The old adage of "you never stop learning" certainly held true for the 17,000 Catholic educators who attended the National Catholic Educational Association's 101st annual convention in Boston April 13-16.

Catholic school teachers and principals, religious education directors and teachers and diocesan officials learned not only how to teach better, but also how education involves far more than helping students master the basic subjects or tenets of the faith, CNS reported.

Workshops were designed to help Catholic educators help students navigate a complex world of violence, school bullies, sexual messages and fast-paced technology, all while operating on a small budget with limited resources in a difficult economy.

These factors combined with the convention's Boston location, the center of the clergy sexual abuse scandal two years ago, provided plenty of material for the educators to discuss.

The abuse crisis was mentioned in each of the convention's three keynote addresses and also in many of the workshops.

In the opening address April 13, Boston Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley said Catholic educators today face enormous challenges because of sexual immorality in modern culture, an overall indifference to the Catholic faith and a decreased trust in the church because of the clergy sexual abuse scandal.

The archbishop said young Catholics particularly need mentors during this time when "we run the risk of being overwhelmed by the bad examples of priests and bishops."

"Our task is not just to teach people about God but to help them to know God and his love," he said, adding that students will hopefully understand this not as "mere information" but as something that will give them "deeper meaning" for their lives.

Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, an education professor at Harvard University and a sociologist and author, told educators April 14 that during this time of crisis in the church, when people have "lost some of their trust in priests and bishops, people may turn to Catholic school teachers as respected leaders and translators of God's word."

"Thus parent-teacher dialogue will take on a more powerful role," she said.

In the convention's closing address April 16, Father J. Bryan Hehir, president of Catholic Charities in Boston, acknowledged that Catholic educators have to continue their work under the "added burden" of the abuse scandal and that they have a crucial role now in rebuilding trust in the church.

In a workshop that focused on how schools could implement the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," developed by the U.S. bishops and approved in 2002, panelists said that Catholic educators are key to making sure sexual abuse of children does not happen.

"Your role is unique in the face of this crisis," said Joan C. Duffell, director of community education for the Committee for Children, a Seattle nonprofit organization that provides curriculum materials.

She told a group of about 30 educators April 13 that they were in the "best position to focus on prevention" because of their high standards and their knowledge of children and their families.