Current state of catechesis for youth

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dljl

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As one who grew up catholic in the 60s and just returned to the church after being an evangelical protestant, I am wondering if catechesis for kids and young adults has improved. When I was growing up, my catechism classes were sorely lacking (to put it mildly). My knowledge of catholic theology today is due solely to great sites like catholic.com and my own reading. When I saw protestant Sunday schools (as incorrect as the theology was) I realized the american catholic church had a long way to go when it came to educating kids. Also, when I see the apparantly small numbers of american catholics attending world youth day, I have to wonder if there are reasons other than geographic for this. Are European kids catechised differently (I thought Europe was secularizing at an alarming rate). Anyway, I would love to hear from people who have kids (mine are mostly grown), how it is now, and what can I do to help? thanks
 
I am teaching 8th grade catechism this year.

We meet once a week for 1.5 hours.

The books we have are very well written and - if followed properly - would teach a lot to these kids.

Unfortunately, with only 1.5 hours per week of student interaction, they are going to miss out on much of what’s in the book, and it’s a shame.

I’ve been instructed to assign the reading of the chapters to the kids for them to do at home. Then I’m supposed to spend about 15 minutes discussing a few of the highlights of the chapter - that isn’t enough time to do the worksheet activities recommended in the textbook to reinforce the teaching.

So basically, my day will be 10 minutes opening prayer & scripture reading for the following Sunday, 15 minutes discussion of the reading, 10 minutes reviewing vocabulary, 10 minutes teaching about the Saint of the month and the prayer of the month, 15 minutes of an ‘activity’ which incorporates the theme of the unit, and 10 minutes cleanup/closing prayer.

It’s a shame, but a necessity - that my primary charge is to keep the kids engaged long enough for me to teach by example and activity more than readings and lectures.

Please pray for me because it is not what I consider an ideal situation at all, but I must find away to reach these kids and instill in them a desire to want to know more - so that they’ll actually read the lessons. It’s my fear they will never open the book because during class there’s to followup to ensure that it was ever done. If all they get from the program is what happens in the classroom they will miss out on the real teaching.
 
YingYang Hello I know you responded to other things. But as I progress as a CCD aide I would love talk more. I was just given two books plus several hundred pages of other stuff. I was assurred that our CCD is strong and tough…yes our Parish does fail people. That bode’s well. I never liked just moving kids along…they are not goats (but then that’s a pun on kids).
 
YYM,
Thank you for your dedication and service, you sound like a terrific teacher. Is CCD still held on Saturdays? What are your thoughts about holding it at other times/days. What books could you recommend that parents use to catechise their kids?
dljl
 
Our Priest met with the parents/teens as we begin a new CCD year - he made a great point - that we need to stop talking about “these young people are the Church of tomorrow” and let them know that they are the Church of TODAY. That right now, they are vital and important to our Parish.

I will carry that thought into my first CCD class of the year next week (5th grade CCD teacher here)…
 
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dljl:
YYM,
Thank you for your dedication and service, you sound like a terrific teacher. Is CCD still held on Saturdays? What are your thoughts about holding it at other times/days. What books could you recommend that parents use to catechise their kids?
dljl
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Our RE is held on sundays from 10:45 am - 12:00 pm (right after the 9:30am children’s choir mass, and right before the 11:00am adult choir mass), or Wednesday evenings from 7:00 - 8:15 pm. Our high school RE class is held from 7-8:30 pm on Sundays after the 6:00pm youth mass. Saturdays would never work in our town because AYSO soccer is such a big deal around here, other weekday evenings is always a gamble because of after school clubs, bands, sports already competing with regular school studies.

As for books…My own two kids went to RE for 2 years and I was so dissapointed in how much they DIDN’T learn (after having received the parent materials telling me what they were expected to know at each year) that I stopped paying for the program and took their RE into my own hands. The RE Director was wonderful, in that she sold me the books the kids would have been using anyway, and the teacher’s guide. She would mail me additional activity suggestions monthly and invited us to the regular class activities (if there were a special mass or speaker coming in to speak to the classes). It’s because she was so supportive of my not sending my kids through the program that I’ve ended up helping her out as much as I can.

I suggest contacting your RE director to see if you can purchase the same materials used in their classes. What I’ve found in the textbooks our church uses is the material is THERE. Everything these kids need to know about the faith really is laid out for them in an easy to follow format, but no Church program has the time, resources or parental support to use it even partially well and the kids are the ones who suffer. Plus the church programs are working with volunteers - not trained educators - so that’s always a challenge.

I would like to see Diocese devote a huge chunk of money to developing real programs and funding them…but in these days of the aftermath of the scandal, that just isn’t going to happen any time soon.
 
hilde the dog:
YingYang Hello I know you responded to other things. But as I progress as a CCD aide I would love talk more. I was just given two books plus several hundred pages of other stuff. I was assurred that our CCD is strong and tough…yes our Parish does fail people. That bode’s well. I never liked just moving kids along…they are not goats (but then that’s a pun on kids).
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Isn’t it amazing how much material we’re handed?
It’s good stuff too!! We have to read through all of it in such a short time so that we can find ways to condense it, and that’s my real challenge. I don’t want to condense any of it - it’s all good and it’s all so important. But we are directed as to which areas to place more emphasis on, so I will do so. There is an overall strategy however, that’s apparent in how the Director has the lessons laid out…they coincide with the seasons and involve the priests coming in to do a teaching mass and hear confessions, so keeping my eye on the big picture for all the kids, not just my 8th graders, helps.

God bless RE Directors everywhere - they have the bigger challenge!!!
 
Our high school textbook is excellent, Introduction to Catholicism by Midwest Theological forum, but it is intended for use in Catholic high schools as a 9th grade text. It takes us 2 years to get through just the highlights. If we did not have to waste a lot of time on discipline, interruptions due to kids coming in late, using cell phones (which are prohibitted but I can’t see how to enforce this without armed guards–even kicking them out of the room is still an interruption), we could cover more material. Since easily half or more of our 9th graders have not been to CCD since they made their 1st Communion, we also have to play catch-up which takes time away from presenting new material, or material in more depth.

As a DRE my preference would be home schooling and I will help any parent serious about their responsibility as their child’s primary religious educator to the fullest extent. We cannot make up for years of neglect on the part of the parents.
 
Although there are many good catechists out there, parents need to pay close attention to how their children are being formed in the faith. Many parishes employ DREs and Youth Ministers who do not have theological degrees and are in need of catechesis themselves! I’ve also noted that parents are becoming faith formation instructors to avoid paying a fee for the class. DRE’s that have to beg and pleed with people until the very last minute and offer incentives to get them to teach a class are assured of one thing–they are NOT getting people who feel called by God to educate your children.

Parents beware … although your pastor or administrator is responsible for the catechesis being provided they are often more satisfied with having the right quantity of teachers as opposed to the right quality of teacher.
 
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MaryAgnes:
Parents beware … although your pastor or administrator is responsible for the catechesis being provided they are often more satisfied with having the right quantity of teachers as opposed to the right quality of teacher.
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I am so much of your opinion that we will not have any first grade classes this year, since I cannot get any catechists, in spite of the fact that this parish has one of the best adult education programs in the diocese, which hundreds of parishioners have taken advantage of. In spite of our pastor frequently preaching on the theme “freely give what you have freely received” none of them apparently has experienced the call to share with the younger generation.

by the way if anyone in my parish, or on this forum, comes to me to criticize the quality of the books and resources, catechists, teaching etc. my practice is to hear them out respectfully, then to challenge them to volunteer since to my mind, to have the expertise and discernment for what is right means they are already qualified to teach. Also, please do not complain to me about what the kids are wearing (or not wearing) to Church—I am not their mother, so please direct those comments directly to their parents.
 
I too have been disillusioned as to what my children have learned (or not learned). There was even a time (quite recently) that I was thinking about changing which church that we attended. There are several to choose from in my area and many are doing some wonderful things. It was very difficult as I have been at that parish for close to 30 years and just decided to stick it out, even though others have much more to offer.

Instead I decided to become part of the solution instead of complaining about the problem. To start with I will be an assistant teacher this school year. Next year I will head a class of my own. Several if they need me and will let me.

In addition, next January, (if I can find funding), I will be going back to school, with my ultimate desire to become a DRE (maybe at my own parish if there becomes an opening). I have seen so much done at other parishes that I wonder why we don’t have any of that. I have so many ideas to share, things that could make our parish come alive.

The only problem that I have is that I don’t want to step on any toes. I want to help and improve, not criticize. The people at my parish have been there for many years and they are very kind and loving people. We have a relatively new priest (for us anyway) and I just love him. He has been changing things that were being done incorrectly, so maybe now is the right time.

Please pray for me and wish me luck!!
 
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