Bad Catechism

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adstrinity

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Perhaps this doesn’t belong in this folder. For that I apologise.

IF you want to know why the average Catholic doesn’t know much and have always wondered why the “Average Catholic” is easy pickin’s for…well…anybody, it was just as you all had feared: Bad Catechism!!!

Let me tell you all so far about my experience with this. A few weeks ago, I was woken up by a phone call and rather than go to a church 30 mintues away later in the day, I decided to get up and go to a church 20 minutes away the opposite direction and earlier that Sunday. I note that in the announcements section of the bulletin, they need Religious Education Catechists for 7th Grade. I find this out on Sunday. Monday was the holiday, I wasn’t feeling well on Tuesday, I called on Wednesday and left a message. I got the call back on Wednesday and was asked if I could go in that night for a few hours for some meeting thing. Also, I was asked if I could teach 6th Grade instead. Not a problem. We watched a video. A horrendous video. Maybe other catechists have seen it, it’s called, “Echos of Faith: Getting Started as a Catechist.” In it, 4 different catechists were saying how they have conducted their classes and how the children really respond and how great it is. You know what I saw? I saw the catechists talking down to the children (mostly teens, but, also younger classes), watering down the faith, not teaching, and not really teaching. And furthermore, the teens were clearly laughing at them, but, in a way the catechists couldn’t see.

When I went in on Wednesday to meet up with the DRE she asked if I could teach RCIA 1, which is 2nd & 3rd graders. Not a problem. Not a problem at all. Also that Wednesday, I get handed a bunch of paperwork (when one is around kids, the Archdiocese, for some strange reason, wants to make sure you’re not a convicted fellon or a kiddie-fiddler) to complete. Some of it could be completed online. In addition to doing the paperwork, I find out that there is a Virtus class. In it, I later find out, we watch another video, “Protecting God’s Children”. …More on that, later. Anyway, because I want to teach the students, and I don’t know if all this has to be completed before I begin teaching on Saturday, I note that there is this Virtus workshop that I have to attend. Between that Thursday that I find out and two days later, Saturday morning, I see that there is one class. In English. Availiable to the public. That night. By the grace of God, I sign up to go to it so I can have SOME sort of prep or unofficial quasi-certification thingie of sorts. I now view it as doing a shot of tequila – best just to get it over with and it didn’t leave me in the best of moods afterwards.
 
Let me tell you WHY I hated this video so much; it is because it is a video of child abuse which interviews the child molestors themselves, experts about the situation, and “victims.” I say, “victims”, because it was SO VERY CLEAR THAT THESE PEOPLE (BOTH TEENS AND “PARENTS”) WERE ACTORS THAT IT WAS INSULTING TO ANYBODY WHO HAS WATCHED A “LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT” MARATHON that I felt, to pass them off as the actual victims was insulting and patronising. Yes, I know, it wouldn’t have been fair or propper or moral to have the actual victims participate, but, do a voice-over or something. If these kids were really the victims, they would have had a much harder time talking about it and they wouldn’t be trying to find their good side for the light and the angle of their bodies. My friend, when I told her about how awful this was, asked if it was the, “Protecting God’s Children” video. I said yes it was. She said she felt the same way when she had to watch that for a religion class, but, unlike her, I at least got a social worker who knew some current statistics and better ways of recognizing symptoms of abuse.

I go to see the DRE on Friday and hand her in my paperwork. She is surprised that I have so much completed (I didn’t have a job…I just got hired today, I fill out paperwork tomorrow…so, it’s not like I had anything better to do than to devote my time to this). I go over with her the things that I want to go over during the year.

10 days later

Let’s just sum this all up because to go into detail would last too long and I am too upset at what happened yesterday to chronologically follow.

I am going to permit Protestants and all enemies of the Catholic faith to quote this because this is the exact thing that Protestants fear and enimies of the Catholic faith revel in; Catholics this will make you cringe.

I have to submit my lesson plans to the DRE (is this a common practice?) and this week, we are finally off of prayer (thought 2/3 of my students still do not have The Lord’s Prayer memorised) and learning about God. Before we began about God, however, my 3rd grade girl last week had a question, “Is it true we have gardian angels?” I said yes and I would show her where next week. This week, I showed my DRE the plans. I would begin with the review of gardian angels and read the Bible to show WHERE it says that, THEN, since yesterday was the Feast Day of the Archangels (and I got the impression that the DRE didn’t know much about them as she thought Ariel was mentioned in the Bible and when I showed her my saint’s card that I showed the children of St. Raphael, I went into he is the healer and pictured with the fish because…), and since all the archangels have, “God” somewhere in the meaning of their names, segue to God.

I was disciplined for going over the children’s head’s…again. I teach RCIA 1. I have a second grade girl, a third grade girl, and a third grade boy. They have been baptised…and nothing else. The DRE thought my lesson plans originally were much to advanced because, “THESE CHILDREN DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO CROSS THEMSELVES!!!” I didn’t see this as a problem, (it took them three weeks to get it right, incidentally), but, she thought it was a federal case.
 
Anyway, back to the gardian angels, I had four Bible passages (we use a children’s Bible with the Protestant OT, the 7 Dueterocananocal books and other Apocrapha books, and the NT. Needless to say, it does not have an Impimatur nor a Nihil Obstat. I asked DRE if these are the bibles the students get next year. She said no. I asked why are we using them (because the lack of Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat concerns me, you see) and she said because they are the only children’s bible with all the Catholic books that isn’t a picture/story Bible.) explaining yes we do have gardian angels. I did this because 1. They would know that this is what the Bible says, 2. I would know where the Bible says it, 3. They wouldn’t think that it’s just some feel good new-age hippie every Christmas see-on-TV phenomenon. After class & I was lingering in the DRE’s office (she had books about the saints and I wanted to perouse through them to see if any would be appropriate for the children of my class), she asks me, “Who is the first Pope?” I said, “Peter.” She said that I mentioned that Michael was the first Pope, but, maybe my aide (who alledgedly told her I said this) said she misunderstood me. I did this all in class while reading about Gardian Angels (Acts 12:15). My aide asked the students, “Do you know who/what the Pope is?” They said no. I said that Jesus is our head but the physical leader of the church here on Earth is the Pope.

Anyway, I was told, I shouldn’t have mentioned the Pope because I am going over these children’s heads. I conceeded to the DRE that it surprised me the children didn’t know who the Pope is. But, back to the gardian angels. She asked me why my binder of saints cards was on the prayer cloth (I am sure I will explain later) but not the Bible. I told her both typically are, but, I was reading from the Bible. She asked me why I did that and was I talking about Gardian Angels or Archangels. I told her I lead from one to the other. That’s why I was reading the Bible. Her quote:

“You shouldn’t read the Bible to the children, it befuddles their little minds.”

I shouldn’t have read the Bible about this because it will confuse them. She also told me, “You shouldn’t have let it get this far. When she asked, ‘Is it true we have gardian angels?’ you should have said, ‘Yes. God sends angels to protect and care for us.’”

Incidentally, I was telling a Catholic friend in her 40s about this yesterday and she asked, in all eagerness and concern, “Where are gardian angels mentioned in the Bible? I alwas thought it was a fairy tale just to tell children.” THIS is what I do not want of my students, however young they may be. I want them to say, when they are told there are no such thing as gardian angels, “Nuh-huh! I read it in the Bible, myself!”

There hasn’t been a class (save for the first) where I haven’t used the Bible. If the text says, “you can find this story in the Bible,” or paraphrases some story IN the Bible,I always default to and read from the Bible.

After the DRE told me not to go to the Bible, she then used examples of how she sometimes reads the Bible at people and sometimes she doesn’t, depending on the situation and the context.

I have been told NOT to read the Bible in RCIA 1 to my students (though, I think this does not apply to all situations…by the way, the RE dept. gave me the Bible which I am using), and then was told how sometimes the DRE sometimes reads the Bible at people. I was told I couldn’t bring up the Pope…in an RCIA 1 class…though, this may be appropriate later in the year.

If a child asks a question (typically it is always the third grade girl), I have to answer it simply, and I have to dumb everything down in case the other two children wont understand.

One time when I asked what is the next prayer I should teach them, “The Hail Mary,” “The Glory Be,” “The Apostle’s Creed…” the DRE told me there is no need for them to learn the Apostle’s Creed [at this age]. I told her that we are going to teach them the Rosary, though. “The Apostle’s Creed has nothing to do with the Rosary.” I showed her the class text (the secondary one) and how it said “The Apostle’s Creed” next to the crucifix. “The Apostle’s Creed has nothing to do with the Rosary.” I then read from the text. “Step one: Make the Sign of the Cross. Step Two: Say The Apostle’s Creed…” “Wait a minute, let me check something out.” The thing is, she is in charge of all the children’s souls…or something…it is her job to make sure they make Confirmation.
 
And that is another thing. My primary objective is NOT really to teach about God or the church (though, I do have to, as she told me) but to get them to want to come back to class. She told me, after my first class, middle of the week as she was reviewing my lesson plans for next week that a child didn’t want to come back. There was a parent who called and complained. I do not know if that is true, but, she told me that and, well, okay, I’ll change then.

Other things I cannot teach: The Trinity. It will confuse them. I can mention God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, but, I cannot say or explain, “Trinity.” This was brought on by me wanting to show the children this picture: http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m110/euphrony/Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.png

But, that would confuse them.

I cannot mention Hell or Purgatory, but I can mention Sin…and apparently that the Devil is a fallen Angel.

I wanted to read Gen 1 & 2 while the students drew God (the Father…though, I didn’t specify), but, I was told that would confuse them, to read both, I could read one OR the other. I told the DRE I wanted to read 1 & 2 so that next week, when we learn about Jesus, I could read Gen. 3, specifically 3:15, and show them that God has pretty much ALWAYS promised to send Jesus. She said THAT would go over their heads to just leave it simple; Jesus is the Son of God and Mary, blah, blah, blah…

I was told that in the beginning of the year that the children would get binders and homework that way they would know this is a real class with homework. I have since been told that this is not a regular class, this is much looser than a regular class and not to give homework. My aide told me with an air of finality not to really give these students homework because she helps her son every night with three hours of homework, not to mention extracurricular activities and if she also had to help him with catechism homework, she would scream.

In the meantime, I told my students that this is the most important class they will ever take, (my second grade girl exclaimed, “I didn’t know that!”), and I can teach them all they want, but, they have to live it. …I also told them about the Trinity, but, that was before I was told I couldn’t, and that was because I am having them cross themselves with their first two fingers touching their thumb and their ring & pinky fingers resting on their palm because when I said, “using your middle finger…,” my second grader did just that…used ONLY her middle finger to bless herself, but, she was holding all the others down, so, as she was sealing herself she was simultaneously flipping me off.

I have also been told by a catechist who taught the same subject of class last year that a student came up to her and told her, ‘my mom says I don’t have to do the homework so I am not doing the homework!’ WHY send your child to a religious ed class if you are not going to enforce it?!! Basically you are telling him/her it is a waste of time and not a priority!!! Grrrrr…

Incidentally, my DRE keeps telling me that if I had an older class, the Bible would be appropriate to make them look up things, but, whenever I tell my friends who have gone through CCD (which, admittingly, is not the same as RCIA 1), they tell me, “Yeah, right.” More than one person replies this way.

Also, I had to get rid of the saints cards depicting a bleeding Jesus. He could be crucified, just not bleeding. Too intense I think I was told. When would subjecting children to THAT be appropriate?
 
Hello adstrinity,

My heart goes out to you. It’s been over 10 years since I last taught a CCD class. Over the years I taught 2 years of 11th grade and 5 years of 8th grade. Never once did I have good materials - one year in particular the material was really bad. At the time I don’t know if there were good materials available. The situation has changed now from what I hear.

In retrospect - after reading your account - I guess one blessing I had was that I never had to account to the DRE for what I taught - never had to submit my lesson plans. I call it a blessing because one DRE was definitely liberal and the other was young and was never properly catechized herself, thus unable to see the faults in the materials (the really bad material I mentioned). I went to the priest (a good priest) and wanted him to read the material. Unfortunately he did not wish to. But, he told me to go ahead and teach the class as I wished (said he felt he knew me well enough to allow that). Incidentally, that year there were absolutely no books for the students, thank heavens, - just a big fat teacher’s manual.

It’s too bad you have to have an assistant - one who seems to report to the DRE. Otherwise I would just pass on the advice that I once read, given by a faithful, orthodox, Catholic CCD teacher, (paraphrased):
“Sit through all the preparatory talks/training and accept the materials given to you - in silence and with a smile. Then, when it’s time for class to begin, go into the classroom, close the door, and TEACH THE FAITH.”

Nita
 
Yes, there is a lot of work to do in this area!
CCD was bad when I went over 20 years ago, The “teachers” were newlyweds who sat gazing into each others eyes and didn’t say much. I ran away and joined a methodist youth group, they were fun and met on the weekends when I needed something to do instead of during the week when I had homework etc. (hey, I was in high school, those were my priorities).
I am back in the church now, but didn’t send my kids to CCD, the format and “teachers” (parents with very little or no training) were the same so I didn’t even bother. I’d rather have them know nothing than run away screaming like I did.
They have learned about their faith by going to mass, asking questions (that I usually can’t answer) then looking things up on the internet. I wish I could be the one to answer them instead of the internet because it feels hypocritical to say “we are Catholic” and then not knowing what it means. I keep trying to learn on my own but it is not easy and there is always the potential to get off on some weird site when you are dependant on the internet.
It’s such a beautiful faith with such a rich history I wish there was a better way to share it.
 
Sounds like you should not be a catechist in this parish’s programs. Also, I do not understand why a class with 2nd and 3rd graders is RCIA. Faith formation in children is not RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). There seems much confusion here. And, I fail to see the problem in using actors in a video (although the video I saw used actual victims),
 
A friend and I taught an RE class once a week and had a problem with getting good materials. Those the diocese recommended were rubbish. They referred to the “Bread and Wine” after the Consecration. In the end we used CUF’s Faith and Life series and adapted lesson plans to suit.

We taught those kids the Commandments, the Commandments of the Church, the Sacraments, Stations of the Cross and the Rosary as well as basic Catechism Q & A.

When my friend became ill and nearly died, the new PP decided to re-vamp the lessons. He not only brought in the woefully bland diocesan program, he allowed the non-Catholic spouse of a parishioner to teach a class (because she was a teacher!)

That year the First Communion class was taught about sin. Sin is like you have a candle and you turn your back, and the light is still there you just can’t see it.

What we taught the kids about sin was that you look at the Stations of the Cross and the Crucifix and that is how much God hates sin and how much it hurts him and how much He loves us that He was willing to die to save us.

But what do I know.
 
In my personal opinion there was some stuff you were right about and some stuff the DRE was right about. A lot of what you wanted to teach sounds perfectly fine with 6th grade and up, but 2,3rd is over their head like that Trinity picture you posted.

There were some sad things to hear like the Ariel comment but overall I wouldnt call this “Bad Catechism”. I have heard horror stories regarding “Bad Catechism” which is especially bad for the teens and adults where the “teacher” doesnt even believe all of what the Church teaches and has no problem “teaching” anyway.
 
CuriousInIL said:
Sounds like you should not be a catechist in this parish’s programs. Also, I do not understand why a class with 2nd and 3rd graders is RCIA. Faith formation in children is not RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). There seems much confusion here. And, I fail to see the problem in using actors in a video (although the video I saw used actual victims),
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There is a possibility that it is RCIC or Rite of Christian initiation for Children. When we have Catechumens or Candidates who have un -churched children they are taught separately from the Faith Formation Classes and are received into the Church etc.at easter Vigil along with their parent(s). The etc. depends on their age.
 
rwoehmke said:
There is a possibility that it is RCIC or Rite of Christian initiation for Children. When we have Catechumens or Candidates who have un -churched children they are taught separately from the Faith Formation Classes and are received into the Church etc.at easter Vigil along with their parent(s). The etc. depends on their age.
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Certainly possible but still not RCIA which was the term used by the OP.
 
The root of any “bad catechism” is the home. Remember, **PARENTS **are the primary educators of their children in the faith.

The religious education program at church is only a *supplement *to that.

Many-- I’d say MOST-- parents have abdicated this role, and parishes do what they can with children who are woefully lacking catechism and living of the faith in their own homes.

While I don’t agree with the DRE on some of what you posted (only seeing your side of the conversation) I do think many of the things you posted that you want to teach are ill suited to young children especially those in RCIC who have almost no previous exposure to the faith. Teaching to their level does not mean you are teaching “bad” catechism. If the parish/diocese has outlined specific things to be taught in that year, you cannot go meandering off on whatever lesson you want to teach.

You clearly have a zeal for the faith, but perhaps should be teaching older children or adults.
 
Why isn’t there a young life, campus crusade equivalent in the Catholic Church? Where kids can be properly catechized and stop the hemmorhaging of our youth over to the protestants?
 
I find the Bible to be an essential tool in Catechising children. Without the Bible, the children really miss out.

I think the roots of bad Catechism are in any school system(whether public or private) that bombards children with comprehension questions every time they read, thus KILLING the joy of reading, in those children’s minds. Then, the children are left with no desire to read the Bible, since they have been CONDITIONED to associate reading with the burden of difficult comprehension questions, and negative judgments being made against them if they fail to comprehend what they’ve read in the exact same manner that their teachers did.

Juxtapose that with television. Television encompasses the visceral and auditory realms(reading does neither, unless its a book with pictures, or a tape that you’ll know to turn the page when you hear R2D2 beep like this…) Furthermore, we don’t get ASSAULTED with comprehension questions when we watch television. Instead, we are free to enjoy it, rather than worry about what we are going to be asked about what we’ve watched. Plus, the television does all the work for us, when we are watching television. When we read, we have to make an effort to keep our thoughts focussed, and to try to understand that which we can not perceive by any of the five senses.

Schools aren’t changing(And unfortunately, our CCD programs are resembling them, with all the tests, homework, comprehension questions etc.) So, the parts of the Bible that students hear during CCD, and Mass may be all they ever know of the Bible.

Some people would comment that children have been poorly catechized since Vatican 2. I would propose that Vatican 2 was not the issue, rather the advent and popularity of television among the parents of children catechised post-Vatican 2 is the real issue. Why? The Bible is a book. The way schools make reading into an unpleasant experience, combined with the way television appeals to children contribute to a lack of desire for many children to learn their Scriptures.

Just my opinion. Perhaps this should have been a new thread.
 
adstrinity said:
I I have to submit my lesson plans to the DRE (is this a common practice?) and this week, we are finally off of prayer (thought 2/3 of my students still do not have The Lord’s Prayer memorised) and learning about God…
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I am not going to respond to the rest of your lengthy story, which by the way belongs on the evangelization forum not here, except to answer this question directly
Yes it is common practice to submit your lesson plans to the DRE. I am responsible for what is taught in the parish. I have been hired by the pastor and commissioned by the bishop for this responsibility. If you are an experienced catechist who has been teaching 3rd grade for many years I already know you and what you are teaching. If you are new, I must know what you teach and how you present it. It is also common practice to have a text or other resource, approved by the bishop, and to insist that all other resources–books, videos, visual aids, CDs etc.–used by the catechist have prior approval.

Yes, Echoes of Faith is lame. Although it is the “official” catechist training program of the diocese our pastor will not allow it.
Yes there are problems with the VIRTUS videos, including Protecting God’s Children and Touching Safety, but it is the law of the Diocese, and in general child safety and ethical conduct training are a requirement of the bishops, so we do it.

The first thing we are teaching is humility and obedience, the beginning of the spiritual life, and we can’t teach it if we do not embrace it.

You express dismay that some of your students do not know the Lord’s Prayer, yet you say you are teaching beginners. Why does this amaze you? If they knew it, you would not be teaching it. Yes, they should have learned their prayers at home, but they haven’t, so get on with it.

Also you might want to follow forum rules more closely and post separate topics on separate threads, on the proper forum.

There are already lengthy threads on PGC, Echoes, RCIA for children and so forth.
 
puzzleannie said:
…
The first thing we are teaching is humility and obedience, the beginning of the spiritual life, and we can’t teach it if we do not embrace it.
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Amen!

I teach teenagers. The textbooks we use are:

**Send Out Your Spirit: Preparing Teens for Confirmation **
by Michael Amodei

The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth
by Brian Singer-Towns, Janet Claussen, Clare Vanbrandwijk

Understanding the Catechism (four part series: Creed, Liturgy and Sacraments, Morality, Prayer)
RCL Benzinger, Publishers

None of these texts suck too badly, especially if used with Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the Compendium of the CCC. 👍
 
puzzleannie, (I shall reply to others later), thank you for answering that, yes, the DRE does, or may, check the lesson plans. However, for all I know, she could be using that as an excuse. And, that’s not the part that concerns me, it’s that she’s asking me to not teach the children that concerns me (more on this later). I shouldn’t have used the Bible to show proof of gardian angels? Really? Boooooooooo… AND, if you note, she approves my lesson plans, but then, after I teach, yells at me. She could tell me to cut it out of my lessons. I will gripe, but, I wont go against her.

Thank you also for confirming the videos are diocese approved. …That’s just sad, really. That non-VIRTUS one you mentioned, oh, how I couldn’t take that seriously. The kids in the video were treating chatechism as a joke and the teachers didn’t get it. I hate that it is more about feelings than God.

Finally, I am not surprised that they do not know The Lord’s Prayer. It was the DRE who was shouting at me, practically, that they didn’t know it.

Wanted to clear that up. Was thinking about some things today. Will reply to more tomorrow. Thank you to everybody who posted so far. Thank you for your sympathy. I will have the text names for everybody tomorrow.
 
I would have been able to give more helpful answers if your narrative was clearer and easier to follow and if you did not confuse and intermingle so many issues. I still do not know from your post what age you are teaching, and whether or not they have already made first communion, and what resources your parish and diocese use for that age.

but your story on teaching angels brings back a memory from my first year as a catechist. I also taught about the archangels and the St. Michael prayer, and the DRE called me in to the office the following week because he had received a complaint from a parent that I had taught a prayer about the devil to her child. a lesson to teach more than the words of a prayer, to teach the meaning as well.
 
puzzleannie,

Funny you mention that. We did The Lord’s Prayer the first day of class. First day. When the children and I just met. Told the DRE what I did, also told her that we told them what it means, so that they know what they are praying; i.e., it’s not just words. She disciplined me for that because these children need to learn these prayers. Once they have learned the prayers, if there is time, I can go into what they mean…age appropriately. It is more important that they say vain repetitions than have the love of God in their heart.

I apologize for the stream of conscience thread. I just needed to purge it out here before I exploded because I can complain to my liberal Catholic friend, my two agnostic friends, my Baptist friend, and my Bible-literalist interpreting Protestant dad all I want about this, but, it’s nice to know the truth and the Truth behind what is going on.

I teach 2nd/3rd graders. I teach RCIA 1. It is so named because they have only been baptised and nothing more. Yes, I know that the A means adults, but, that is what it is called. They will go through RCIA 2 next year. It is in RCIA 2 that they will make first confession/firs communion. …I don’t know if they will be confirmed. I think they have to go through the regular religious education classes for that, like everybody else. RCIA is free. CCD, or whatever it is now called, is $150. I will provide text names and samples tomorrow.
 
“The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways.”

This is what I was told by the DRE yesterday before she let me go. That’s right. I have been fired from a volunteer position. If nobody here has ever been fired from a something for which they were never hired, I recommend it; does wonders for morale & self esteem.

Aw man, if this was anymore a question of, “How do you think this person feels,” I would be part of one of the texts I had to turn in yesterday.

Speaking of which, I cannot give you samples of the texts, but, I had three.
“Children’s Catechuminate: Primary Level”
“Journey of Faith: For Children”
“Blest Are We – Grade 1”

The last two weren’t bad. I adored the second one and appreciated the third one, but, I had to ask for copies of the third one because it wasn’t their text, but, the text of the first grade CCD’ers.

Anyway, I was asked on Monday to come in this week to go over lesson plans (we do not have class this Saturday but the DRE said she wanted to take next week off. When I proffered Friday & Thursday so I would have a bit more time to go over the lesson, she suggested Wednesday.) I spend Wednesday morning going over notes and an hour before I meet with her I come here to the library to type it all out.

She avoids my eye a bit when I walk in, always a good sign and when we sit down at her desk, she begins with, “The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways. I have been doing a lot of praying about this, I have been devoting a lot of prayer to this. I even spoke this over with my husband who told me that you yourself thought you would be teaching 7th grade and it’s just that you know so much. You know a LOT, name here…”

SHE TOOK MY CHILDREN AWAY FROM ME!!! :crying: :crying:

Long story short…er…I was made to turn in my books (I still have the Bible, & I let her borrow a cross that says, “Forgive” on the cross-beam and “Forgiven” on the support beam to assist with the lesson for the chil’lens “Jesus Teaches Forgiveness.” She said they just MIGHT have the 7th grade Catechism class open for me to teach (seems something happened to that Catechist’s foot or leg or something). MIGHT. Not in stone, yet. MIGHT. She would know by end of this week/beginning of next week. This could all be a story just to soften the blow, I don’t know.

I discussed it with my manager and told her everything that had transpired BECAUSE I work swing-shifts, and I orginally, before I was hired, asked to not come in before 1300 on Saturdays. Today I told her I was avaliable then, but, if I had to work Wednesday evening’s for that to be my day off. I am not sure she can garantee it (7th Grade lessons are 1900-2030 Wednesday nights).

The DRE also mentioned she knew I was serious about becoming a Catechist because I got all the requirements done w/in the three days of first meeting her to first class. I am accepting God’s Will whatever come what may, but, I cannot say I don’t feel vexed because I spent two Sundays here in the library in a study room going over all thre texts and acomanying Teacher’s Guides to plan for lessons throughout the year.

I will miss my class, but, most of all I will pray for them because I don’t know if they will be taught the Rosary. My Aide (who MAY take over) didn’t know it well, and, I get the feeling, even though the DRE claims to have prayed it considerably before (at least that is the impression she left me with once, though, I don’t think she puts much stock in it now), I don’t think she will regard it as essential to the children at this point in their lessons.

Kyrie Eleison.
 
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