Catholic school discipline during lent?

[finbar_the_scot]

having just moved south of the border, we now live in pretty england.

our children have enrolled in the local catholic school.
however, we were shocked to find on last friday, they were given chocolate as a treat.
First Friday in lent? Chocolate to children… what does this signal?

Again today, tuesday in lent, chocolate buns at school…

It’s a junior school, and my girl is 5 and son 3.

what should we do? is this the way of the catholic church now?

 

[Rence]

Well, first of all, the Lenten rules clearly state that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are day in which we are allowed two smaller meals, and one larger meal, and no meat. Those are the only requirements, and children under the age fo 14 are not required to follow those rules.

Secondly, you’re going by your family’s traditions as handed down to you. Not everyone gives up the same things everywhere. Now, I don’t remember what happened when I was 3 or 5 (probably nothing, children that age are too little), but I do remember giving up chocoalate, snacks, anything yummy, for Lent while a pre-teen. I’m sure we didn’t have mean on Fridays ever because my family didn’t cook it on Fridays. When I was a bit older, we added music and TV to the list of things to give up so that our house was like a morgue through Lent

My point is, while you and many families give up Chocolate during Lent, it’s a personal sacrifice, not a required one. Children the age of yours still get their snacks. IF you don’t want your children to have them, you’d have to talk to the school.

 

[garn9173]

My point is, while you and many families give up Chocolate during Lent, it’s a personal sacrifice, not a required one. Children the age of yours still get their snacks. IF you don’t want your children to have them, you’d have to talk to the school.

This. When I was growing, my Mom made my siblings and I give up all sweets for Lent. If they were offered at school, I definately recall turning it down.

 

[finbar_the_scot]

Maybe this is why the church is in the state it is, with attitudes like this.
It’s called living in the spirit, and living the Gospel of Christ.

Not living as modern man wants us to live.
No worries. I get the picture that most modern catholics do as they please, not as the Gospel directs.

On a personal note, do you believe in the Activity of the Spiritus Sanctus?

Well, first of all, the Lenten rules clearly state that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are day in which we are allowed two smaller meals, and one larger meal, and no meat. Those are the only requirements, and children under the age fo 14 are not required to follow those rules.

Secondly, you’re going by your family’s traditions as handed down to you. Not everyone gives up the same things everywhere. Now, I don’t remember what happened when I was 3 or 5 (probably nothing, children that age are too little), but I do remember giving up chocoalate, snacks, anything yummy, for Lent while a pre-teen. I’m sure we didn’t have mean on Fridays ever because my family didn’t cook it on Fridays. When I was a bit older, we added music and TV to the list of things to give up so that our house was like a morgue through Lent

My point is, while you and many families give up Chocolate during Lent, it’s a personal sacrifice, not a required one. Children the age of yours still get their snacks. IF you don’t want your children to have them, you’d have to talk to the school.

 

[finbar_the_scot]

thank you.

 

[garn9173]

Last year prior to Ash Wednesday, the Deacon at my Parish delivering the homily encouraged Catholic adults not to give something up for Lent, but instead be more kind, more patient, more forgiving, more charitable, etc.

Giving something up for Lent is NOT a requirement.

 

[mrcruz117]

If this is the first time something like this has happened, one could let it slide. It could have simply been a mistake of something out of the ordinary.

It is your role as a parent to be involved in the PTA so as to ensure an orthodox environment for your children as well as the other students. That being said, if this is the greatest offense you see while at this new school, I would thank God for a great school haha!

 

[april32010]

If this is the first time something like this has happened, one could let it slide. It could have simply been a mistake of something out of the ordinary.

It is your role as a parent to be involved in the PTA so as to ensure an orthodox environment for your children as well as the other students. That being said, if this is the greatest offense you see while at this new school, I would thank God for a great school haha!

it isn’t an offense and orthodoxy has nothing to do with this

 

[robwar]

having just moved south of the border, we now live in pretty england.

our children have enrolled in the local catholic school.
however, we were shocked to find on last friday, they were given chocolate as a treat.
First Friday in lent? Chocolate to children… what does this signal?

Again today, tuesday in lent, chocolate buns at school…

It’s a junior school, and my girl is 5 and son 3.

what should we do? is this the way of the catholic church now?

Except for meat, there is no particular requirement by the Church at all to give up sweets, chocolates etc during lent. While maybe you have had that as a discipline, not everyone gives up the same things. In fact, I’ve seen priests encourage people not so much as give up something but use lent to do more things such as prayer, reading scripture, attending retreats, gather items for the poor etc. Likewise, giving up may apply to non food type discipline such as tv, internet, electronic games and so on. Sometimes we paint ourselves in a box and think that everyone is doing the same thing. I remember one time being at a conference at Church during lent and they were serving refreshments which included sweets and it was Saturday. While I was picking up a cookie for myself and husband, someone comes up to me and rather sarcastically says “you can’t have that, it’s lent”. I retorted back that that is not what I “gave up” for lent and walked off. You could speak with the school on your concerns but I think we have a narrow view of lenten practices.

 

[paperwight66]

it isn’t an offense and orthodoxy has nothing to do with this

Indeed not. Where has the Church pronounced on chocolate?

As someone said, you are projecting your own family traditions. In fact, I have known children who actually didn’t like chocolate, and being provided with it wouldn’t have regarded it as a treat at all. Some children would rate chips as more of a treat, others pizza or even grapes.

 

[PatriceA]

having just moved south of the border, we now live in pretty england.

our children have enrolled in the local catholic school.
however, we were shocked to find on last friday, they were given chocolate as a treat.
First Friday in lent? Chocolate to children… what does this signal?

Again today, tuesday in lent, chocolate buns at school…

It’s a junior school, and my girl is 5 and son 3.

what should we do? is this the way of the catholic church now?

Keep in mind also that your children are too young to fall under the guidelines for fasting and abstaining during Lent. I don’t think there is much to do, except continue your family Lenten traditions at home and give a little more charity and understanding to the school and the situation.