Gibbons is known for a variety of things: sports, fine arts, and clubs, but the foundation of Gibbons is our faith. Gibbons offers a multitude of opportunities for high school students to get closer to their religion, but a simple one that all students share is Theology class.

Freshman, sophomores, and juniors each are required to take a certain theology class. For freshmen it’s introduction to theology, for sophomores it’s scripture, and for juniors, it’s church history, but for seniors, they are given the option to choose which theology class they will take. 

Seniors are given four options of classes that last a semester long. They are: world religions honors and foundations of the Catholic worldview honors, both taught by Mr. Rick Martin, Catholic vocations honors taught by Ms. Christin Bothe, and peace and justice honors taught by Mrs. Peggy Monti.

Foundations of Catholic teachings and World Religions

“I always recommend that juniors who are considering their senior theology options talk to seniors currently enrolled in the classes, who can offer an honest assessment of the work involved and of the student’s ability to succeed based on work ethic/self-discipline,” said Martin in an email response. 

Mr. Martin is the department chair of theology at Gibbons who teaches foundations and world religions. In foundations, they cover the topics of investigating fundamental philosophical questions and how they impact aspects of western society as well as understanding how the Church contrasts with other worldviews and helping students who struggle in Church teachings. In world religions, they discuss different religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Islam. They also investigate why there are different religions and the foundations of their faith.

Catholic Vocations

“When people think of a vocation they think of ideas like ‘Should I be a priest’ but it’s so much more than that. These seniors are starting to make their first adult decisions for college. Catholic Vocations teaches them how they can incorporate God into all future decisions,” said Bothe.

Ms. Bothe is a beloved Theology teacher at Gibbons, whether it is with her seniors this year, or the freshman she had last year. Ms. Bothe only teaches seniors this year in her Catholic Vocations class. She explains that Catholic Vocations can be broken up into four units.

They are: “What do we know about calling in the Catholic Church?,””What are Catholics called to in our relationships with society?” The four states of life the Catholic church recognizes, and decision-making/discernment in Catholicism. Catholic Vocations is a prime example of a class that prepares seniors for the future. Ms. Bothe helps students prepare to make decisions regarding their future, and how they can relate these decisions to the Church.

Peace and Justice

“Making social choices that affect who we are becoming as individuals and as a society, we build up a peaceful justice society that reflects God’s kingdom through love,” said Mrs. Monti.

Monti works in so many areas in our Gibbons community, whether it’s through FYI or Care for Creation, she is deeply dedicated to what she does. Along with her passion for these clubs, Ms. Monti loves teaching her class, Peace and Justice. 

Peace and Justice helps give a vital understanding of how humans and our society can build up a just and loving society based on scripture and moral teachings. In the first part of the semester, they discuss the concept of peace and justice, and understand what these concepts are through scriptures. Then, they discuss the parts of moral theology and how we make choices in life. Finally, they talk about the individuals they are becoming based on important decisions they need to make based on the seven principles of Catholic teachings and how they reply to issues like immigration, climate change, and gun violence.

 “I love Catholic social teaching because it is one of my favorite things about being a Catholic,” said Monti.

Choosing a senior theology is more important than we think. These classes demonstrate how our generation can carry out an impactful, loving, knowledgeable society based on God’s teachings.