can CCD harm?

[Vanessa]

Our bishop just published some unfriendly rules for homeschoolers receiving the sacraments. This has led to a lot of conversation among us. Someone said that 30 hours of CCD a year can’t accomplish much positive and certainly can’t do harm either. I don’t agree.

I’m not talking about a physical molestation or anything overt like that. But an ignorant catechist, teaching nonsense to a budding young adult makes that student judge the Church by this person of authority and gives them feelings of disgust and superiority.

I believe this is harmful. All is not lovely in the Church, never was, and never will be. But I want my children to focus as much as possible on the beautiful, the ideal. That’s how they think at this age.

 

[Al_Masetti]

I was curious about the bishop. What diocese are you in?

 

[Vanessa]

I live in the Lafayette diocese, Bishop Higi.

 

[mjdonnelly]

It should be the same amount of time that is required for non-parochial students.

 

[kage_ar]

Vanessa:

I’m not talking about a physical molestation or anything overt like that. But an ignorant catechist, teaching nonsense to a budding young adult makes that student judge the Church by this person of authority and gives them feelings of disgust and superiority.

As a cathchist - PLEASE, don’t just drop off your kids and drive away - volunteer! Every CCD program needs caring parents to be involved. I have a class of 15 11 year olds, another adult helping out would be such a blessing.

Second, get a copy of the series used by your parish. We use Faith and Life, it is very good (I like it better than Faith First, we used this before). The Diocise has to approve the series, and I can tell you - we are instructed to teach out of the book, the CCC and the Bible only. Any other text must be approved by the DRE and by Father.

Take a look at the CCD program - you can be a great asset!

 

[YinYangMom]

Vanessa:

Our bishop just published some unfriendly rules for homeschoolers receiving the sacraments. This has led to a lot of conversation among us. Someone said that 30 hours of CCD a year can’t accomplish much positive and certainly can’t do harm either. I don’t agree.

I’m not talking about a physical molestation or anything overt like that. But an ignorant catechist, teaching nonsense to a budding young adult makes that student judge the Church by this person of authority and gives them feelings of disgust and superiority.

I believe this is harmful. All is not lovely in the Church, never was, and never will be. But I want my children to focus as much as possible on the beautiful, the ideal. That’s how they think at this age.

I don’t understand your concern…
It sounds like you are justifying your intent to home-school your child in the 30 hours required per year of Religious Education. While I don’t agree with your reasoning to not have your child educated through the parish program, you certainly have the right to train him/her yourself so what is the problem?

As a religious education instructor we are the 2nd line of Catholic instruction to any child. The parents are the 1st. Always have been, always will be. Each parish follows a particular curriculum in instructing the children so the teachers aren’t free to teach their own brand of Catholicism. There are specific chapters to cover and specific tests which need to be passed - all in line with the magesterium of the faith.

Your child has just as much a risk of being exposed to erroneous Catholic teaching from a relative as he/she does from a religious education instructor. If your child attends public or private school the risks are even higher that they will receive poor instruction from friends and friends’ families (if they spend time at their house playing). The hours of exposure in that setting far exceed the 30 hours in one year exposed to a possible ‘liberal’ religious ed instructor. And what about your child’s cousins, uncles, aunts? Are you certain that any time your child spends with them they will only hear and witness authentic Catholic teachings from them?

Bottom line, if there is an erroneous religious education instructor in any parish program it is easy to deal with. First of all, as an active parent you would be reviewing with your child what was taught in the classroom. If your child tells you something the teacher taught which is blatantly wrong, then you have the right to approach the instructor about what was said. It’s not as if your child goes to class and never speaks to you about what he/she is learning so that you have no clue whether the teacher is good or not. If going to the teacher does not work, then you go to the director. If that doesn’t work then you pull your child out of the program and home school them using the parish curriculum so that the child is meeting the requirements for sacrament preparation set by the parish.

I home-schooled my two children in religious ed not because the teachers or the program were bad but because the kids in those classes didn’t want to be there and my kids’ resented that. The director gave me the teacher’s instruction book and the kids’ books for each grade each year so I was able to teach my children what they needed to know without the other kids holding them back and they were able to receive their sacraments without any glitches.

What instruction are you suggesting needs to be required from a home schooling parent to ensure the child receives proper sacramental preparation if not the 30 hours of a specific religious education curriculum?

 

[AmberDale]

Vanessa:

I live in the Lafayette diocese, Bishop Higi.

Me too Vanessa! I don’t homeschool, yet. But I read that in the Catholic Moment (our diocene newpaper). I was like man! What is he thinking.
My SIL homeschools (also in the Diocese of Lafayette), she felt like he was rubbing it in. It sure was a shocker.

 

[AmberDale]

YinYangMom:

Bottom line, if there is an erroneous religious education instructor in any parish program it is easy to deal with. First of all, as an active parent you would be reviewing with your child what was taught in the classroom. If your child tells you something the teacher taught which is blatantly wrong, then you have the right to approach the instructor about what was said. It’s not as if your child goes to class and never speaks to you about what he/she is learning so that you have no clue whether the teacher is good or not. If going to the teacher does not work, then you go to the director. If that doesn’t work then you pull your child out of the program and home school them using the parish curriculum so that the child is meeting the requirements for sacrament preparation set by the parish.

That’s the problem! He is requiring homeschoolers to attend the CCD at their parish. they don’t have the option to “homeschol the cathecism”. He said homeschoolers need to attend the CCD or they won’t be able to receive the sacraments.

 

[YinYangMom]

AmberDale:

That’s the problem! He is requiring homeschoolers to attend the CCD at their parish. they don’t have the option to “homeschol the cathecism”. He said homeschoolers need to attend the CCD or they won’t be able to receive the sacraments.

OOoooh!! that is most interesting. Sorry it wasn’t clear in the original post.

Still, it can’t harm if the parent is dilligent in following up each RE session from home.

Why do the homeschooling parents not want to have their children become part of the group of kids they will be experiencing their sacraments with? It might help to remind them about the community aspect of our faith - that it isn’t individualistic - we, as a whole, participate in the sacraments - it’s the priest, the parishioners and the recipient.

 

[snoopy]

kage_ar:

As a cathchist - PLEASE, don’t just drop off your kids and drive away - volunteer! Every CCD program needs caring parents to be involved. I have a class of 15 11 year olds, another adult helping out would be such a blessing.

Second, get a copy of the series used by your parish. We use Faith and Life, it is very good (I like it better than Faith First, we used this before). The Diocise has to approve the series, and I can tell you - we are instructed to teach out of the book, the CCC and the Bible only. Any other text must be approved by the DRE and by Father.

Take a look at the CCD program - you can be a great asset!

Amen

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

Maybe many HS students were approaching the Sacraments without the proper preparation and this was the most viable solution they found, who knows. They can control a little better what classes the Parish School students take and what all the other students that take CCD take, but they have no control over HS students. Do they have this same rule for Public School students?
I do understand your concern about the possibility of the CCD teacher not being all that good. Perhaps you could volunteer like another poster suggested and you can also pray for that teacher. Even if you definitely cannot volunteer, make every effort to meet the teacher(s) and get to know them. You can teach your children the information on your own and discuss what they are learning in CCD. Maybe you could also send the Bishop a letter voicing your concerns. Don’t be disappointed if things don’t get changed, though, it may be a rule in place because it is what is best for the whole community. Obedience is very important too.

 

[Aesq]

AmberDale:

That’s the problem! He is requiring homeschoolers to attend the CCD at their parish. they don’t have the option to “homeschol the cathecism”. He said homeschoolers need to attend the CCD or they won’t be able to receive the sacraments.

I actually do not find this to be that strange. A major component of the sacraments is community. If the child is home schooled on this the community aspect is removed. You are in union with the Church when you receive the sacraments. How do you explain that to a child when you do not want them to be in union with the rest of the kids in the parish when learning about the sacraments.

I am a convert. I self taught (for about 5 years) about the Church and its doctrines. I believed as the Church believed. Yet I had to go through RCIA before I received the sacraments. I learned nothing in RCIA. I had already studied it all for many years. Yet I still had to do it. Why should children be any different?

 

[asquared]

as a DRE may I comment. parents are the primary educators of their children, especially in handing on the faith. All Catholic children should be “homeschooled” in this area. The majority unfortunately are not and receive little or no instruction or mentoring in the faith at home. The majority don’t even attend Sunday Mass regularly (this includes children in Catholic schools).

Having worked in CCD in 3 dioceses, while all three were evaluating sacramental preparation, I can attest that children coming to first communion and confirmation who have been exclusively homeschooled are not as well prepared as those in CCD, and those in CCD are not as well prepared as those in parochial school.

Most dioceses are trying to improve sacramental preparation, and are finding that more uniformity in expectations works better. Those that have experimented with sacramental preparation programs where parents are given a book and expected to do most of the “work” at home with the children, have found this approach has failed dismally, and are returning to more structured programs.

That being said, any parent sending their child to CCD should be an active participant, as an aide or in another capacity, if not a catechist. CCD is not drop off daycare.

The most operative factor in the child’s readiness for the sacraments is not where the child receives religious instruction, it is how well the parents are living the Catholic faith and modelling Catholic life and practice.

 

[BLB_Oregon]

AmberDale:

That’s the problem! He is requiring homeschoolers to attend the CCD at their parish. they don’t have the option to “homeschol the cathecism”. He said homeschoolers need to attend the CCD or they won’t be able to receive the sacraments.

The most obvious solution is to teach your child’s class yourself. Most parishes don’t have well-catechised volunteers knocking down their doors.

Keep in mind that catechesis has a social aspect, too. There is a reason, for example, that you are not encouraged to have home Masses in place of attending Mass at your parish. You contribute by your presence. Likewise, children who faithfully attend CCD, especially those who are also well-trained at home, contribute by their presence. If other kids in CCD see that your kids already have a background, they’ll see that other families take this seriously, too. (One would hope “too” is appropriate most of the time. If not, how much more are you needed!) It gets it into their head that our faith is a shared life, not a one-hour-a-weekend hobby.

Of course bad catechesis can be harmful. If you leave, though, think of all the other children you are leaving behind. Don’t fail them. Be there. Encourage other parents to be there. And of course, keep up the religious schooling at home. Make continuing religious education a part of your life and theirs. There is no way on earth they’ll ever get a sound religious education, otherwise. The key ingredient in effective religious education, after all, is example.

None of us make this journey alone. We are not a Church who teaches that Jesus is our “personal” savior. We teach that we together are His Body. Don’t fight CCD, then. Make it the best you can make it.

 

[Quaere_Verum]

Vanessa:

Our bishop just published some unfriendly rules for homeschoolers receiving the sacraments. This has led to a lot of conversation among us. Someone said that 30 hours of CCD a year can’t accomplish much positive and certainly can’t do harm either. I don’t agree.

I’m not talking about a physical molestation or anything overt like that. But an ignorant catechist, teaching nonsense to a budding young adult makes that student judge the Church by this person of authority and gives them feelings of disgust and superiority.

I believe this is harmful. All is not lovely in the Church, never was, and never will be. But I want my children to focus as much as possible on the beautiful, the ideal. That’s how they think at this age.

Hi Vanessa, and God bless you in your efforts to try and bring up your children in the faith.

We homeschool as well providing our children with daily catechism and living out of our faith. We also enrolled them in CCD even though we aren’t required to. It was a prayerful and difficult decision. We like that our children are associating with the same children they see at church and at church functions. We also like that they have other representatives of authority in their life.

As for the instruction, what I’ve seen is a sincere group of overburdened (classes of 30 or more) volunteers. I will volunteer in each of our 2 children’s classes x1 every month. Some times I just help, and the other times I offer to teach a class. Last month it was on All Saints’ Day and the saints. We talk to our children after each class and ask what they learned. And, being that they are receiving ongoing instruction at home, they are the one’s pointing out the errors when they occur.

Since you have no choice at this time pray that God will use your children to be a shining light on all the other’s in their CCD class.

 

[genealogist]

Vanessa, I think the others have said it best about there is a community aspect to faith and practice in Catholicism. It is not the Bible and me or the Seton curriculum and me. As your bishop, he has AUTHORITY over you and you are supposed to submit. Isn’t that what the Baltimore Catechism would tell you?

It is not that you are not doing a good job at catechetics and worship but there is more to being Catholic than knowing the Seven Coroporal Works of Mercy and going to Mass everyday. We are a Church as a community. It is wrong to say that community is all that matters but it wrong to toss it overboard all together. Part of being in a community os being exposed to those we disagree with and are wrong. What is the man the Good Samritan helped was a “liberal catechist”? Would he have been justified in ignoring him as the priest and Levite did?

I know I am reading into homeschoolers posts but it seems they get quite annoyed when anyone dares to hold them to a standard not determined by themselves. They are good Catholics by and large but Catholics are supposed to accept ALL the teachings even the ones on CCD that we don’t find conducive. Why are you morally justified to balk and ignore the bishop on this but the
“liberals” are heterodox and unloyal when then ignore the rules?

I like best the suggestion that you teach CCD. Maybe you and another homeschooler from a different parish can coordinate babysitting so you are both free to serve the parishes as catechists. Don’t forget they will do a background check and require a safe child class from both of you. I hate this rule myself but I submit.

God bless you.

 

[mjdonnelly]

It’s like this in our area already. If you go to parochial school, you start classes in January, if not, then you start in September.

We have so many that don’t even regularly attend mass, I wish they would get a little more strict on enforcing the “rules” that they do have.

Most of the young adults attend mass less than once a month.

 

[Peace-bwu]

Vanessa:

Our bishop just published some unfriendly rules for homeschoolers receiving the sacraments. This has led to a lot of conversation among us. Someone said that 30 hours of CCD a year can’t accomplish much positive and certainly can’t do harm either. I don’t agree.

I’m not talking about a physical molestation or anything overt like that. But an ignorant catechist, teaching nonsense to a budding young adult makes that student judge the Church by this person of authority and gives them feelings of disgust and superiority.

I believe this is harmful. All is not lovely in the Church, never was, and never will be. But I want my children to focus as much as possible on the beautiful, the ideal. That’s how they think at this age.

I agree with you, but also think the community aspect of CCD / RE is important. I am a 5th grade CCD teacher and put all my heart into touching the children’s hearts and givng them the information they need to survive as Catholics when they go out into the world for the week. I totally believe that potential CCD / RE teachers should be interviewed about their knowledge and personal beliefs about the Church before they are trusted with our children. I only hope that my children’s RE teachers are as faithful to the Catholic Church as I. We are a homeschool family, and have an incredible Religion curriculum, but we choose to send our children to RE so that they can be with their Catholic peers. If I found out that a teacher was pushing their own personal agenda (women priests, etc. or telling them that the Eucharist is not the body of Christ) I would be upset. The RE books good and I follow them, but in some ways they are somewhat lacking for for the high intelligence level of my students. That is why I have a question box and encourage the children to ask whatever questions they may have, anonymously, so that I can answer them and know exactly what level they are at, and what they need to discuss. It works out very well.

 

[kmktexas]

asquared:

Having worked in CCD in 3 dioceses, while all three were evaluating sacramental preparation, I can attest that children coming to first communion and confirmation who have been exclusively homeschooled are not as well prepared as those in CCD, and those in CCD are not as well prepared as those in parochial school.

The most operative factor in the child’s readiness for the sacraments is not where the child receives religious instruction, it is how well the parents are living the Catholic faith and modelling Catholic life and practice.

Wow, it is amazing that we are in the same state and have almost the opposite order of preparedness. According to our DRE, the homeschooled kids are most prepared, then would come the CCE kids that have been attending regularly (some from PK) and last would come the Catholic school kids. My guess is that the parents of the Catholic school kids take it for granted that their kids are learning religion at school and don’t make the extra effort at home. Unfortunately, in our diocese that isn’t the case. I was told by the admissions person at one of the best Catholic schools here that, while they do have “religion” class, it isn’t as “comprehensive” as CCE and the religion teachers may or may not even be Catholic.

That being said, my suggestion in the OPs situation is to use a little honey. Volunteer to be an aide in the classroom for the grades your kids are enrolled. This way (and sometimes it’s the only way) you can get ahold of the teacher’s version of the CCE text and know what weeks your child should be absent. Most of the material is just “Catholic Lite” and not really harmful but I know we had a 3rd grade text (from the approved list) one year that taught that the Holy Spirit was a gift from God (not God). I never would have seen this had I not been a sub that year.

If it is possible, do a little shopping for parish programs. Within the diocisan mandate you will find a broad spectrum of copperation from pastors and DREs. For example, we have a mandetory sex ed program for certain grades. One homeschooling parent I know was able to get the sex ed material placed at the end of each classroom day. Her son then got dismissed early to “prepare to serve Mass”. Everyone was happy and no rules were broken.

 

[KCT]

YinYangMom:

Why do the homeschooling parents not want to have their children become part of the group of kids they will be experiencing their sacraments with? It might help to remind them about the community aspect of our faith - that it isn’t individualistic - we, as a whole, participate in the sacraments - it’s the priest, the parishioners and the recipient.

The homeschoolers we know aren’t trying to deny the community aspect of our faith. But the community isn’t just the second grade class; it’s the whole parish. Most homeschool families we know are involved in their parishes.

I think the objection is that if they’re already teaching the faith, along w/ the math, science etc, why are they required to also attend classes? If private school kids are not required, why are homeschooled kids?

Maybe I misunderstand the situation. —KCT