Catechists teaching L&S: Is your religious education program successful?

[ASD]

I’m sure cross-posting is frowned upon. However, a question in the Evangelization forum is about a program that teaches Catholic liturgy and sacraments. That is, it really does fall right between that forum and this one.

Based on responses so far, it appears that no one who frequents Evangelization forum has a successful Faith Formation program. Or, to be more precise, no one can give any concrete or quantifiable evidence of success.

That doesn’t surprise me, but I don’t want to jump to the wrong conclusion.

So, one more request for evidence of success: Does anyone who frequents L&S have evidence of a successful program?

TIA. ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar

 

[Barbkw]

I’m a 50 year old revert. I grew up in the 60s to late 70s, attended public school. We attended one hour of Catechism a week. If it hadn’t been for the love of our family unit, I wouldn’t have found my way back to the Church.

As a revert, I’ve been on a mission to teach myself the faith.

EWTN has been of the most value to me. I’ve been very fortunate to have a DVR so that I can record series programming.

I was able to record most of Jeff Cavin’s series “Salvation History, the Bible Adventure Series.”

catholiccompany.com/the-great-adventure-c291/?aid=117&gclid=CP7d5Ljt66QCFYjt7QodEGwQzw

I’ve recording muliple series hosted by Mike Aquila as he talks with auther Dr. Scott Hahn as they discuss his books about the Mass, the Sacraments, Mary, etc.

EWTN currently has this series running “Swear to God”.

ewtn.com/series/2005/swear.htm

Stephen Ray’s series is wonderful of the Holy Land. Fr. Corapi’s teaching of the CCC, great!

insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2008/08/steve-rays-foot.html

Fr. Mitch and Fr. Groschel - so many others - reinforcing Catholic Sacraments, teaching and thought.

They do a wonderful job of mixing (in each episode) of finding Jesus in the OT, in the NT and in the Sacraments that we are priviledge to celebrate today.

I’ve also learned a lot from participating with RCIA and seeing Catholics and converts progress through the rites of initiation.

I’m in a class at the Church this week on the Compendium of the Catholic Church. It’s also an excellent consolidation of the CCC. It ties together the OT/NT and presents those 3,000 years of salvation history in with Jesus and our seven Sacraments.

amazon.com/Compendium-Catechism-Catholic-Ratzinger-Benedict/dp/1574557203/ref=sr_1_23?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286816160&sr=1-23

 

[Barbkw]

Today, I’m working on one of the Compendium’s worksheet. The question asks:

Choose one of the seven Sacraments. Research and describe the sacrament’s history and development and the Church. Include why you choose the Sacrament, list and include the Compendiums references and resources you use.

I’m taking the Sacrament of Confession and going back into the Old Testament where the Jewish nation renewed their covenant with God through Yom Kippur on their Day of Atonement. Then I’ll advance forward into the New Testament with Jesus and His giving of the authority to “bind and loose” and to “forgive and not forgive” with Peter and the Apostles. Finally, I’ll end with how we individually strive to become like Jesus and to receive Him more fully into ourselves by the conversion of heart, mind and soul through the Sacraments of Reconciliation / Conversion and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

How many people look at a modern confessional today and realize that they would otherwise be watching a bull and a goat being killed by a High Priest. He would have drained their blood into a cup, entered on that one day of the year, into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled that blood on the sacred Arc of the Covenant which held the staff of Aaron and jar of manna and the two stones of the ten commmandments?

Pretty darn incredible!

 

[SMHW]

I’m sure cross-posting is frowned upon. However, a question in the Evangelization forum is about a program that teaches Catholic liturgy and sacraments. That is, it really does fall right between that forum and this one.

Based on responses so far, it appears that no one who frequents Evangelization forum has a successful Faith Formation program. Or, to be more precise, no one can give any concrete or quantifiable evidence of success.

That doesn’t surprise me, but I don’t want to jump to the wrong conclusion.

So, one more request for evidence of success: Does anyone who frequents L&S have evidence of a successful program?

TIA. ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar

Well, as in any program, before you can give evidence of (measure) “success” you have to define what “success” means.

Does it mean that the graduates of the program can demonstrate knowledge of a certain percentage of a specific number of facts? Does it mean that a certain percentage of the graduates practice a specific percentage of the tenets of the Faith? Does it mean both? Does it mean something else? What age level of understanding do you wish to measure? (These are retorical questions, BTW.)

It’s been my experience that the Church has no definition of success other than that children eventually grow up to be practicing members of the Faith. And as we all see, some people seem to do a much better job of it than others.

 

[ASD]

Well, as in any program, before you can give evidence of (measure) “success” you have to define what “success” means.
…
It’s been my experience that the Church has no definition of success other than that children eventually grow up to be practicing members of the Faith. And as we all see, some people seem to do a much better job of it than others.

Fair enough.

Using any measure you think is reasonable, is your religious education program successful?

If so, please say more!

 

[ConstantineTG]

I don’t know how to rate our program. Kids seem uninterested in education once they received their Sacraments or once they are in highschool and tell their parents they do not want to go to Catechism anymore. I taught highschool last year and this year we got no students. I heard from some catechists that they want to petition the Bishop to raise the confirmation age just so the kids will stay in catechism class. I don’t totally agree with it but its a sad reality that kids need to be “blackmailed” into catechism.

 

[dconklin]

I am the Asst DRE at a large parish. We have a successful Faith Formation program with 1300 students. The materials used in a program does not make the program. The administration, the priests, the parents and most importantly, the students make a successful program. With all that said, the materials we use are wonderful Finding God from Loyola Press and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd programming.

Other than knowing how many children in a faith formation program make it to Heaven, the best way to judge a program is by how many children come back to FF after sacraments, by the smiling faces when they walk down the hall to go to FF class and Mass participation. Our program hits those marks pretty well. Our HS program is thriving as well.