Catholic schools have an important role in helping cultivate the future adult laity, especially given the continuing numerical decline and ageing of clergy and vowed religious persons. As there is demonstrable plurality among the laity on some issues that are controversial within the Church, however, and receiving and responding to controversy is an inherent feature of participation and leadership in the Church, it stands that the way in which Catholic schools frame the discussion of controversial issues will have some influence upon the way in which today's students imagine their future participation as adults in the Church. This paper demonstrates how Catholic students in a private Catholic high school perceive its role in discussing issues such as contraception, same-sex marriage, and abortion. The findings reveal a variety of perspectives on what students think a Catholic school should emphasise, and the discussion explores their implications for Catholic educational theory and practice.