As another summer full of fun, vacations, camps, and activities winds down, we look forward to the routine and normalcy of a new school year. Once the children get settled into their new classrooms and school schedules, we look forward to welcoming them back to our classrooms for another great year for our Religious Education program!
“Each year, our goal for our program is to develop a living, conscious, active faith for our students and parents,” says Kande Batz. “We strive to encourage students to live their faith, promoting Sacred Tradition, Scripture, and Doctrines of the Catholic faith. We encourage our students to be dedicated in service of God, the parish, and our community.”
Each year, the children come through our doors and we strive to assist their parents with raising their children in the Catholic faith. Some of the programs include parent formation as well, which helps the entire family grow in their faith together. Parents are the first educators of their children, so our mission is to assist the parents with the important task of passing on the faith.
“Religious education contributes significantly to the whole person,” Kande says. “As our students learn about the faith, they develop a stronger sense of morality and ethical values. Religious education provides tools to figure out what harms them and what helps them in our current society and culture.”
The parish utilizes a great curriculum from Pflaum Publishing that offers a lot of helpful online resources. However, the success of our program is largely reliant on our creative volunteer catechists. These catechists are responsible for preparing for classes, teaching the students, and encouraging them to share the message with their families at home.
“Teaching kids is a big responsibility because it is not simply teaching through the materials, but offering examples with our lives,” Kande says. “Our catechists are committed, responsible, generous people who, above all, have a deep spiritual life that is an example for our students.”
Though it is a great responsibility, teaching the children about the faith is a very rewarding endeavor. The joy and liveliness that the children bring to their teachers is a great part of the job.
There is always a need for additional catechist teachers, as well as a need for substitutes.
To serve with our Religious Education program, call the parish office to talk to one of the priests, or Yvonne or Kande. Registration for Faith Formation will take place in August — watch the bulletin for announcements. Classes begin in September.