Introduction

Catholic school leaders are faced with a vibrant invitation to lead in a new way. Catholic schools like the Catholic Church and contemporary society have experienced an array of changes since the time of the Council of Vatican II in the 1960s. These changes within Catholic schools created a whole new set of issues for Catholic school leadership. Many of these issues, such as the identity of Catholic schools and the contemporary scene of Catholic schools, are addressed by our esteemed colleagues in Catholic education in The Contemporary Catholic School: Context, Identity and Diversity (Falmer Press, 1996). In that book, an array of essays on Catholic education provided a perspective on central questions, which confront Catholic schools from both sides of the Atlantic. Many contributors to that volume call forth a new awareness of justice and diversity in Catholic schools, which continues to challenge both the research with Catholic schools as well as the practices within Catholic schools.