Alternative Religious Education Program – Part 2

Before summer gets away I wanted to follow up upon my first entry with the same title.  Our 2 week intensive Religious Education or as we call it “School of Religion” Program is the only one of its kind in our metro area.  Many parishes loathe the fact that we offer such a program.  Many even at our own parish believe it is merely a way to “get a year done” quickly.  But there are a few things that need to be pointed out about this kind of program.  First, no program is perfect.  Yes, there is the potential for parents to sign their busy child up for two weeks in the summer so they don’t have to take religious formation classes during the year, but that does not mean they are not learning during the year.  Granted, it is possible that they are not doing anything during the year (other than hopefully going to Mass every Sunday).   Our program now requires students and parents to come twice in the Fall and twice in the Spring for “Enrichment Sessions” where they build community and continue to grow in faith.  Another key advantage of this program (which is from 9:00am to 12:30pm) is that for most of the students this is the only form of “education” they are getting during those two weeks.  During the year students who go to religious formation during the year have been in school all day and then have to come to our parish for another hour and 15 minutes.  This presents challenges of its own that are not a factor in our summer program.  Also, students seem to process and retain the information and formation they are receiving  because they have it day after day instead of only once a week.  Many parents share how they believe their child gets more out of the summer because they are finding it easier for their child to connect the dots about their faith. 

Although I was unsure when I first began working at the parish, I now am an advocate of the summer program.  Feel free to contact me about it and I’d be happy to share more.

 

Alternative Religious Education Program

About 5 years ago my parish began an alternative Religious Ed. Program.  It offers an intensive two week session that is 3 and a half hours a day for two weeks.  This year we have 27o registered.  Granted there are pro’s and con’s to having an intensive summer program, but there are also many advantages.

This year I’ve worked hard to make sure the classes are covering the same amount of material as the school year.  I’ve outlined the chapters for each grade (1st, 3rd – 6th) in order to help the catechists be prepared and ready to execute in such an intense time frame.  Our program also has crafts, music, a church tour, time for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Stations of the Cross, Mass, a service project and a food drive.  It’s an exciting program!  I’ll share more soon on the pro’s and con’s of this type of program.  I will leave you with one thought…it is a program that meets a rising need of parents: to make sure their children receive good religious formation in an environment that puts so many demands on parents and kids.

 

New Models and Systems in Catechesis

In a previous post I had spoken of the National Directory for Catechesis articulating that in the modern world there is a need to “investigate new possibilities offered by the existence of the new technologies and imagine whole new models and systems if the Gospel message is to penetrate the culture, make sense to the next generation of Catholics, and bring about a response of faith” (from the Introduction under “challenges in the Ministry of Catechesis).

What will this look like in Religious Education?  How can we bring this New Evangelization into the classroom and engage the next generation of Catholics and most importantly “bring about a response of faith”?

I’ll share three things I think we as catechetical leaders must do:

1) These new models and systems must involve parents.   We must give back what education has often taken away – their role as the primary educators.  We cannot have the success we desire if the parents are mostly on the outside looking in.  We must find better ways to involve them and empower them as the one who is primary in the faith formation of their child.  

2) These models must involve a greater engagement of those being taught through what I would call “movement”  in a classroom setting.  Presentations from the Catechist that last most of the class will no longer reach the children and youth of today.  Classrooms must move around, go to the church or some location that one can teach from but our method of teaching must go beyond staying in the classroom and merely presenting the topic to the students present.    

3) We need to use more of the tools at our disposal – technology.  Media, movies, power-point, video clips, art, and other props to help engage the attention of students.  

These three means are not exhaustive or intended to limit the other possibilities, but are to begin to move toward models of teaching and passing on the Faith that will help bring about a response of faith from those we are teaching.  May the Holy Spirit lead us and speak to the hearts of those we are seeking to pass the Faith onto.

 

For God so loved the world…He gave

The Heart of the Gospel Message – love and heroic sacrifice go together.  This past Sunday’s Gospel from John Chapter 3 reminds me of a truth that is sometimes forgotten in Religious Education Circles.  Love is the obvious foundation to the Gospel message, but love it not isolated from suffering, sacrifice and demands.  God the Father not only sent His Son, who is also God, to take on human flesh so He could raise us up to new life, but he also planned in the fullness of time to redeem the world, more specifically you and I so that we could have life and not die but have eternal life.  Without this love, love incarnate dying and suffering we could not have life with God.  Wow.  Now that’s Amazing Love!

Sometimes in our Religious Education Programs we hear parents and catechists talk about how we should show our students only love and reveal to them the depths of God’s love.  When we are labeled as requiring too much when we expect more than the minimum.  When we seek to discuss why a child is not doing any of the necessary activities/homework the Religious Education program is labeled as demanding.  Even catechists share that they focus more on the kindness, joy and love of Jesus but don’t really like to discuss the strong teachings of Jesus like taking up your cross to follow Jesus. 

The greatest, St. Paul says, “is love”.  However, love this deep requires something; it demands a response that is not lukewarm or divided – it requires sacrifice and a committed response.  Without that Jesus would have not been able to make it to the end – to Calvary and be sacrificed, disgraced, beaten, naked and nailed on the cross.  

Our Religious Education efforts have requirements and our message in the classroom should as well so that the Gospel may not only be conveyed as a nice, pleasant and comforting story.  It must also help us be liberated from mediocrity, from expecting only a teddy bear Jesus to be encountered.  

May the heroic love and sacrifice of Christ compel us to respond to God’s invitation to commit our whole lives to Christ and His will for the students we teach and all those handing on the deposit of faith.

 

Take The Quiz

Here is a great quiz put out by Catholic Answers about some key aspects of the Catholic Faith. Test your knowledge and see how you do.

www.catholic.com/thisrock/1993/9302fea1.asp

 

Advent…A time for examination

I like to read In Conversation with God by Fr. Francis Fernandez during Advent.  He has a lot of great insights, but let me share one of them…

“If we are aware that our sight is clouded and that we don’t see clearly the radiance emanating from Bethlehem, from the infant Jesus, it is time to rid ourselves of whatever impairs our vision.  Now is the time for a specially good examination of conscience and for a thorough interior purification which will befit us to receive and to welcome that expected guest who is God.  It is the moment to take note of the things that separate us from Him, to loosen their hold and cast them from us.  Our examination, then, must penetrate to the very roots of our actions and scrutinize deep down in our hearts the motives which inspire our actions. ” 

How do we pass this on to others? Below are ideas for both children and adults.

To Children… let me share 3 ways:

1. Give students an examination of conscience and walk them through it.

2. Help studnets see that the meaning of this time of year is not in things but in giving and sharing the joy of Jesus with others. 

3. Have students to make a list of things that are not material.  Reflect with them how material things come and go but love, joy, peace, family together, family caring for each other means far more than a toy or video game that can break or be stolen or become outdated.

 

Helping Adults…let me share 3 ways:

1. Invite another adult to your parish Penance Service during advent.

2. Put an advent calender up in your office or work space and watch others take interest.

3. Pray for an opportunity to share why this season is more than giving gifts and keeping up with the “Joneses”

 

New Models and Systems

The National Directory for Catechesis speaks about the need in the modern world to “investigate new possibilities offered by the existence of the new technologies and imagine whole new models and systems if the Gospel message is to penetrate the culture, make sense to the next generation of Catholics, and bring about a response of faith” (from the Introduction under “challenges in the Ministry of Catechesis).

My post today is more of a question…What are the “new models” that we ought to be considering? What are the “new systems” to bring about the Gospel message to a modern culture? I have some ideas, but for now I will just pose the question.

 

What is Needed in Catechesis in the Third Millennium

After listening to a presentation given by Fr. Alfred McBride about the General Directory of Catechesis I derived a few key points regarding important components that are needed in the work of catechesis today. See the following 6 points.

1. Catechesis needs a greater appreciation of the Catechumenal Process. The GDC encourages the catechumenal model as the ideal model for catechesis.

2. Catechesis must connect Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium. These three categories go together when teaching the Catholic Faith.

3. Catechesis on Jesus Christ must emphasize both the humanity and divinity of Christ. One aspect cannot be taught at the expense of the other.

4. Catechesis needs to bring forth the realities of grace and sin. Over the last 40 years the reality of sin is too often brushed over and only grace is emphasized.

5. The link between catechesis and liturgy is vital to drawing others into communion with Christ and the Christian life.

6. Catechetical methods need to focus on God’s pedagogy. Too often experience is used at the cost of authentic content. Using experience to draw people into the faith is at the service of what is true. Not truth at the service of experience.

 

First Reconciliation

At every parish I’ve worked at there has been a day of reflection for the children preparing for First Penance/Reconciliation.  Often a video is shown regarding a child preparing for the Sacrament of Reconcilaition  There are a number of 2nd grade videos out there, however the ones I’ve seen are all dated.  Does anyone know of a First Penance/Reconciliation video that is good and has come out in the last couple of years?  We, as Catholics, have a great need to improve our media resources especially in the area of sacramental preparation.

 

Christian Initiation for Children

Over the last couple year’s I have had an increasing number of older children who need to be prepared for Sacraments.  There are various reasons why a child had not been prepared at the traditional time but the most common is the parents fell away from the practice of the faith for a period of time and they are ready to begin again.  What a wonderful thing – beginning again!  It is very exciting to help prepare children, especially through their parents.

The following attempts to describe the average parish situation: 

1) If a child is past the 2nd grade and has not received Reconciliation or Eucharist then they come to the parish seeking direction on what they need to do.

2) Parishes seem to do the following:  a) they recommend that the student enroll in the Religious Education Program and the studentsattends the specific grade level class that they are in at school.  b) Some parishes have a special sacramental preparation program that meets on a regular basis (once a week, every other week, or once a month) outside of the class they are already attending.   c)other parishes have a one or two year Christian Initiation Program for Children (also known as CIC or RCIC).  This Program not only meets on a regular basis but it follows the Rite of Christian Initiation promulgated by the Second Vatican Council.  This rite came about as a result of the call for the renewal of the 4th Century Catechumenate. 

3) My thoughts: The pastoral issue regarding Christian initiation for children is interesting, because Christian Initiation for Children is ideal but not easy to implement.  In addition, there is not a lot of martial available which provides the necessary curriculum for a separate”class” or “session” for these students.  Currently I meet with the parents and give them material to help them prepare their child for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.  Most of the students who need to be “caught up to speed” are in our School of Religion Program in their particular grade level class.  The parents are helping prepare them for the reception of the sacraments at home.  

I continue to seek input for others on what they are doing to help prepare children who are receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and Eucharist at non-traditional times.