Supplements

 

Supplements

Parish Religious Education

Faith Formation Classes Begin for Youth in Diocese of Belleville

Story and photo by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

Catechetical Sunday - this year Sept. 15-16 - annually marks a time when parishes recognize the importance of teaching and passing on the faith to younger members. Recognizing the parents are the first teachers of their children, catechists add to and amplify those teachings to include sacramental preparation and training in Catholic doctrine and morality among other important topics to be discussed throughout the year.

Parishes rely on volunteer catechists to teach classes on a week night or a Sunday morning in their individual parishes and now, sometimes through their cluster associations.

This year, St. Dominic's and St. Augustine's in Breese have been joined by St. Anthony's in Beckemeyer to form their children in faith with Phyllis Mensing overseeing the program.
"Coming together and sharing our talents and resources makes each of our parishes more alive and vibrant," Mensing said.

Emphasizing the unity of the program, students, parents and teachers gathered for an opening Eucharist Sept. 5 at St. Dominic's.

Catechists for the Breese cluster program come from all three parishes, Mensing said.
"This is increasingly the picture of our faith: a number of people coming together for a single purpose," Mensing said. "The place is not important, but the faith sharing and development are the keys."

This year, newly ordained Father Ben Stern will be spending time in the classrooms with students in the Breese cluster program, she added. Father Stern taught religious education classes at St. Peter Cathedral when he was still a seminarian.

" I'm really looking forward to it," Father Stern said. "I love spending time with the young people."

At Holy Childhood, Marilyn Byrne gathered her catechists for orientation and training before the first class on Sept. 9.
Each year Byrne gives her catechists a copy of a publication recommended by the diocese. This year she gave each catechist a copy of the "Handbook for Today's Catholic" produced by Liguori publications.

This year, Byrne also welcomed back Johan Abington, one of her catechists who spent last year in Iraq.
Byrne said the parish changed from Wednesday evenings to Sunday mornings, and she hopes to offer some formation for parents while their children are in class. Having classes for the children on Sunday mornings will provide more of an opportunity to share a cup of coffee and conversation.

Byrne has been overseeing Holy Childhood's program for a number of years. She works with the program for a number of reasons: "I like children and every child deserves an education to learn about their God and about our faith."
Both Byrne and Mensing participated in LIMEX, a distance learning program offered through Loyola University in New Orleans, La.

Mensing sees a value in her LIMEX classes and hopes to incorporate some of her experience from those classes into the cluster program at St. Dominic's.

"Witness value is important in a simple task of driving the children to class," Mensing said. While their parents drive them, they see other parents bringing their children to the parish for classes. "The importance of so many people gathering on a Wednesday night does not escape them," Mensing said.

As people become more comfortable with the three-parish program, Mensing too hopes to provide an opportunity for parents to gather and discuss their faith.

The theme for this year's Catechetical Sunday was Encountering the Living Christ. The catechists and program directors already see this happening.