and your child will enjoy a warm and supportive environment that echoes the rhythms and atmosphere of our Waldorf Early Childhood classroom. Our Parent & Child classes are designed to help parent/guardians better understand and care for their young child, while allowing toddlers the chance to interact in small group settings and explore our outdoor and indoor classrooms.

The Spring Session will be offered over 8 weeks, beginning mid-April, from 930-1130am on your desired day of the week; Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.

KidStock Family Series

Discover the magic of spring at the Waldorf School of Baltimore's KidStock Family Concert Series, an enchanting musical experience for all ages!

The Waldorf School of Baltimore is thrilled to invite families to immerse themselves in the magic of music and community at the KidStock Spring Concert Series. Set against the backdrop of spring, these enchanting performances promise to captivate audiences of all ages, featuring Grammy Award-winning family artists and lots of nature crafts and activities.

Grammy Award-Winning Family Artists:

• April 13 – Sonia De Los Santos: Embark on a musical journey inspired by Latin American rhythms and North American folk traditions with Sonia De Los Santos. Nominated for a Latin Grammy®, Sonia's music has been hailed by Billboard as “one of the Latin Children’s music artists you should know.”
• April 21 – Fyütch: Grammy-nominated artist Fyütch uses Hip-Hop, spoken word, and visual storytelling to create unique experiences promoting racial equity and self-love.
• April 28 – Dan and Claudia Zanes: Grammy award-winning performer Dan Zanes, along with Haitian-American music therapist and jazz vocalist Claudia Zanes, will enchant audiences with artful modern-day folk music.

Crafts, Activities, and Food:

Opening Acts by BSO, BSYO, and Peabody Youth Ensemble: Each concert will kick off with performances by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras, and Peabody Youth Ensemble, showcasing the remarkable musical talent within our community.

Ticket Information: Tickets are $5 per show or $12 for a early bird trio ticket (access to all three concerts). Online tickets are available at www.waldorfschoolofbaltimore.org. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the venue for $7 per guest on the day of the event.

• Day of Event: $7 per guest at the venue

Join us for a musical celebration that unites generations and brings the community together. For tickets and more information, visit https://waldorfschoolofbaltimore.ticketleap.com/ or contact [email protected] .

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Family Concerts

Join the Waldorf School of Baltimore for a morning of music at the Meyerhoff! We are proud to collaborate with the BSO by providing hands-on, simple, natural Waldorf crafts to accompany the Family Concert series. Arrive early to ensure plenty of time to complete your themed craft in the lobby before the performance begins.

Music Box (all concerts at 10 AM and 11:30 AM)

• March 23 (All About Bears)
• May 18 (Around the Globe)

Family Concerts (all concerts at 11 AM)

• February 24 (Jazzing the Symphony)
• April 13 (Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra)

Baltimore Family Alliance x Waldorf School Series: Arts and Drafts

Arts and Drafts - where craft beer meets craft supplies, creating a family adventure of creativity and fun! Join us for a unique experience blending quality brews with artistic endeavors, making it a perfect outing for both parents and kids. Each free event will feature everything you need to create 1-2 handmade treasures with your child, while supplies last. Free and no RSVP required.

Crafts from the Waldorf School of Baltimore - inspired by nature, eco-friendly, and appealing to all genders and ages - will require various amounts of parental involvement. Young children will work together with their grownup. An older child might need help with just a few aspects of each craft. Come hungry for a family friendly BBQ Pop-Up by Woodpile BBQ.

Location: Waverly Brewing 1625 Union Ave Suite C, Baltimore, MD 21211

Date: Sunday, February 25 2pm-4pm

GoodNeighbor x Waldorf School Event: Little Neighbors

Location: Good Neighbor, 3827 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21211

Experience a mini-early childhood classroom set in the beautiful garden of Little Neighbors. Let your children enjoy open-ended free play, socialize, and soak up the sun in a nurturing outdoor environment. We will rotate each month between seasonal crafts, storytimes and/or movement circles. This event series is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together for a morning of connection and appreciation for simple joys and the season. All are welcome!

262.646.7497 | PARENT RESOURCES

• Spirit Wear
• Why Waldorf
• Wonder Garden (Pre-K)
• Kindergarten
• First Grade
• Second Grade
• Third Grade
• Fourth Grade
• Fifth Grade
• Sixth Grade
• Seventh Grade
• Eighth Grade
• Summer Camp
• Visit Our School
• Festivals + Events
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Annual Auction

You notice how different Prairie Hill is the moment you walk in the door. Our halls and classrooms are filled with warm colors, joyful voices and thriving and engaged students and teachers. Our Waldorf educational philosophy is best understood in person, which is why we invite you to come experience what makes our school different.  We offer a variety of opportunities to visit and take part in informational events, some designed for parents and others for both parents and students.  

Prairie Hill Waldorf School’s admissions process, which begins with a school visit, is designed to provide an exchange of information for you to learn more about our programs and for us to learn more about your child and your family.

Schedule A Tour:

Can't make it to an open house? We are happy to schedule a private tour!  Tours will last around an hour. Please contact our admissions office at 262-646-7497 or [email protected] .

Upcoming Open Houses: January 2025

Our family friendly Open Houses are a casual and fun way to be introduced to our school and Waldorf Education. Come and visit to see first hand what sets us apart! We will be scheduling visits and private tours for this event. Please RSVP with our admissions office at 262-646-7497 or [email protected]

Community Events:

You are invited to attend our many Community Events throughout the year. Please click here to learn more about Waldorf Festivals.

Follow our Facebook Page to receive updates about our events:

What to Ask on Your K-12 School Tour

Make the most of your visit to ensure a prospective school is right for your family.

Getty Images

Understanding a school’s culture is essential. Asking staff how they support students’ sense of belonging can demonstrate how leaders are thinking about building an inclusive and supportive space.

Whether your child is entering kindergarten, middle or high school, you’ve moved to a new school district, or you’re exploring private schools, a tour can be a great way to get to know a prospective new school. Here are some questions to ask to make the most of these visits – whether in person or online – and make sure the school you select is one both you and your child feel good about.

School Logistics and Operations 

What looks like a great school on paper, and feels like a good fit when you visit, might not be right if it doesn’t work with the realities of your life. Matt Thornton, director of the Robert C. Parker School near Albany, New York, says many of the questions he gets from families are logistical, and it makes sense to think granularly about what it would mean for your family (and your schedule) to attend the school. Some questions to consider asking about logistics include:

• What time does the school day begin, and when is the earliest children can be dropped off?
• Is before- and after-school care available, and how much does it cost? 
• Is busing available for all students?  

In addition, now that all districts have experience with virtual learning, you might ask whether – and under what conditions – the school would go virtual. Will the school cancel for snow days, or will students be expected to log in from home during inclement weather? And if there is an expectation of virtual learning at any point, find out if the school provides devices. Finally, Thornton recommends asking about COVID-19 and more general health and safety policies, so you are clear about the expectations and environment.

Academics and Learning Opportunities

Before visiting, look up the school online to gather information on academic outcomes, so you can ask questions about any data you find concerning. In addition to checking independent rankings , you can look up state assessments for individual public schools by searching your state report card website .

At the same time, keep in mind that the data captured doesn’t tell the entire story. Andrew Theado, principal at Upper Arlington High School in central Ohio, encourages any caregiver with questions or concerns about a school’s ranking to look into what it’s based on, which can help give context to the data. And Thornton notes it’s important to remember there are other ways for students to demonstrate mastery of a given subject beyond just state assessments.

He suggests asking these questions on tours to understand how schools are measuring student learning:

• How does the school assess children?
• How will I know my child is growing as a learner?
• How engaged in learning are students at this school?

Finally, at the high school level especially, it’s important to ask about the different programs and pathways the school offers learners. Are there Advanced Placement courses? Partnerships with local universities? Career and technical tracks? Students who have strong academic interests in certain subjects might ask about learning opportunities in those areas. And students who are identified as needing services, including through 504 plans and IEPs , can ask how the school would accommodate them – especially at private schools, where special education services are not mandated by law.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives and School Culture

An environment where students feel safe, comfortable and welcome is an environment that’s conducive to learning. That’s why understanding a school’s culture is essential. Asking staff how they support students’ sense of belonging – whether through clubs and activities or schoolwide policies and priorities – can demonstrate how leaders are thinking about building an inclusive and supportive space. Thornton recommends asking:

• How does the school incorporate social-emotional learning?  
• What are the school initiatives around diversity, equity and inclusion? How is the curriculum informed by the work? Who is responsible for supporting these initiatives?
• What is the school’s mission statement, and how is it enacted throughout the building? 

“I think any school worth their salt will have a very robust mission statement that can be shown with examples,” Thornton says. Similarly, Theado’s decisions as an administrator are informed by the building’s strategic plan, which prioritizes fostering a sense of belonging for all students through extracurricular opportunities. “We want to make sure that all students have a place to plug in,” he says.

Limitations of Remote Tours

With some tours taking place remotely, whether due to coronavirus restrictions or for families who haven’t yet moved to the area, getting the overall feeling of the building can be challenging, even once you have all your questions answered.

Columbus parent Katy Macke says she and her child decided against a highly ranked high school after visiting in person, in part because they didn’t find the exterior and grounds welcoming. “We want it to feel like you’re pulling up to a school that you’re proud to go to,” she says.

The entranceway alone can tell you a lot about a school; you might ask to see photos of this area. Other spaces that are important to students – and are often left out of tours – are the bathrooms and the cafeteria. If you feel awkward asking for photos, you can always ask to talk to families of current students to get more information. “To hear it from a parent perspective is really good,” Thornton says.

How to Pick Your Child's High School

Tags: K-12 education , parenting , students , elementary school , middle school , education

2024 Best Colleges

Search for your perfect fit with the U.S. News rankings of colleges and universities.

Popular Stories

Best Colleges

College Admissions Playbook

You May Also Like

Ways students can spend spring break.

Anayat Durrani March 6, 2024

Attending an Online High School

Cole Claybourn Feb. 20, 2024

How to Perform Well on SAT, ACT Test Day

Cole Claybourn Feb. 13, 2024

High School Graduation Rates By State

Sarah Wood Dec. 1, 2023

Charter Schools vs. Public Schools

Jacob Fischler and Cole Claybourn Nov. 14, 2023

Understanding Media Literacy

Cole Claybourn Nov. 14, 2023

504 Plan Versus IEP: A Guide for Parents

Sally Kassab and Cole Claybourn Nov. 14, 2023

Nontraditional Student Admissions

Linda Lee Baird Oct. 31, 2023

Pros, Cons of Working in High School

Lilly Roser Sept. 29, 2023

What to Know About STEM High Schools

Sarah Wood Aug. 29, 2023

Visit Our School

Discover a world of opportunities at cathedral .

OPEN HOUSE We invite 7th and 8th grade families the opportunity to visit Cathedral during one of our Fall Open Houses.  At the Open House, tours of our school will be given and members of our faculty, administration and athletic staff, along with current students and parents will be on hand to answer questions.  Attending an Open House is a great way to get acquainted with Cathedral, the admissions process and most importantly, student life.  Please stay tuned for our October 2024 Open House dates coming later this Spring!

Visit Our Schools

Schools that span the globe.

Search Associates currently has 768 active member schools in 124 different countries! Click on the map above or the one of the links below to see the list of schools in each country/territory and what they have to offer.

General International School Characteristics

Throughout the world, there are hundreds of outstanding international schools which employ thousands of teachers, interns and administrators. While each is unique, we have found most share the following characteristics:

• The language of instruction is English.
• The academic programs are generally American or British or International Baccalaureate or similar.
• The academic standards are very high.
• The multi-national student body is a pleasure to teach.
• The teaching staffs are as multi-national as the student body.
• Teachers are warmly appreciated by a supportive international community.
• The teachers have an exciting lifestyle with ample opportunity to travel and pursue professional goals.
• Salaries and benefits in most schools are excellent.
• Most initial contracts are for two years and virtually all include round-trip airfare.

To learn more about each school's current vacancies, salary and benefits package, hiring preferences and much more, you must be a fully registered candidate with Search Associates.

Australia/Oceania

North america, south america.

Get Started…

Did You Know…?

Nick Kendell is running FREE seminars in Australia for teachers. Book your spot now to find out more about a career teaching overseas!

• Privacy Policy
• Copyright © 2024 Search Associates

• Share full article

Advertisement

​Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere

The pandemic changed families’ lives and the culture of education: “Our relationship with school became optional.”

By Sarah Mervosh and Francesca Paris

Sarah Mervosh reports on K-12 education, and Francesca Paris is a data reporter.

In Anchorage, affluent families set off on ski trips and other lengthy vacations, with the assumption that their children can keep up with schoolwork online.

In a working-class pocket of Michigan, school administrators have tried almost everything, including pajama day, to boost student attendance.

And across the country, students with heightened anxiety are opting to stay home rather than face the classroom.

In the four years since the pandemic closed schools, U.S. education has struggled to recover on a number of fronts, from learning loss , to enrollment , to student behavior .

But perhaps no issue has been as stubborn and pervasive as a sharp increase in student absenteeism, a problem that cuts across demographics and has continued long after schools reopened.

Nationally, an estimated 26 percent of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic, according to the most recent data, from 40 states and Washington, D.C., compiled by the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute . Chronic absence is typically defined as missing at least 10 percent of the school year, or about 18 days, for any reason.

Source: Upshot analysis of data from Nat Malkus, American Enterprise Institute. Districts are grouped into highest, middle and lowest third.

The increases have occurred in districts big and small, and across income and race. For districts in wealthier areas, chronic absenteeism rates have about doubled, to 19 percent in the 2022-23 school year from 10 percent before the pandemic, a New York Times analysis of the data found.

Poor communities, which started with elevated rates of student absenteeism, are facing an even bigger crisis: Around 32 percent of students in the poorest districts were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year, up from 19 percent before the pandemic.

Even districts that reopened quickly during the pandemic, in fall 2020, have seen vast increases.

“The problem got worse for everybody in the same proportional way,” said Nat Malkus, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who collected and studied the data.

Victoria, Texas reopened schools in August 2020, earlier than many other districts. Even so, student absenteeism in the district has doubled.

Kaylee Greenlee for The New York Times

The trends suggest that something fundamental has shifted in American childhood and the culture of school, in ways that may be long lasting. What was once a deeply ingrained habit — wake up, catch the bus, report to class — is now something far more tenuous.

“Our relationship with school became optional,” said Katie Rosanbalm, a psychologist and associate research professor with the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University.

The habit of daily attendance — and many families’ trust — was severed when schools shuttered in spring 2020. Even after schools reopened, things hardly snapped back to normal. Districts offered remote options, required Covid-19 quarantines and relaxed policies around attendance and grading .

Source: Nat Malkus, American Enterprise Institute . Includes districts with at least 1,500 students in 2019. Numbers are rounded. U.S. average is estimated.

Today, student absenteeism is a leading factor hindering the nation’s recovery from pandemic learning losses , educational experts say. Students can’t learn if they aren’t in school. And a rotating cast of absent classmates can negatively affect the achievement of even students who do show up, because teachers must slow down and adjust their approach to keep everyone on track.

“If we don’t address the absenteeism, then all is naught,” said Adam Clark, the superintendent of Mt. Diablo Unified, a socioeconomically and racially diverse district of 29,000 students in Northern California, where he said absenteeism has “exploded” to about 25 percent of students. That’s up from 12 percent before the pandemic.

U.S. students, overall, are not caught up from their pandemic losses. Absenteeism is one key reason.

Why Students Are Missing School

Schools everywhere are scrambling to improve attendance, but the new calculus among families is complex and multifaceted.

At South Anchorage High School in Anchorage, where students are largely white and middle-to-upper income, some families now go on ski trips during the school year, or take advantage of off-peak travel deals to vacation for two weeks in Hawaii, said Sara Miller, a counselor at the school.

For a smaller number of students at the school who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the reasons are different, and more intractable. They often have to stay home to care for younger siblings, Ms. Miller said. On days they miss the bus, their parents are busy working or do not have a car to take them to school.

And because teachers are still expected to post class work online, often nothing more than a skeleton version of an assignment, families incorrectly think students are keeping up, Ms. Miller said.

Sara Miller, a counselor at South Anchorage High School for 20 years, now sees more absences from students across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Ash Adams for The New York Times

Across the country, students are staying home when sick , not only with Covid-19, but also with more routine colds and viruses.

And more students are struggling with their mental health, one reason for increased absenteeism in Mason, Ohio, an affluent suburb of Cincinnati, said Tracey Carson, a district spokeswoman. Because many parents can work remotely, their children can also stay home.

For Ashley Cooper, 31, of San Marcos, Texas, the pandemic fractured her trust in an education system that she said left her daughter to learn online, with little support, and then expected her to perform on grade level upon her return. Her daughter, who fell behind in math, has struggled with anxiety ever since, she said.

“There have been days where she’s been absolutely in tears — ‘Can’t do it. Mom, I don’t want to go,’” said Ms. Cooper, who has worked with the nonprofit Communities in Schools to improve her children’s school attendance. But she added, “as a mom, I feel like it’s OK to have a mental health day, to say, ‘I hear you and I listen. You are important.’”

Experts say missing school is both a symptom of pandemic-related challenges, and also a cause. Students who are behind academically may not want to attend, but being absent sets them further back. Anxious students may avoid school, but hiding out can fuel their anxiety.

And schools have also seen a rise in discipline problems since the pandemic, an issue intertwined with absenteeism.

Dr. Rosanbalm, the Duke psychologist, said both absenteeism and behavioral outbursts are examples of the human stress response, now playing out en masse in schools: fight (verbal or physical aggression) or flight (absenteeism).

“If kids are not here, they are not forming relationships,” said Quintin Shepherd, the superintendent in Victoria, Texas.

Quintin Shepherd, the superintendent in Victoria, Texas, first put his focus on student behavior, which he described as a “fire in the kitchen” after schools reopened in August 2020.

The district, which serves a mostly low-income and Hispanic student body of around 13,000, found success with a one-on-one coaching program that teaches coping strategies to the most disruptive students. In some cases, students went from having 20 classroom outbursts per year to fewer than five, Dr. Shepherd said.

But chronic absenteeism is yet to be conquered. About 30 percent of students are chronically absent this year, roughly double the rate before the pandemic.

Dr. Shepherd, who originally hoped student absenteeism would improve naturally with time, has begun to think that it is, in fact, at the root of many issues.

“If kids are not here, they are not forming relationships,” he said. “If they are not forming relationships, we should expect there will be behavior and discipline issues. If they are not here, they will not be academically learning and they will struggle. If they struggle with their coursework, you can expect violent behaviors.”

Teacher absences have also increased since the pandemic, and student absences mean less certainty about which friends and classmates will be there. That can lead to more absenteeism, said Michael A. Gottfried, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. His research has found that when 10 percent of a student’s classmates are absent on a given day, that student is more likely to be absent the following day.

Absent classmates can have a negative impact on the achievement and attendance of even the students who do show up.

Is This the New Normal?

In many ways, the challenge facing schools is one felt more broadly in American society: Have the cultural shifts from the pandemic become permanent?

In the work force, U.S. employees are still working from home at a rate that has remained largely unchanged since late 2022 . Companies have managed to “put the genie back in the bottle” to some extent by requiring a return to office a few days a week, said Nicholas Bloom, an economist at Stanford University who studies remote work. But hybrid office culture, he said, appears here to stay.

Some wonder whether it is time for schools to be more pragmatic.

Lakisha Young, the chief executive of the Oakland REACH, a parent advocacy group that works with low-income families in California, suggested a rigorous online option that students could use in emergencies, such as when a student misses the bus or has to care for a family member. “The goal should be, how do I ensure this kid is educated?” she said.

Relationships with adults at school and other classmates are crucial for attendance.

In the corporate world, companies have found some success appealing to a sense of social responsibility, where colleagues rely on each other to show up on the agreed-upon days.

A similar dynamic may be at play in schools, where experts say strong relationships are critical for attendance.

There is a sense of: “If I don’t show up, would people even miss the fact that I’m not there?” said Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, the commissioner of education in Connecticut.

In her state, a home visit program has yielded positive results , in part by working with families to address the specific reasons a student is missing school, but also by establishing a relationship with a caring adult. Other efforts — such as sending text messages or postcards to parents informing them of the number of accumulated absences — can also be effective.

Regina Murff has worked to re-establish the daily habit of school attendance for her sons, who are 6 and 12.

Sylvia Jarrus for The New York Times

In Ypsilanti, Mich., outside of Ann Arbor, a home visit helped Regina Murff, 44, feel less alone when she was struggling to get her children to school each morning.

After working at a nursing home during the pandemic, and later losing her sister to Covid-19, she said, there were days she found it difficult to get out of bed. Ms. Murff was also more willing to keep her children home when they were sick, for fear of accidentally spreading the virus.

But after a visit from her school district, and starting therapy herself, she has settled into a new routine. She helps her sons, 6 and 12, set out their outfits at night and she wakes up at 6 a.m. to ensure they get on the bus. If they are sick, she said, she knows to call the absence into school. “I’ve done a huge turnaround in my life,” she said.

But bringing about meaningful change for large numbers of students remains slow, difficult work .

Nationally, about 26 percent of students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic.

The Ypsilanti school district has tried a bit of everything, said the superintendent, Alena Zachery-Ross. In addition to door knocks, officials are looking for ways to make school more appealing for the district’s 3,800 students, including more than 80 percent who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. They held themed dress-up days — ’70s day, pajama day — and gave away warm clothes after noticing a dip in attendance during winter months.

“We wondered, is it because you don’t have a coat, you don’t have boots?” said Dr. Zachery-Ross.

Still, absenteeism overall remains higher than it was before the pandemic. “We haven’t seen an answer,” she said.

Data provided by Nat Malkus, with the American Enterprise Institute. The data was originally published on the Return to Learn tracker and used for the report “ Long COVID for Public Schools: Chronic Absenteeism Before and After the Pandemic .”

The analysis for each year includes all districts with available data for that year, weighted by district size. Data are sourced from states, where available, and the U.S. Department of Education and NCES Common Core of Data.

For the 2018-19 school year, data was available for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For 2022-23, it was available for 40 states and D.C., due to delays in state reporting.

Closure length status is based on the most in-person learning option available. Poverty is measured using the Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. School size and minority population estimates are from NCES CCD.

How absenteeism is measured can vary state by state, which means comparisons across state lines may not be reliable.

An earlier version of this article misnamed a research center at Duke University. It is the Center for Child and Family Policy, not the Center of Child and Family Policy.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Consider This from NPR

• LISTEN & FOLLOW
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Amazon Music

Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.

Learning To Live As Neighbors In The Shadow Of A Brutal, Violent History

Didas Kayinamura (left) and Rachel Mukantabana (right) talk about the legacy of the Rwandan genocide thirty years later. Jacques Nkinzingabo/NPR hide caption

Didas Kayinamura (left) and Rachel Mukantabana (right) talk about the legacy of the Rwandan genocide thirty years later.

Many of us don't have the opportunity to handpick our neighbors. We buy or rent a place in a neighborhood with good schools or an easy commute. Some of us become friends with those who live nearby, others of us never talk to our neighbors at all. For most though, we co-exist. In the midst of a brutal civil war, neighbors killed their neighbors simply because of who they were. Thirty years ago this month, that wasn't the case in Rwanda. We visit a Rwandan village where how neighbors live alongside one another is deliberate, and complicated. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at [email protected] .

This episode was produced by Matt Ozug and Brianna Scott. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

Putin taunts the West by traveling to within 55 miles of the US

Posted: January 10, 2024 | Last updated: April 3, 2024

More for You

Francis Ford Coppola's ‘Megalopolis' to Debut at Cannes in Competition

Seattle pastor claims newspaper canceled church's Easter service ads last minute after CEO objected

Women Are Working Longer Hours From Home Than Men

Giants TE Darren Waller gives rough timeline to decide on retirement

Masters: Fred Couples fires Tiger Woods warning shot after practice round

I tried to snap a photo of the 'Devil comet' during the solar eclipse. Here's what happened.

Company that made millions of defective sleep apnea machines ordered to overhaul manufacturing

19 American Foods that Are Not Allowed in Other Countries

US Marine Corps Begins 'Comprehensive' Revamp of Retired Fighter Jets

Filmmaker releases ‘Killing America’ after YouTube pulled trailer amid cease and desist

Here's How You Can Get a Free Frosty at Wendy's This Week

UN nuclear watchdog's board sets emergency meeting after Zaporizhzhia attacks

Space Rock Slammed Into Moon - The Explosion Was Seen From Japan

California's New $20 Minimum Wage Leaves Schools Facing Cafeteria Staffing Shortages

The little-known disaster paralysing both the US and Royal Navies

I moved from the US to Ireland. Here are 11 things that surprised me most.

A father with children born via surrogacy rejects the Vatican's view that condemns the practice

John Calipari addresses decision to 'step away' from Kentucky: 'Time for another voice'

18 Old-School Dinners That We Want to Bring Back

What Were Those Bright Red Dots Seen During the Eclipse?

Swastika-wearing gunman kills 15, wounds 24 in school shooting in Russia

A swastika-clad gunman opened fire at a school in central Russia on Monday, killing at least 15 people, 11 of them children, before he turned the gun on himself, authorities said.

Another 24 people, 22 children and two adults, were wounded in the attack on School No. 88 in Izhevsk, the capital of Udmurtia, about 600 miles east of Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

The gunman was identified as Artem Kazantsev, 34. Udmurtia Gov. Alexander Brechalov said he was registered as a patient at a psychiatric facility.

The Investigative Committee released video purporting to show the gunman’s body in a classroom. He appeared to be wearing nearly all black, including a balaclava covering his face and a T-shirt with a red swastika drawn on it. 

The video also showed the word "hate" written in Russian on all the gun clips.

“I express my deep, sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of those who died as a result of the cynical and ruthless attack on the school in Izhevsk,” Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin said in a statement.

“The monstrous crime claimed the lives of children, including very young ones, and adults. This is a terrible tragedy, a heavy loss for all of us.” 

The gunman was armed with two pistols and an additional large supply of ammunition, the Russian state news agency Tass reported .

Monday’s attack was the latest in several recent school shootings in Russia.

Seven children and two adults were gunned down in May last year in an attack in Kazan.

And in April, a man killed two children and a teacher at a kindergarten in Veshkayma, a town in the central Ulyanovsk region, before he died by suicide.

— Igor Volk, a Soviet-era cosmonaut whose only spaceflight in 1984 was intended to prepare him to fly Russia's space shuttle Buran before it was canceled, died on Tuesday (Jan. 3). He was 79. Volk's death was reported on the website for the Russian city of Zhukovsky, where the cosmonaut was an honorary citizen. "[Volk] was a representative of the legendary generation of cosmonauts," the city officials wrote on Zhukovskiy.ru . "He will remain in our memory as an outstanding personality, an extraordinary man and a highly skilled, courageous test cosmonaut, who made a contributions to the exploration of outer space and to the knowledge of the mysteries of the universe." Roscosmos, Russia's federal space corporation, confirmed Volk's death in a post to its Facebook page.

Selected in July 1977 among the first group of civilian test pilots for the Buran, the Soviet Union's answer to the U.S. space shuttle, Volk passed basic cosmonaut training and qualified for a spaceflight assignment in 1980. Volk might have then waited for a mission on board the winged orbiter — a flight that would ultimately never come — were it not for an aborted space station docking three years earlier. In the wake of a two-man, all-rookie Soyuz crew failing to dock to the Salyut 6 station, a new rule was instituted by the Soviet space program that every crew had to include at least one person who had previously flown into space. As such, Volk was initially named to fly with Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyov to the Salyut 7 space station in 1983, to provide him the experience needed to lead the first flight of the Buran. Another failed docking mission however, resulted in Kizim and Solovyov being reassigned to a later launch and Volk being added to the Soyuz T-12 mission crew with Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Svetlana Savitskaya, the latter being the world's second woman to fly into space making her second spaceflight. Volk, Dzhanibekov and Savitskaya launched on July 17, 1984 from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome (now located in Kazakhstan). During the Soyuz T-12 mission, the seventh crewed flight to visit Salyut 7, Savitskaya became the first woman to go out on a spacewalk, beating NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan by three months.

Volk returned to Earth with his two crewmates on July 29, 1984, logging a total of 11 days, 19 hours and 14 minutes in space. Soon after he landed, Volk boarded a Tu-154LL Buran training aircraft and flew an approach following the same flight path the orbiter would on its return from space, touching down at Zhukovsky Air Base near Moscow. The flight demonstrated that a cosmonaut still readjusting to gravity could safely fly the shuttle to a landing, though Volk, nor any other cosmonaut, would have the opportunity to conduct that real re-entry from space. Igor Petrovich Volk was born in Kharkiv, now the second- largest city in Ukraine, on April 12, 1937, 24 years to the day before cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin would become the first human to fly into space and 44 years to the day before the first launch of NASA's space shuttle. A pilot in the Soviet Air Force and graduate of Kirovograd Military Aviation School in 1956, Volk received his degree in engineering from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1969. He then went to work as a civilian test pilot at the Gromov Flight Research Institute, flying jets, including the MiG-21, MiG-25 and Su-27, as well as a single flight in the "Lapot," an atmospheric test vehicle for the never-realized MiG-105 "Spiral" space plane. After his Soyuz T-12 mission, Volk continued to prepare for a Buran mission by piloting 13 flights of the analog version of the shuttle, the OK-GLI, between November 1985 and April 1988. His last approach and landing flight marked the 25th and last flight for the vehicle, which is now on display at the Technik Museum Speyer in Germany.

The Buran only launched to space once, without a crew, in 1988, before the program was canceled in 1993. "Energiya-Buran is the most powerful space vehicle the world has ever seen, and, had it been given the chance to fully develop, it would have been of great benefit to the people of the Soviet Union and, indeed, the world," Volk wrote in his foreword to the 2007 book "Energiya-Buran" by Bart Hendrickx and Bert Vis. "It didn't get that chance, but the political, and to some extent, economical situation, were not ideal." In 1995, Volk left the cosmonaut corps to become director of the flight test center at the MM Gromov Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky, a position he held until he retired in 2002. For his service to the country's space program, Volk was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin in June 1984. Volk is survived by his wife, Valentina, and two daughters, Marina and Irina.

Suit Up: 50 Years of Spacewalks

• Home  
•  / Our doctrine
•  / Principles of National Restoration
•  / Holy Russia
• / Vladimir Soloviev, prophet of Russia's conversion

VLADIMIR SOLOVIEV prophet of Russia’s conversion

T HE conversion of Russia will not be the work of man, no matter how gifted he may be, but that of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, the Mediatrix of all graces, because this is God’s wish, which he revealed to the world in 1917. The life and works of Vladimir Soloviev are a perfect illustration of this truth of Fatima. He whom our Father regards as « the greatest Russian genius of the 19th century », was in his own way a prophet of the “ conversion ” of his beloved Country, announcing the necessity of her returning to the bosom of the Roman Church. «  Rome or chaos  », such was his catchphrase, Rome whose anagram is not a matter of chance, but a providential sign, a definition: ROMA , AMOR . Led by this incomparable guide, we would like « to anticipate in our thoughts, our hearts and our prayers this consecration, this long-awaited conversion, which must mark the beginning of a time of sacred peace throughout the world, the beginning of the universal reign of the Most Blessed and Immaculate Heart of Mary, and through Her, of God’s Kingdom » (English CRC, December 1982, p. 23).

A PERSONAL CONVERSION

Through the example of his life, Soloviev recalls the indispensable means of this immense work: self-renunciation, personal and collective sacrifice, in Russian the podwig , the only way in which the Church, nations, saints and heroes can become the instruments of God’s designs. If he managed to surpass his master Dostoyevsky by his « truly universal Catholicism and far superior mystical vision », this was not without without a conversion of mind and heart on his part.

Our Father summarises the principal stages of his life as follows: « Born of an honourable Muscovite family, of part Kievian ancestry, Vladimir Soloviev began, in a world where only Germany counted, by being a victim of all the poisons of the West. He himself relates how he was a zealous materialist at the age of thirteen, had read Renan’s Life of Jesus at fifteen, and had become an evolutionist and therefore (!) an atheist and a nihilist at eighteen, in « It was Spinoza and then Schopenhauer who pulled him out of this bottomless void. Whereupon in 1872 a mysterious encounter with “  Wisdom  ” suddenly shook him out of the scientific naturalism in which he had been vegetating and made him aware, as he says, of invisible Beauty, the “  Sophia tou théou  ”, the daughter of God. He thus became the fervent witness of Wisdom’s indwelling in the world and of Her desire for total incarnation and universal queenship. His quest for wisdom, scientific, aesthetic and mystical, had commenced. He was nineteen years old. The quest would never end for this new style Russian pilgrim ; it would be of an unparalleled fruitfulness despite its touching brevity. He died of exhaustion in 1900, at the age ! » (English CRC, December 1982, p. 35)

We will limit ourselves in this article to his prophetic insights on the Union of the Churches. In his Lessons on Theandry (1878) – he was then twenty-five ! – our philosopher applies himself to contemplating the Wisdom of God at work in history, perfectly incarnated in Jesus and His virginal Mother, as well as in the Church as she awaits her eschatological transfiguration. The most serious sin, throughout this history, has been that of schism. Who is responsible for this vast Vladimir Soloviev began by throwing all responsibility for it on the Catholic Church, so much so that he provided the inspiration for Dostoyevsky’s famous “ myth of the Grand Inquisitor ” in The Brothers Karamazov . But, at the beginning of the 1880’s, through studying the question more closely, he understood that the sin of schism was in fact that of the East. This was a stroke of genius on his part for which our Father commends him greatly:

« I must beg pardon of my master Msgr. Jean Rupp, of Solzhenitsyn, Volkoff and so many others, but it seems obvious to to me, as it did to Soloviev in the end, that the schism of Moscow in setting itself up as the third Rome was the beginning of all the ills suffered by these admirable Christian peoples of European Russia . And I must say so because this rupture still weighs heavily on the world of today and because it is precisely of this rupture that Our Lady of Fatima speaks when She foretells “  the conversion of Russia  ”. (English CRC, December 1982, p. 24)

Let us follow Soloviev in his commendable mystical conversion which has opened up a path of light for his people, allowing a spring of grace and mercy to gush forth.

AN EVANGELICAL DISCOURSE

In 1881, Soloviev published a long article, still very antipapist, entitled Spiritual power in Russia . There the pope was presented as Antichrist institutionalised ! Our theorist placed all his hope in the regenerative mission of Holy Russia and in the Tsar who was to be her « divine figure, religious guide and animating wisdom ». But were the Russian people still capable of accomplishing such One particular event was to shake Soloviev’s patriotic faith. On March 1, 1881, Alexander II was assassinated by revolutionaries. A few days later, Soloviev gave a Discourse in which he recommended that his successor, Alexander III, show mercy to the regicides. Certainly not as a matter of weakness or abdication before the Revolution, even less out of the spirit of non-violence that a certain Tolstoy was already preaching, but « as an example of Russian piety », that famous podwig « which lies at the heart of the Russian people’s evangelical soul, of which the tsar is the living icon ». Alas, Soloviev was not understood... This was a painful stage in his life, the first step he had taken beyond his master Dostoyevsky.

The following year, he published another article entitled “  Schism in the Russian people and society  ”. Delving deep into the past, he accused Metropolitan Nikon of having broken, at the time of Peter the Great, the communion, the Sobornost , so beloved of the Russian people, by excommunicating Raskol, the fierce guardian of traditional popular religion... Ever since then, the Orthodox hierarchy, enslaved to the imperial power, had proved powerless to govern and sanctify Orthodoxy. It was nothing now but a shrunken, secularized “ local Church ” which, if it were to be restored and revived, would need to open itself up to “ the universal Church ”.

In the spring of 1882, Soloviev was powerfully affected by an unusual dream. In his dream he met a high-ranking Catholic ecclesiastic and entreated him to give him his blessing. The priest refused, so Soloviev insisted, declaring, « The separation of the Churches is the most disastrous thing possible. » Finally, the ecclesiastic agreed to give him his blessing.

This premonitory dream was to awaken in Vladimir Soloviev a burning desire for reconciliation with Catholicism, and to stimulate him to write a series of articles to be published every month in his friend Aksakov’s slavophile newspaper Rouss and then to be collected together in a work with the resonant title: The Great Controversy and Christian Politics . One particular maxim constantly reappeared under the Russian writer’s pen:

«  FIRST AND FOREMOST WE MUST WORK TO RESTORE THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH, AND TO MAKE THE FIRE OF LOVE BURN IN THE HEART OF CHRIST’S SPOUSE . »

By an irony of fate, the term “ Controversy ”, which for Soloviev referred to the conflict between Rome and the East, was going to give place to a bitter controversy between himself and his Orthodox and slavophile friends.

A MARVELLOUS AND ADORABLE WISDOM

T HE world’s beauty appeared to Soloviev as a living figure, a real existence, changing and yet immortal. He saw her and held her as the queen of his spiritual universe under her venerable name of Sancta Sophia . At the end of his life, in 1898, he celebrated the Three Encounters he had had with this Beauty which for him was Wisdom.

“ Three times in his life he had been overwhelmed by the radiant visit of Wisdom who appeared to him in the form of an absolutely heavenly female being, dazzling him and enlightening him profoundly. Not without reason certain authors think that all his religious and even philosophical works derive from this illumination. ”

And let us immediately point out, in order to acclimatize the Western reader who is highly likely to be disconcerted by these accounts, that trustworthy interpreters of Soloviev have attributed a marian character to these visions. For them, the whole of the Philosopher’s work derives from the AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA . “ It is a marvellous perspective ”, adds Msgr. Rupp. “ Wisdom is closely allied to the Immaculate who is its seat. ” ( Le message ecclésial de Soloviev , p. 340)...

What I am going to say next will perhaps surprise my reader. Nothing is more biblical than this vision, and I am astonished at the astonishment of theologians and their impatient criticisms. This Sophia was already well known, hymned and even boldly adored by the scribes of the Old Testament under this very name of Wisdom. Far from being “ pantheist ”, this idea, this vision touches the essence of created beings, and is clearly poles apart from the Platonic idea and far more profound than Aristotle’s substance; it lies at the very heart of being, there where nothing exists except relationship to God, the term of a will and a wisdom that are infinite, there where exists a pure reflection, a fragment of the image of God’s beauty.

George de Nantes , A mysticism for our time , French CRC no. 133, p. 7.

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY

In January 1883, he fired the opening shots with an open letter to Aksakov: « As I reflected on the means of curing this interior disease (of Christianity), I became convinced that the origin of all these evils lies in the general weakening of the earthly organisation of the visible Church, following her division into two disunited parts. » He demonstrated that, in order to establish herself on earth and to endure throughout history, the Christian religion had need of a higher authority, and he explained that it was therefore essential to restore « the union of all Christian and ecclesiastical forces under the standard and under the power of one central ecclesiastical authority ».

On February 19, Soloviev gave a talk in homage to his master Dostoyevsky. It was almost a panegyric of the Roman Church ! He declared his ardent hope for the reconciliation of the two Churches, for the two parts of the universal Church which should never have been separated and whose centre lay in... Rome . As a result of this speech, he saw himself banned from speaking in public. The newspapers made no mention of his speech. For the first time, and it would not be the last, Soloviev was the victim of the censure of Constantin Petrowitch Pobiedonostev, Russia’s Grand Inquisitor and the Tsar’s adviser on religious matters. Pobiedonostev championed a sacral conception of political power, akin to that of the French legitimists of the time, but he was fiercely Orthodox, and any opening towards the Catholic religion was pitilessly censured.

Soloviev responded to this censure with a smile. So his speech had been described as « infantile chattering » ? « If we are not converted », he said to his friends, « and become like little children again, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. » He went on: « When I was a pretentious little boy [teaching German philosophy: Kant, Hegel, Fichte, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche], people listened with great respect to my “ truly infantile ” prattling. And now it is fitting that the only way I can attain the perfection of humility is by everyone ! »

At the same time, he wrote to Aksakov: « It is necessary to defend Catholicism against the false accusations being brought against it... Consequently, in advocating a reconciliation with Catholicism, I assume that Catholicism is not in principle erroneous, for one cannot be reconciled with error . » Now there we have a true ecumenism ! The life of Soloviev, writes our Father, « was ».

To the charge of “ papism ” levelled against him, Soloviev responded in March 1883 with an admirable profession of faith, already Catholic:

« It seems to to me that you concentrate only on “ papism ” whereas I focus first and foremost on the great, holy and eternal Rome, a fundamental and integral part of the universal Church. I believe in this Rome, I bow before it, I love it with all my heart, and with all the strength of my soul I desire its rehabilitation for the unity and integrality of the universal Church. And may I be accursed as a parricide should I ever utter one word of condemnation against the Holy Church of Rome . »

THE REALISATION OF THE DREAM

In May 1883, on the occasion of the coronation of the Emperor Alexander III, the Moscow press complained that too many concessions were being made to restore diplomatic relations with the Vatican broken in 1866, but Soloviev protested: such an agreement was necessary, were it only to improve relations with the Catholics of Poland. The Pope was represented at the ceremony by his special envoy Msgr. Vincenzo Vanutelli. Had not Alexander III written to Leo XIII shortly beforehand: « Never has unity between all Churches and all States been so necessary, in order to realise the wish expressed by Your Holiness of seeing the peoples abandoning the disastrous errors responsible for the social malaise and returning to the holy laws of the Gospel... »

A few days after the ceremony, Soloviev was crossing Moscow in a hired car. Suddenly, he recognized the route he had followed in his dream the previous year. Soon he came to a stop in front of a house from which a Catholic prelate was just leaving: it was Msgr. Vanutelli in person... There was the same hesitation of this latter to give his blessing to a schismatic, and the same entreaties of Soloviev, who finally !

In the summer of 1883, our author wrote two articles on The Catholic Question . According to Soloviev, it was for Russia to take the first step towards the Catholic Church. Imagine !

His articles were not of the sort to leave his readers indifferent. On the Orthodox side, there was an increasing irritation, while on the Catholic side, surprise soon gave way to enthusiasm. The news crossed the borders, spreading to Poland and even to Croatia, where Msgr. Strossmayer was finally seeing his desires realised. The jurisdiction of his diocese of Djakovo extended into Bosnia and Serbia, that is into Orthodox territory. Endowed with a superior intelligence and animated by great apostolic zeal, this Croatian bishop keenly felt the need for a true, intelligent and benevolent ecumenism. He wrote in 1883 to one of his friends, Father Martynov:

« In my opinion, the principal task of the Catholic Church and of the Holy See this century is to draw as closely as possible to the Slav nation, principally the Russian nation . By winning it over to the divine unity of the Catholic Church, we would at the same time win over everyone in the world who still possess a positive faith. »

IN THE RADIANCE OF THE IMMACULATE

In the summer of 1883, Soloviev wrote five long letters to a Russian Uniate priest on the subject of The Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary . At the same time he translated Petrarch’s “ Praise and prayer to the Most Blessed Virgin ”, wherein he contemplated Her “ clothed in the Sun, crowned with stars... Her glance radiating infinity ! ” It is highly significant that Soloviev was simultaneously attracted by the mystery of the Catholic Church and the mystery of the Immaculate Virgin. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was the first Catholic dogma which he embraced, and his favourite painting was the Immaculate Conception by Murillo.

In The Foundations of the Spiritual Life (1884), he exalted the « All Holy and Immaculate » Virgin Mary. In Russia and the Church Universal (1889), he would praise Pope Pius IX for having quoted, in support of his dogmatic definition, the Old Testament texts referring to Wisdom, the “  Sophia  ” of his personal intuitions:

« If, by the substantial Wisdom of God, we were exclusively meant to understand the Person of Jesus Christ, how could we apply to the Blessed Virgin all those texts in the Wisdom books which speak of this Wisdom ? However, this application, which has existed from the very earliest times in the offices of both the Latin and Greek Churches, has today received doctrinal confirmation in the bull of Pius IX on the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin. » (quoted by Msgr. Rupp, Le message ecclésial de Soloviev, p. 338)

In September 1883, when the sixth chapter of The Great Controversy was published, a rumour spread through Moscow that Soloviev had “ passed over ” to Catholicism, but there was no truth in it. Moreover, curious though this may seem to us, he was not looking “ to pass over to Catholicism ”, but only to open Orthodoxy up to the universality of the Roman Church.

His seventh and final chapter aroused a lively debate, one that is ever topical. The question turned on the attitude of the Byzantine Greeks in conflict with the Crusaders of the West. Soloviev wrote: « On the day that Constantinople fell, seeing the Turkish armies poised to attack, the final spontaneously expressed cry of the Greeks was, “ Better Islamic slavery than any agreement with the Latins. ” I do not mention this as a reproach to the unfortunate Greeks. If, in this cry of implacable hatred, there was nothing Christian, then neither has there been anything especially Christian in all the formal and artificial attempts to reunite the Churches… »

Aksakov, his Orthodox pride deeply irritated by this remark, retorted: « What does he mean, nothing Christian ? May the Greeks be blessed a hundred times over for having preferred a foreign yoke and bodily torture to the abandonment of the purity of their faith in Christ and for having thus preserved us from the distortions of papism at the precise moment [ the beginning of the 13th century ! ] when it had reached the height of its deformity. May they win eternal glory for this ! »

Nonetheless, Soloviev continued his search for truth, surmounting every obstacle. His article “  Nine Questions to Father Ivantsov-Platonov  ” published in December 1883, created a deep stir even in the West. Here he put nine questions to his former master in Orthodoxy on those points of controversy which set the Church of the East against the Church of Rome. Here is the setting:

« How is it that the countries of the East are separated from the Roman Church ? Did the latter proclaim an heretical proposition ? One would be hard pushed to maintain this, for the addition of the Filioque to the Creed, which is put forward to justify the separation, does not have the character of a heresy. Furthermore, it is absurd to say that the Roman Church is in a state of schism with regard to the Eastern Churches. Thus, the latter’s separation from the former has no basis. Let us acknowledge this and, putting aside all human viewpoints, let us work towards Unity or rather let us work so that Unity, which already has a virtual existence, may become a reality. »

THE THREAD OF AN ANCIENT TRADITION

During 1884, the Russian philosopher studied Catholic dogmatics. He read the works of Perrone, the theologian of Gregory XVI and Pius IX, as well as the texts of the Councils. He was particularly interested in Popes Gregory VII and Innocent III, whom he read in the original text.

At the same time he had a great enthusiasm for the Croatian priest George Krijanich who « had come from Zagreb to Moscow in the 17th century to spread the ideal of the Holy Kingdom of God, Roman Catholic and panslavic, gathering together under the sceptre of the tsars and the crook of the Pope all the Slav peoples who would thereby be freed and protected from the twofold burden pressing them on both sides like a vice, the Germanic powers and the Turks. Thus the Croats would work to free themselves from Austrian control and at the same time they would assist the Serbs, their Orthodox brothers, to shake off Moslem domination.

« To realise this grand design, capable at one blow of powerfully advancing the Kingdom of God on earth, Krijanich came to Moscow and preached on the subject of Russia’s reconciliation with Rome . This should not be difficult, he said, because the Russians had only fallen into schism through ignorance and not through heresy or malice. He himself was already preaching that everyone should recognise their own individual faults, be they unconscious or involuntary, and the need for expiation. God’s blessings would follow as a result, immense and eternal blessings. Sergius Mikhailovich Soloviev, our great man’s father, a historian and the author of a monumental history of Russia, admired Krijanich as “ the first of the Slavophiles ” and also, in his eyes, “ the most paradoxical ”, so alien did Catholicism then appear to the Russian consciousness. » (English CRC, December 1982, p. 32)

Soloviev intended to prove the contrary. And it was just at this time that he entered into friendly relations with the Croatian Bishop Strossmayer, thereby resuming the thread of an ancient tradition, one which was apparently marginal but which in reality was pregnant with a splendid future. Early in December 1885, Soloviev for the first time received a letter from the Croatian bishop. He replied to him on December 8, “  the blessed Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin  ”:

« On the reunion of the Churches », he wrote, « depends the fate of Russia, the Slavs and the whole world. We Russian Orthodox, and indeed the whole of the East, are incapable of achieving anything before we have expiated the ecclesiastical sin of schism and rendered papal authority its due . » And he ended with these words: « My heart burns with joy at the thought that I have a guide like you. May God long preserve your precious leadership for the good of the Church and the Slav people. » In his pastoral letter of January 1886, the bishop of Djakovo quoted large extracts from this letter.

Encouraged by such support, in 1886 Soloviev undertook a study on Dogmatic development and the question of the reunion of the Churches , which provoked the fury of Orthodoxy. However, at a conference given at the ecclesiastical Academy of Saint Petersburg, Soloviev attempted to justify himself: « I can assure you that I will never pass over to Latinism. » He thereby sought to register his attachment to the Eastern rite. No question for him of adopting the Latin rite ! After that, he set out on a journey to Europe.

FIRST STAY IN ZAGREB (1886)

At the beginning of July, he was the guest of the honourable Canon Racki, President of the Yugoslav Academy of Zagreb, founded by Msgr. Strossmayer, and a personal friend of the latter. Every morning the Orthodox Soloviev assisted at the Catholic Mass with great enthusiasm. He made the sign of the cross in the Catholic manner, but prayed in the Greek manner, crossing his arms on his chest. He willingly admitted to his host – and this was not due to any desire to please on his part – that Croatian Catholics, like the Ukrainians, were more religious than his Orthodox compatriots !

Following an article published in the Croatian journal Katolicki List , Soloviev for the first time encountered opposition from a Catholic priest.

During his stay in Zagreb, he also published a letter in the Russian newspaper Novoie Vremia , wherein he refuted the widespread opinion in Russia that the Croats were the instruments of the Austro-Hungarian government’s attempt to Latinize the Eastern Slavs.

In August, he joined Msgr. Strossmayer in the Styrian Alps, and spent ten marvellous days with him. These two minds were truly made to get along. The mutual admiration they felt for one another reinforced their spiritual friendship. But Soloviev continued to receive Holy Communion at the hands of the Orthodox priest of the Serb parish of Zagreb... Rising above the inevitable criticisms, he then wrote a letter to Msgr. Strossmayer, summarising their initial conversations:

«  The reunion of the Churches would be advantageous to both sides . Rome would gain a devout people enthusiastic for the religious idea, she would gain a faithful and powerful defender. Russia for her part, she who through the will of God holds in her hands the destinies of the East, would not only rid herself of the involuntary sin of schism but, what is more, she would thereby become free to fulfil her great universal mission of uniting around herself all the Slav nations and of founding a new and truly Christian civilisation, a civilisation uniting the characteristics of the one truth and of religious liberty in the supreme principle of charity, encompassing everything in its unity and distributing to everyone the plenitude of the one unique good. »

Such was his transcription of the well known Catholic principle: «  In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas : unity in essentials, liberty in matters of doubt, and in all things charity . Such must be the Charter of Catholic ecumenism under the crook of the one Shepherd. From the start of this crisis, such has been the invitation we have made to our bishops and to our brothers. Today, it is also the will of the Holy Father », wrote our Father in his editorial for September 1978, dedicated to John Paul I, another Saint Pius X without knowing it (English CRC no. 102, p. 6).

When he informed his friends of Soloviev’s letter, Msgr. Strossmayer presented its author as « a candid and truly holy soul ».

Msgr. Strossmayer and Soloviev had agreed to meet again in Rome for the jubilee pilgrimage of 1888. The Croatian bishop decided to pave the way in Rome by writing to Leo XIII’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Rampolla. He presented his Russian friend as «  toto corde et animo catholicus  ». The Pope at first took a personal interest in the affair: « Here is a sheep », he said, « who will soon be clearing the gate of the sheepfold. » But curiously, there was to be no follow-up. It seems that Leo XIII failed to appreciate Soloviev’s genius... However, things were different in France, where an unassuming and ardent rural parish priest latched on to everything that his apostolic zeal could extract from the lightning advances made by the Russian thinker ( see inset , p. 19).

Soloviev returned to Russia at the beginning of October 1886, rather discouraged by the criticisms directed against him on all sides: there were the Orthodox, some of whom had accused him of bringing Orthodoxy into disrepute abroad... and certain Catholics, like Fr. Guettée in France, a modernist priest with little to commend him, whom he had met in Paris in 1876 and who had recently published an article of rare violence against him !

THE “ RETURN OF THE DISSIDENTS ”

June 18, 1887: a young Capuchin, Leopold Mandic, from Herzeg Novi in Bosnia, under the jurisdiction of Msgr. Strossmayer, and studying at the friary in Padua, heard the voice of God inviting him to pray for and promote the return of the Orthodox to the bosom of the one Church of Christ. «  The goal of my life , he would later say, must be the return of the Eastern dissidents to Catholic unity; I must therefore employ all my energies, as far as my littleness allows, to co-operate in such a task through the sacrifice of my life . » Fifty years later, he would still remember this grace: «  June 18, for the record: 1887-1937. Today, I offered the Holy Sacrifice for the Eastern dissidents, for their return to Catholic unity . » Thus the Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate united, in this one same “ ecumenical ” work, the ardent heart of a young Capuchin destined for the altars, the apostolic wisdom of a bishop and the brilliant intuitions of a great thinker.

In January 1887, from the Monastery of Saint Sergius where he had celebrated Christmas, Soloviev wrote an article in which he provided philosophic justification for the three Catholic dogmas which the Orthodox reject, namely the Filioque, the Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility . Here is a « basis for working towards the reunion of the Churches », he explained. A few months later, he published in Zagreb (on account of the censure directed against him in Russia) his book The History and Future of Theocracy .

There he retraced the vast movement of history towards the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Universal Theocracy, the successor of Jewish Theocracy, cannot be conceived, he explained, without an integrally Christian politics, and he concluded with a splendid anthem to Christ Pantocrator receiving from His Father all power on earth and in Heaven and acting through His emissaries, the Apostles and their successors. Soloviev always believed in the privileged vocation of Russia within the Catholic community of Christian nations, even if he stigmatized what he called “ the sin of Russia ”, which was to oppress and hate all those it dominated, in particular Polish Catholics, Greek Uniates, Ruthenians and Jews !

Like a true prophet, he was vigorous in preaching repentance to his people . In order that they might be faithful to their vocation within the great Slav family, Soloviev asked them to give up their inordinate ambitions, to return to a truer and more Christian conception of their destiny, and to accomplish this within the only international organization which could direct its course, Catholicism, that is to say Roman universalism.

«  One of my theses is that the cause of the Reunion of the Churches in Russia demands a podwig (sacrifice) even heavier to bear than that which, already demanding great self-denial, was needed to ensure Russia’s receptivity to Western culture, an event truly disagreeable to the national sentiment of our ancestors .

«  Well ! this sacrifice consists in drawing closer to Rome and it must be attained at all costs. In this lies the remedy for the Russian sin . »

It goes without saying that Soloviev earned himself new enemies with his book. It cost him great personal suffering, but he could not fail the Truth, which he contemplated with ever greater clarity... What greatness of soul this universal genius possessed !

SAINT VLADIMIR AND THE CHRISTIAN STATE

1888 marked the ninth centenary of the baptism of Saint Vladimir, the first prince of Kiev, whose kingdom after his conversion became « the model of Christian States, with evangelical morals », writes our Father (English CRC, December 1982, p. 23). Soloviev used the occasion to give a conference in Moscow, where he reaffirmed that Russia’s destiny was to turn towards Rome, as King Vladimir had ! However, having hardened itself in its schism, the Muscovite hierarchy was no longer animated by the spirit of St. Vladimir. Hence the fury of the Orthodox hierarchs !

At the same time, Msgr. Strossmayer had gone to Rome for the Jubilee. In vain did he wait for Soloviev there. The latter, fearing perhaps that he had made a definitive break with the Orthodox world which he dreamed on the contrary of winning for the Union, had given up the idea of making this journey. It must also be said that Vatican diplomacy hardly inspired more confidence in him. Leo XIII was revealing himself less and less slavophile, reserving his favours for the Germany of old Bismarck and the young William II ! Msgr. Strossmayer lamented this in a letter to Fr. Martynov: «  The Pope is acting against the Slavs. The Roman prelates are like people insane and think only of temporal power !  »

What a difference between Leo XIII and his successor, St. Pius X, who was, in the words of Msgr. Rupp and our Father, the greatest slavophile pope of our times !

Early in May 1888, Soloviev was on a visit to Paris. To explain his thinking to the French public, he gave a conference on the Russian Idea , « the true national idea eternally fixed in the design of God », who longs to spread His light over the whole world. However, Soloviev remained lucid about his own Church: « If the unity of the universal Church founded by Christ only exists among us in a latent state, it is because the official institution represented by our ecclesiastical government and our theological school is not a living part of the universal Church. »

In passing, he described the destruction of the Greek-Uniate Church by the Orthodox as a «  veritable national sin weighing on Russia and paralysing her moral strength  ». That is still the case today...

In July, Kiev celebrated the feast of the baptism of St. Vladimir. From Zagreb Msgr. Strossmayer sent a telegram in which he exalted Russia’s future role in the manner of his friend Soloviev. Scandal ! His remarks were universally reported by the press. Cardinal Rampolla informed the Croatian bishop that Leo XIII was seriously displeased ! The bishop of Djakovo also earned himself the bitter reproaches of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, which is more understandable given the rivalry existing between the two Empires.

In the summer of 1887, Soloviev published in the Universe , the newspaper of Louis Veuillot, three articles on St. Vladimir and the Christian State which caused a great stir. Then he journeyed to Croatia where he remained for one whole month with Msgr. Strossmayer. This meeting was rather sad, for the two friends were increasingly aware that their attempt to reunite the Churches would not succeed, at least in their lifetime.

It was in Djakovo that Soloviev finished the immense prologue to his magisterial book, Russia and the Church Universal , in which one can already glimpse signs of the discouragement that would overwhelm the thinker in the latter part of his life. We know from Fatima that the work of the conversion of Russia, something humanly impossible, has been entrusted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary who has a particular love for this Nation such as to inspire jealousy in others. But this only makes it all the more extraordinary that our prophet should have traced out the course of this conversion, like a true Precursor !

« RUSSIA AND THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL »

Soloviev does not hesitate to delve deep, extremely deep, into the past. To realise its designs in the world, divine Wisdom wished to become incarnate, and the Verb to take flesh like our own. As that was not enough, He also wished to unite to Himself a social and historical body, one that could reach the universality of mankind and communicate to all men His own divine Life. In this magnificent perspective, Soloviev compares the formation of that Body through which God wishes to be united with humanity to that effected in the womb of the Virgin Mary at the time of the Incarnation, and to that which operates every day in the Eucharistic mystery... What was needed for this work was a solid foundation, a Rock:

« This bedrock has been found », he writes, « it is Rome. It is only on the Rock [of Peter and his successors] that the Church is founded. This is not an opinion, it is an imposing historical reality . »

It is also an evangelical truth: «  You are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my Church . » Here Soloviev addresses the Protestants who seek to outbid each other in their attacks against the Primacy of Peter by quoting Jesus’ own words to His Apostle when he was obstructing the Master’s path: «  Get behind me, Satan !  » Soloviev’s response once again shows the clarity of his intelligence and his perfect knowledge of Catholic dogma:

«  There is only one way of harmonising these texts which the inspired Evangelist did not juxtapose without reason. Simon Peter, as supreme pastor and doctor of the universal Church , assisted by God and speaking for all, is, in this capacity, the unshakeable foundation of the House of God and the holder of the keys of the heavenly Kingdom. The same Simon Peter, as a private person, speaking and acting through his own natural forces and an understanding that is purely human , can say and do things that are unworthy, scandalous and even satanic. But personal defects and sins are passing, whereas the social function of the ecclesiastical monarch is permanent. “ Satan ” and the scandal have disappeared, but Peter has remained.  »

Soloviev’s doctrine agrees with that of Vatican Council I and with that of our Father who, at the same time as he makes us venerate Peter’s magisterium, magnificently illustrated by Blessed Pius IX, St. Pius X and John Paul I, accuses John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II of being instruments of “ Satan ” for the ruin of the Church.

However, Christ wished that it should be around Peter that the unity of faith and charity should be formed: «  Since the unity of the faith does not presently exist in the totality of believers, seeing that not all of them are unanimous in matters of religion, it must lie in the legal authority of a single head, an authority assured by divine assistance and the trust of all the faithful . This is the ROCK on which Christ founded His Church and against which the gates of hell will never prevail.  »

Why did this ROCK settle in Rome, and not in Jerusalem, Constantinople or Moscow ? Here we have a further brilliant response from Soloviev: historically Rome represented the order, civilization and terrestrial Empire that would best allow the Church to become the universal spiritual Empire desired by Christ. In a mystical view of the history of Salvation – we would say divine “ orthodromy ” – Soloviev shows how God, wishing to extend salvation to the whole world,  decided one day that His Kingdom should leave Israel for Rome, so that the capital of the pagan Empire should become “ the conjoint instrument ” of His designs:

« The universal monarchy was to stay put; the centre of unity was not to move. But central power itself, its character, its source and its sanction were to be renewed... Instead of an Empire of Might, there was to be a Church of Love. » One thinks of Constantine’s conversion and his imposition throughout the Roman Empire of laws favouring Christianity, and of Theodosius declaring the Christian religion the religion of State. What decisive support for the Gospel ! The remarkable Roman civilization, already the heir of Greece, was put at the service of the Cross of Christ !

Soloviev had some wonderful expressions to describe this, as for example the following: «  Jesus unthroned Caesar... By unthroning the false and impious absolutism of the pagan Caesars, Jesus confirmed and immortalised the universal monarchy of Rome and gave it its true theocratic foundation . »

« Let us not think », comments our Father, « that our theosophist loses his way in a contemplation of evangelical love and freedom. Fully aware of the frailty and shortcomings of humanity, he declares that it is essential, for its effective salvation, that supreme divine power be joined to the firmest social structure, to the virile principle , and not as formerly to the female principle of a virginal flesh for the Incarnation. This firm principle is the imperial monarchical institution which is Rome and Caesar. Converted, elevated and unabolished, the Power of Rome continues in the Pope for the service of the universal community.

« It is only this divino-human pontifical paternity that is capable of forming the basis of the universal fraternity of the peoples, not only through its spiritual influence but also through its authority and its supranational organization. In this monarchy, sacred but popular, the Pope, the Universal Emperor, clearly remains the servant of the servants of God and is, for that very reason, the sovereign Head of the Nations. Opposed to any kind of papolatry, antagonistic to all the encroachments of papism, and quite capable of denouncing such a Pope as Satan, Soloviev raised an imperishable monument to the glory of Rome and pointed out – him, a member of the Orthodox Church – the path of the world’s salvation, which lay in one place only, in the universal Christian order of a restored Roman Catholic Church ... » (French CRC no. 131, July 1978, p. 6)

In his lifetime, Soloviev ran up against a wall of hostility and incomprehension: « I am not so naive », he said, « to seek to convince minds whose private interests are greater than their desire for religious truth. In presenting the general evidence for the permanent primacy of Peter as the basis of the universal Church, I have simply wanted to assist those who are opposed to this truth, not because of their interests and passions, but merely because of their unwitting errors and hereditary prejudices. »

The final period of his life might seem to some like a decline and a renunciation of his prophetic insights, but our Father writes: « Soloviev was too great a mind to be discouraged or to modify his ideas in accordance with the fluctuations of his worldly success. What is certainly true is that his bitter experiences gave him a better knowledge of the Evil that was at work in the world, throwing up formidable obstacles to God’s designs and going so far as to erect a kind of caricature of them. This he denounced as the power of the Antichrist, the Prince of this world, announced in the Scriptures. » (French CRC no. 132, August 1978, p. 12)

At the beginning of the 1890’s, relations between Soloviev and the Orthodox Church deteriorated. «  Given the papaphobia reigning among us , he wrote to a friend, sometimes revealing its underhand character and at other times its stupidity, and always in any event unchristian, I considered and I continue to consider that it is necessary to draw people’s attention to the Rock of the Church laid by Christ Himself and to its positive significance . »

As he persisted in his criticisms, even going so far as to compare the Greco-Russian Church with « the Synagogue », the Orthodox hierarchy, in the person of Pobiedonostev, the Holy Synod’s prosecutor, employed the ultimate weapon at its disposal: it deprived him of the sacraments. One day in 1894, being seriously ill, Soloviev asked to receive the sacraments. His Orthodox confessor refused to give him absolution unless he renounced his Catholic views. Soloviev refused to yield, preferring to forego confession and Holy Communion.

AN AUTHENTIC CONVERSION

The moment had come. On February 18, 1896, he went to see Fr. Nicholas Alexeyevich Tolstoy, a Catholic priest of the Eastern rite exercising his ministry in Moscow. This priest, a former officer, owed him his vocation, his formation (Soloviev having been his teacher) and his conversion to Catholicism. That February 18 was the feast day of Pope St. Leo so dear to Soloviev. Before Mass, he read on his knees the Tridentine symbol of the faith containing the Filioque and a formula declaring that the Church of Rome must be regarded as the head of all the particular Churches. Then he received the Body of Christ at the hands of the Catholic priest.

On the following day, Fr. Tolstoy was denounced and arrested. He managed to escape and to reach Rome first, then France. It was only in 1910 that he would give an account in the Universe of the authentic conversion of Soloviev, and in 1917 that the two witnesses present at the scene would confirm the celebrated Russian’s profession of the Catholic faith. Nevertheless, this conversion was disputed not only by the Orthodox but also by Catholics imbued with a false ecumenism like Msgr. d’Herbigny of sinister memory. But in this matter the facts are indubitable. His entry into the Catholic Church did not, however, in Soloviev’s mind, exclude him from what he called « the true and authentic Eastern or Greco-Russian Church ». Never did he embrace the Latin rite. After the exile of Fr. Tolstoy, as there were no longer any Catholic priests in Moscow apart from those belonging to the Latin rite, Soloviev decided to refrain from receiving the sacraments...

In 1897, a census of the whole of Russia was carried out in which a question was asked about religion. «  I am both Catholic and Orthodox; let the police work that out !  » Soloviev answered.

« Self-important people from Rome and Moscow declared themselves scandalized », writes our Father. « The hour had not yet come for the podwig , for self-renunciation and reconciliation in truth and justice ( pravda ), and for the restoration of the wholly divine unity of communion in love ( sobornost ). Msgr. Rupp thinks that we achieved it with Vatican II. Alas, no ! I hope for and expect it to come with Vatican III... but only after the trial, after conversion and expiation... and after Our Lady’s humble requests have been met. » (English CRC, December 1982, p. 36)

UNDER THE SIGN OF MARY

«  This glow from Heaven emanates from Mary, And vain remains the attraction of the serpent’s venom.  »

On July 17, 1900, sensing death approaching, Soloviev sent for a priest. He was most insistent about this: « Will it be morning soon ? When will the priest come ? » The next day, he made his confession and received Holy Communion at the hands of an Orthodox priest. He died peacefully a few days later, on July 31, «  in the communion of Russian Orthodoxy to which he had ever been faithful, without however disowning the Catholicism of his heart, assured by the example of the Fathers of Russian Christianity, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Saint Vladimir, and so many strastoterptsi , innocents who had suffered the passion , and startsi , slavophiles and romanophiles at the same time, without schism or constraint, in the love of Holy Church and Holy Russia, the Kingdom of God to come !  »

But all this is too beautiful for us not to revisit it, so our Father has decided that we will study in more depth the work of this great Russian thinker, in three parts to appear in subsequent editions of Resurrection , Deo volente:

The vocation of Russia in the designs of God and the concert of the Christian nations: up to and including Putin ?

The Immaculate Virgin Mary , throne of Wisdom, essential beauty of the created world, our ultimate recourse !

The Antichrist unmasked by Soloviev . This was the last service the “ inspired prophet ” rendered to his beloved Russia: that of putting her on her guard against the seductions of the Antichrist. In Rome, at the same time, St. Pius X was also announcing his advent in his encyclical E supremi Apostolatus of October 4, 1903: « The Antichrist is present among us. The Evil shaking the world should not affright us, it will only last a short while. What must fall will fall, and the Church will be reborn from the trial, assisted by her Saviour and ready for extraordinary developments. »

Brother Thomas of Our Lady of Perpetual Help He is risen ! n° 8, August 2001, pp. 13-22

Reference */?>

• Holy Russia
• Vladimir Soloviev, prophet of Russia's conversion
• The Immaculate Conception and the Divine Sophia
• Soloviev (Vladimir)
• Our founder
• The 150 Points of the Phalange
• Catholic Counter-Reformation Analyses
• Preparing the Catholic Renaissance
• Principles of National Restoration
• New publications on the CRC website
• Archives HE IS RISEN!
• Books of Accusation
• Make a donation
• CCR Glossary
• VOD website
• Nederlandstalige site
• Articoli in italiano
• Artículos en español
• Artigos em Português