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Greetings!
Pope Leo’s apostolic letter, Drawing New Maps of Hope, outlines three priorities for Catholic education, the second of which centers on forming the “digital human” by placing the person before the algorithm. This call invites us to harmonize technological skill with the emotional, social, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of our students’ lives. It reminds us that while digital tools can extend our reach, it is the human encounter that forms disciples.
In this spirit, the work emerging from Meaghan Crowley-Sullivan and the iDEAL Institute at Loyola Marymount University offers a valuable contribution. Her Catholic Companion Framework for Technology and Innovation provides a thoughtful structure for helping our schools approach new digital tools without losing sight of our mission. Rather than beginning with devices or platforms, the framework begins with the truths of our faith and invites educators to consider how technology can support human flourishing, virtue, and authentic encounter.
The framework encourages schools to think across developmental stages and ministries (classrooms, leadership teams, parish programs, and family life), giving us a shared orientation as we discern the place of AI and emerging technologies in Catholic education. It does not offer quick fixes; it prompts formation. It helps us prepare students who are grounded in faith, capable with technology, and committed to the common good.
As we look ahead, this kind of guidance will be essential. In that same direction, Justyna King, our Assistant Superintendent of Academic Excellence, is leading a committee this year to help us further clarify how AI can be integrated faithfully and effectively into our classrooms. The horizon of innovation is shifting rapidly, but our purpose remains steady: to shape young people who know their dignity, engage the world with wisdom, and use every tool, digital or otherwise, in service of the common good.
With gratitude,
NICHOLAS FORD | Superintendent
Office for Catholic Schools | Archdiocese of Seattle
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