Balancing Traditional/Liberal

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I’m a Faith Formation Coordinator and my supervisor, the Director of Religious Education, is a liberal Catholic. The church I work at proudly says they are a liberal Catholic church and as such they shun anything traditional. I’m a traditional Catholic and, honestly, I only took the job at the liberal church because I needed the money. Anyway, my question is this: How can I inject a little traditionalism into the religious education program without upsetting my DRE? I have suggested teaching the children the rosary but she just rolled her eyes and said, “No one says the rosary anymore.” I was surprised considering I pray the rosary daily.

I would really, really appreciate some suggestions. I feel like we’re letting our kids down by not teaching them some of our beautiful Catholic traditions.

Thank you!
 
Just wondering what you do as the Faith Formation Coordinator and what the DRE does. What are your respective roles?
 
TruthAndLuv said:
I’m a Faith Formation Coordinator and my supervisor, the Director of Religious Education, is a liberal Catholic. The church I work at proudly says they are a liberal Catholic church and as such they shun anything traditional. I’m a traditional Catholic and, honestly, I only took the job at the liberal church because I needed the money. Anyway, my question is this: How can I inject a little traditionalism into the religious education program without upsetting my DRE? I have suggested teaching the children the rosary but she just rolled her eyes and said, “No one says the rosary anymore.” I was surprised considering I pray the rosary daily.

I would really, really appreciate some suggestions. I feel like we’re letting our kids down by not teaching them some of our beautiful Catholic traditions.

Thank you!
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Get info from the new Archbishop. He was quite involved in RE at his former diocese and is very traditional. Tap into other FFC’s at other parishes. Our DRE is very orthodox and very traditional.

Bringing tradition in from the Archbishop and other successful parishes might be less threatening to the DRE than appearing to argue with her.

The rosary is really wonderful AND can be something the children can do, hands on. For example let them make rosary bracelets. They love the beads and medals. You can describe the different beads and significance of them in the midst of having fun.

I don’t know exactly where you are but I know we have some very liberal parishes. One of my good friends left his Parish recently after being a daily communicant for decades. He said he couldn’t deal with the hardened old liberals that talk about “Standing with the Sisters” and think pro life groups are crazy.

Best of blessings on your very important vocation
Lisa
 
Define your terms - what do you mean by liberal or traditional? A commitment to social justice might seems to some people as liberal, which it very well might be, for example, but is as we all know in itself as traditional as Saint Thomas Aquinas himself, at the very least.

As to the rosary, that’s a bit concerning. Even at the most namby pamby of parishes I’ve been too, no-one would think of disparaging such a devotion. I would ask your boss what is wrong with teaching children the Rosary, and where she got the idea that people stopped saying the rosary.
 
My suggestion is to place a strong focus on real, orthodox Catholic social teaching, uncontaminated by any American conservative ideology. This should help prevent their misidentifying Catholic orthodoxy with political and social conservatism.
 
I would suggest discussing it with a priest during reconciliation, unless they don’t ‘do that’ anymore. Then, it would be easier to find answers, if necessary, working up the hierarchy-protocol correct? unless that’s not done any more either…

And, considering the church, after you discussed it with a priest, due to concerns of your spirit, might you entertain the idea, that for that parish, you are wrong and to maintain your job, ‘suffer in silence’ if you can do a greater good by remaining there?
 
Your DRE would love me!!!:rolleyes: What is the Diocese’ take on your parish program? The Diocese usually coordinates the content of the curriculum not the DRE. I teach 3rd Grade (1st Communion) in which I teach the children to pray the Rosary, teach the 7 Sacraments, Beatitudes, Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, among other things. I
prepare them for enrollment in the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular, make sure they know 15 basic Catholic Prayers, the leaders of the Church, how to be reverent while in church. Much of this is in addition to the standard curriculum. My DRE thinks it is fantastic. First and foremost make sure the children are learning the faith
 
We did the same in our Confirmation preparation which was run by a wonderful nun who was appointed by our bishop to do the remedial and necessary work to get our kids confirmed. He wants them confirmed by eighth grade after this so they have a framework to move into the world with. High school is too late.

And, yes, they need their rosary, prayers, scapulars, works of corporal and spiritual mercy, church leaders, church manners, etc.

We need to pray for you in this endeavor.
 
TruthAndLuv said:
I’m a Faith Formation Coordinator and my supervisor, the Director of Religious Education, is a liberal Catholic. The church I work at proudly says they are a liberal Catholic church and as such they shun anything traditional. I’m a traditional Catholic and, honestly, I only took the job at the liberal church because I needed the money. Anyway, my question is this: How can I inject a little traditionalism into the religious education program without upsetting my DRE? I have suggested teaching the children the rosary but she just rolled her eyes and said, “No one says the rosary anymore.” I was surprised considering I pray the rosary daily.

I would really, really appreciate some suggestions. I feel like we’re letting our kids down by not teaching them some of our beautiful Catholic traditions.

Thank you!
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Just do what you consider most appropriate. The Lord calls people to different offices and gives them the gifts needed for their office. If someone - ex in this case your supervisor - does not respond properly and prefers to turn his back on the Sacred Tradition in order to promote a more wordly church, then just do what you have to do without meaning disrespect. If she says things like “nobody says the rosary anymore” then point her to the documents of John Paul II recommending prayer of the Rosary and mention that if nobody prays the Rosary it can only mean that someone is not doing a good job in teaching it. Just hold on to the tradition and have your sources readily available when you bring forth an idea. We are letting more than our kids down because of that kind of approach. Remember: seek the kingdom first, and the rest will be given to you. Without seeking to cause trouble, you can promote what the Church has always done within the boundaries delineated by your superior, and if contrast occurs, then simply talk to the Parish pastor about it and stick to his instructions without further argument.

Thank you for being committed to the Church in such an authentic way. We need more people like you.
 
Would I be assuming correctly that the DRE is more hands-on with the children’s RE program, and that you work with the adults?

If so, see what you can do to incorporate teaching on the Rosary and other devotions with the adults, at minimum.

If the DRE is indifferent about her catechists teaching the children about important topics, maybe you can offer to teach 20-minutes in each grade about devotions and other topics (such as defending life and marriage)? Maybe you should discuss your DRE’s response with your pastor. If HE is indifferent, maybe the diocesan faith formation coordinator can provide some guidance to you.
 
Aelred_Minor said:
My suggestion is to place a strong focus on real, orthodox Catholic social teaching, uncontaminated by any American conservative ideology. This should help prevent their misidentifying Catholic orthodoxy with political and social conservatism.
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👍 Many British catholics are socialists - e.g George Galloway!
 
Aelred_Minor said:
My suggestion is to place a strong focus on ***real, orthodox Catholic social teaching, uncontaminated by any American conservative ***ideology. This should help prevent their misidentifying Catholic orthodoxy with political and social conservatism.
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Curious comment. It did not sound as if Catholic Social Teaching were the issue so I don’t see politics entering into the discussion. Catholic faith, traditions such as the Rosary, the Saints (our RE kids love to pick “their” saint and learn more about him/her) sometimes get tossed aside in and effort to be modern.

I would definitely engage the REs from other parishes, particularly known to be traditional and orthodox. I would say our Parish leans a bit to the Left…mostly because those on Pastoral Council do. But our RE is very traditional and really engages the children in their faith.

Lisa
 
Thank you to everyone who generously gave their opinions. I’m not sure what my boss means when she says the church I work for is a liberal church. I, too, assume that our religion transcends political ideologies. I think she might mean that it is a modern church that does not practice traditional Catholic customs, like the rosary. Our priest is a fill-in retired priest as we are waiting for the diocese to send us a permanent one, so he does not make the decisions for our parish.

I think the very best I can do at this moment is slowly help the catechists incorporate here and there traditional customs that I think are valuable for the children to learn. I am hoping that next year she will allow me to organize a crowning of Mary and will finally allow me to teach the children about the rosary.
 
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