Family Faith Formation continued

[TC3033]

Parish RE Directors are flinging out ideas HOPING that something will stick.

The idea of “Forming your children at home because the parents are the primary educators of their children” looks great on paper (but then again, so does Communism).

You bring up one of the two reasons this model frustrates parents and children.

First, what about the mixed marriage. All of the burden is felt by one parent, they may feel out of their depth to answer some of the hard questions that should be sparked by learning (why does non-Catholic parent not do this or that and if they don’t have to do it, why do I? Are you saying non-Catholic parent is a sinner? If they are not a sinner, then, I don’t need to do it…)

Second is that we are often expecting parents to teach something that they themselves don’t remember or know. While we geeks who spend free time talking/reading about Catholicism find it hard to believe, not every practicing Catholic does. Not every cheering fan at the baseball game can quote stats and history and intricacies of the game, that does not make them a bad baseball fan.

For I daresay 80% or more of the parents, expecting them to be comfortable doing Faith Formation/Sacramental Prep at home is about as realistic as handing ME a booklet and expecting me to teach my kids Trig. That is a recipe for failure because, while I am a smart lady, I don’t even really know what Trig IS!!

I’d hope that every person responsible for setting FF/Sac Prep/CCD/RE programs in their parish have done a deep dive on the work of the Missionary Disciples document.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-te...echesis/catechetical-sunday/living-disciples/

We brought up the bolded portion to the RE leadership over the summer. My wife and I were going through some of the sample lessons and there was some parts that we didn’t really feel comfortable teaching to our kids. They weren’t really sure how to handle the situation and told us to just kind of “change it around”.

That’s one of the goals of the program though. They don’t want the burden to fall on just one parent, they want both to be active. Reason being…if they can get the NC parent to be active in the program at some point during the school year that parent will decide to convert. Thing is, that’s not how it’s working. I go to the parent night classes so everything doesn’t fall with my wife, but I don’t know how next year is going to work (if she decides to stay). We will take our oldest out of the program so the only child that will be in it is our 1st grader (going to 2nd) for his first communion year. Problem is, with a 1st communion year there’s nothing I can do to help her and they’re going to add even more 1st communion workshops. I honestly don’t know how she’s going to do it.

 

[TheLittleLady]

This tears at my heart. The treatment your family has received makes one know other mixed faith families are treated in the same way. To think that by forcing you to teach Catholicism you will covert is utterly ludicrous.

Scripture says no man comes except the Spirit draw him. How DARE they be so arrogant. Sorry, I’m tired and my filter is not set very high.

PLEASE know that what you are experiencing is not what the Church, what the Bishops, what YOUR Bishop wants to happen. Again, as a church employee, I apologize.

 

[TC3033]

This tears at my heart. The treatment your family has received makes one know other mixed faith families are treated in the same way. To think that by forcing you to teach Catholicism you will covert is utterly ludicrous.

Scripture says no man comes except the Spirit draw him. How DARE they be so arrogant. Sorry, I’m tired and my filter is not set very high.

PLEASE know that what you are experiencing is not what the Church, what the Bishops, what YOUR Bishop wants to happen. Again, as a church employee, I apologize.

I don’t know how much of that I really throw on this parish (if that’s one of the reasons “they” decided to switch…but I wouldn’t be surprised.), but it was on the publisher of the program’s website. At least I’m pretty sure it was on their website…I found it last summer and the website has since changed.

It is what it is, but next year I just don’t know how my wife is going to be able to do the program. We’ve already decided to pull our oldest (mainly over what’s been said the last few weeks) and if she stays there it will just be our middle son to get him through 1st communion in the same place our oldest did. After that (if we do stay) we’ll be reevaluating again next spring.

With everything that’s involved with next year’s sacrament year, between the regular program and the workshops being added, I just don’t know how she’s going to be able to do it.

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I will keep your other half in my prayers.

 

[phil19034]

The Augustine Institute has come out with a new Family Faith Formation program for First Confession and First Communion called Signs of Grace. It uses books and DVDs for the Kids and FORMED.org for the adults (or DVDs if the parish doesn’t have FORMED)

Worth checking out!

 

[bobperk]

Has anyone had a good experience with this model at this parish? Or does it just seem to be a fad that will be replaced with something else in a few years?

 

[TC3033]

In our case: I’m sure there are a few at the parish that have had a good experience, but from discussions I’ve had with other families in our neighborhood away from church; that seems that the positive families are very few and far between. My wife and I were actually quite taken back this week. It was 1st communion and I bet there had to be 30 kids…I don’t think I’ve seen more than 40 parents at parent night or more than 40 families at family day (last one had like 15) since Christmas. So, I’m guessing, most of these families just quit coming to parent night/family day and did what they needed to do to get their kid through first communion. First family day was absolutely packed…after that the attendance dropped off dramatically.

Personally, I hope it’s a passing fad. I know that the church here is getting massive push back on the program but the priest isn’t going to change it. He’s had a couple sermons and letters telling us why they’re doing it, why it won’t change, how they know better and actually during a homily admonished families for poor attendance to family day… He’s stated how excited the program has made him this year and looks forward to it being even more “involved” next year. I have a feeling that they’re going to lose quite a few kids this summer…I know I got some looks as I walked past the early registration table without stopping.