School Pastoral Aspects of the Catholics Schools in Brazil

Abstract

The Catholic confessional school had been present in Brazil since the beginning of the colonization, above all by the Jesuits. Over the years, however, the political situation gave different roles to it. Nowadays, the Catholic school remains a presence in the Brazilian educational scenario and because of this it is the focus of this study that shows the results of the analysis of two questionnaires answered by such institutions, in order to compare the advances, especially concerning the ER identification as an area of knowledge, and the emerging of a specific sector for evangelization called, by most, as Pastoral School. Performed respectively in 2004 and 2015, the questionnaires show a maturation process on the proposals for evangelization activities in schools, with greater emphasis on professional training, reflective processes expressed in planning and the perception of other forms of school evangelization outside the classroom, proposing solidarity actions and promoting youth groups beyond the traditional liturgical calendar. The answers collected also express the concern towards the ones receiving such action as well as religious and cultural diversities that call for education for the dialogue and acceptance of differences.