Entre catedrais e escolas: o desenvolvimento educacional de Cajazeiras à Luz da Igreja Católica.

Abstract

The Catholic Church, being an ancient institution, has been occupying space in society from various sectors, but it is in education that its achievements are seen, recognized and sometimes also criticized. This relationship is observed throughout the history of the colonization of Brazil and the province of Parahyba, when here the priests of the company of Jezus were tasked with catechizing the original and enslaved peoples and thus transmitting the first pedagogical teachings. In Cajazeiras, the place in our research territory, the Church's activities are understood as foundational, since its founder, Father Inácio de Sousa Rolim, directly responsible for the city's foundation, worked to propagate the creed and letters in his primitive Serraria School, cradle of the educational culture of the state of Paraíba. We also need to have sharp eyes to notice that the urban aspects of the place, observed in the streets and avenues of the city, are decorated with churches and schools, which bring in their contours the European architectural features, brought by those who drank from the colonizing sources. The research in question aims to understand the relationship between the Catholic Church and the educational development of Cajazeiras, and how the installations of the first elementary schools and, above all, the installation of higher education institutions were important for the configuration of the city as a she is today. This growth was also driven by the creation of the second diocese in the territory of Paraíba, where Cajazeiras was chosen to be the bishop seat, given its prominence and ascendency among other municipalities at the time. This educational movement in the city of Cajazeiras is made up of characters directly linked to the Church, who are men and women who have made their lives a mission focused on teaching. Therefore, given the scope of the issue and in order to obtain a better understanding, we carried out bibliographical research focusing on the theme of the history of education, especially with regard to Catholic educational practices.