Homeschoolers forced into CCD for First Holy Eucharist

[jmcrae]

Yes, I agree that the 1970s and '80s were dreadful, for Catechesis and for just about everything else, too. Never mind “just about” - I can’t think of anything during that era that went right.

In 1992, the Pope published the Catechism of the Catholic Church and required all Dioceses to rewrite their teaching materials to match the information found in it.

Catechists also have to do more than just show up and prove themselves to be breathing, too - they need to be certified by their Diocese, and attend regular training sessions of their own.

ETA: The parish classes are not intended to replace home schooling, nor to replace Catholic school instruction. The kids should also be receiving instruction from their parents and attending Catholic school as well. The Catholic school, the Catholic parish and the Catholic family are all supposed to be working together as a team - it’s not an idea of, well, should I send my kid to Catholic school, or should I teach them at home, or should I send them for parish instruction? We need to be doing all three of them.

 

[jmcrae]

a last comment

The idea that since St. Therese, Maria Goretti, and Bernadette were taught in parish classes, this is an endosrsement of what is taught in religious education today is baseless in fact or reason.

I was simply responding to the statement that “well, the greatest Saints were home-schooled.” No, actually, they weren’t.

 

[jpjd]

No. Ultimate responsibility for the religious education of children rests with parents, not pastors or parish employees. CCD should be, at best, a supplement to what parents are doing.

– Mark L. Chance.

No. The bishop is responsible for the souls in his diocese, and the priest in his service carries that responsibility in the parish. When it comes to sacramental preparation, it is the the priest who ultimately determines readiness for receiving the sacrament, and by extension religious education leads up to readiness for the sacrament. The parents should see to the religious education of their children, and the parish provides the means for that religious education. If the parents so desire to provide that education themselves, all well and good – but the priest is still responsible for the readiness of the child for the sacrament, and as such he can require that the child use the parish relgious education to ensure that the child is up to the standards set by the diocese.

We are all reaching for the same goal, and homeschoolers should realize that they are part of the Body of Christ, not set apart from it.

 

[CDNowak]

This is becoming quite the repeated topic (just two weeks since this comprehensive thread).

Those who question the motives of homeschoolers, what are your motives?

Much of the suspicion that is seen among homeschoolers is the fact that society, both here andabroad, (including many Catholic parishes) seems bent on eroding the rights of parents. This does not mean that all, or even most, homeschoolers are isolationists: to the contrary they participate in all the “normal” areas of secular life and in the Church. It also seems the case, due to the overall higher performance of homeschooled students, that they do have some room to criticize the modern education establishment.

In my experience (again, from four states) the majority of CCD teachers are off the pew volunteers, the majority of the children in preparation for sacraments won’t be at Mass the week after they receive, the classes themselves are full of overtired children sitting for another hour or two a week in yet another classroom (as unnatural a setting as mankind has ever created), inadequate materials (being kind), and unprepared volunteers. Add to that none-too-rare cases of heterodox DRE’s, it is no wonder parents see this as an unnecessary burden for themselves and their children.

As canon lawyer Dr. Peters shows, there is a canonical right for parents to teach their own children.
Canon 226§2.:

Since they have given life to their children, parents have a most grave obligation and possess the right to educate them. Therefore, it is for Christian parents particularly to take care of the Christian education of their children according to the doctrine handed on by the Church.

Any limitation of the previous must be defined strictly in light of:
Canon 18:

Laws which establish a penalty, restrict the free exercise of rights, or contain an exception from the law are subject to strict interpretation.

and
843 §1:

Sacred ministers cannot deny the sacraments to those who seek them at appropriate times, are properly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them.

(see also the responsum ad dubium on Confirmation age).

Therefore the homeschoolers are unjustly being accused of disobedience in these cases.

 

[ALLGIRLS]

We ran into this for First Communion and are facing it for Confirmation. My kids are in Catholic school and they are still being required to go to CCE in Sacrament years. In our parish, CCE and Sacrament prep are not separate; in fact for my youngest, he was using the same text in 2nd grade CCE as he was using in his Catholic school. The only concession I got was that my kids weren’t required to go for 2 years; only the year of the Sacrament. And that’s not really a concession since our DRE regularly accepts new students right after Christmas on Sacrament years.

WHAT?? That’s just nuts! CCD/PSR was developed for public school kids BECAUSE they weren’t getting religious instruction (after Catholic kids were allowed to go to public school. Used to be Catholic kids HAD to go to Catholic school. Of course, the Nuns taught so it was free back then…) at school! That sounds like a DRE on a power trip to me.

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[grandfather]

I was simply responding to the statement that “well, the greatest Saints were home-schooled.” No, actually, they weren’t.

How would anyone know that?

We have two thousand years of saints. It is only possible for any person to know about a tiny fraction of the thousands of saints. They lived in antiquity, early medieval times, up through the past century.

How was the faith predominantly taught in the 2nd or 10th century? We can only guess.

In medieval times society in general was more religious. The culture was built on religious truths accepted by pretty much everyone and denominationalism and division had not yet reared its evil head. Religion permeated every aspect of life. Seculatism did not exist. The idea that religion should be barred from public life did not exist.

People were surrounded by the symbols and trappings of faith everywhere. The culture itself was a teacher.

That is no longer the case and parents who are serious about passing on faith to their children know they might get some help here and there, but they have to take primary responsiblility. The failure of religious ed programs, demonstrates they can not automatically be relied upon or trusted.

I know a woman who taught at a Catholic school and she was forbidden to teach 10 year olds about the capital sins, because it might make them feel badly about themselves. She disobeyed the instructions and the kids soaked it up eagerly.

Things might be better now than in the 80s, but that is not saying much. They still have a long long way to go. I am involved with a group that works on a college campus. They are there for Catholic students and attract many. These kids from all over the state are a cross section sampling from many parishes and have been through years of the classes and programs. They are ignorant of even the basic tenets of the faith. Most never even owned a rosary, much less prayed one.

Surely there are some parishes that do a great job with catechesis. There are others that are horrible. Parents can’t automatically assume that what the kids are being taught at their parishes is reliable orthodox material. There is too much at stake.

 

[CDNowak]

No. The bishop is responsible for the souls in his diocese, and the priest in his service carries that responsibility in the parish. When it comes to sacramental preparation, it is the the priest who ultimately determines readiness for receiving the sacrament, and by extension religious education leads up to readiness for the sacrament. The parents should see to the religious education of their children, and the parish provides the means for that religious education. If the parents so desire to provide that education themselves, all well and good – but the priest is still responsible for the readiness of the child for the sacrament, and as such he can require that the child use the parish relgious education to ensure that the child is up to the standards set by the diocese.

We are all reaching for the same goal, and homeschoolers should realize that they are part of the Body of Christ, not set apart from it.

(formating mine)

That is not what is contained in canon law or taught by Familaris Consotio or Lumen Gentium. Nor does it follow from rulings on canon law by the CDW, that canon law means what is says in that " Sacred ministers cannot deny the sacraments to those who seek them at appropriate times, are properly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them."

Homeschoolers are putting into action, in a particularly vivid way, the vocation of marriage and parenthood. This authentic apostolate is not suddenly surrendered two years shy of the age of reason, but continues until the child is fully capable of acting on their own. As such, they are not only a part of the Body of Christ, but an exemplary picture of the Body of Christ in action.

 

[psr13]

Kids who go to Catholic schools are still required to take Sacramental Preparation at their local parish. Academic Religion classes are not a substitute for direct preparation.

There is also a home preparation program that the kids are expected to be doing with their parents, as well, so that they are getting a three-pronged approach - story-telling, family prayer time, and good example being set at home with the parents, the “how-to” stuff at the parish (including help with memorizing the prayers that the priest wants them to know), and the academic reasoning, arguments from Holy Tradition, and Scripture support for it, at the Catholic school.

The supports of parish and school are important for the family, so that the child doesn’t come to think that 'well, that may be what Mom and Dad think, but I’ve never met anyone else who thinks like that."

It would be equally wrong for the family not to be involved, since then, the child would think, “Well, outsiders may think like that, but my family thinks differently,” and this is equally harmful.

We need to all be working together, so that the child sees that what he is being taught is agreed on by his family, his community, and his school.

Here, kids in Catholic school are not required to also take classes at their parishes. It is all done through the school.

 

[marci]

As canon lawyer Dr. Peters

I am so glad you provided this info. Let’s see anyone try to argue the validity of parents teaching their children their faith.

I am so outraged by the negativity I have seen toward homeschooling parents on this thread. These parents don’t avail themselves of the services of the local parish catechism not because they are lazy, or would rather go to football games, or want to hide their children from the world. They don’t because they are using catholic curriculum which introduces and reinforces catholic doctrine that most catechism instructors don’t know, much less teach.

When we were told that my oldest would have to attend catechism classes even though he was being homeschooled with a wonderful, faithful catholic curriculum, we obliged. I offered to sit in on the classes so that I could substitute for the instructor, who was elderly and facing health problems. We went to our first class, I sat there for an hour, listened patiently and never went back again.

The entire hour was spent introducing the children, and I do mean introducing, to the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and the Act of Contrition. Then we went through a nice presentation about who “God is”, that Jesus is His Son, and how “we should all love Jesus, shouldn’t we boys and girls.”

This class was so behind my son’s understanding and knowledge it was pathetic. They were covering things that he had known for years. Why should we sit there for an hour every Sunday morning for that?

Long story short… We found another priest who was happy to give my son his First Communion. He had a short conversation with him to assess his understanding, then gave him his First Confession. The following Saturday Mass he received The Eucharist.

When I explained the situation to him, I offered to let him look the catechism materials, and offered for my son to take any tests he deemed necessary, he said that all that would be necessary was for him to question him. He also said that the Sacraments are not ment to be held over one’s head as prizes for jumping through certain hoops.

In an effort to ensure proper instruction for children whose parents are lax when it comes to spiritual formation of their children, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.

The church is there to support catholic parents when asked, but as John Paul II said, the family is the first “society” it is primary in the rule of subsidiary. The parents are the primary authority responsible for the spriitual formation of their children.

 

[jpjd]

(formating mine)

That is not what is contained in canon law or taught by Familaris Consotio or Lumen Gentium. Nor does it follow from rulings on canon law by the CDW, that canon law means what is says in that " Sacred ministers cannot deny the sacraments to those who seek them at appropriate times, are properly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them."

Homeschoolers are putting into action, in a particularly vivid way, the vocation of marriage and parenthood. This authentic apostolate is not suddenly surrendered two years shy of the age of reason, but continues until the child is fully capable of acting on their own. As such, they are not only a part of the Body of Christ, but an exemplary picture of the Body of Christ in action.

Sure, the pastor must acquiesce and provide the sacrament upon demand. After all, homeschoolers all have the highest standards and the purest motives. You must live in Lake Wobegon where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.

 

[marci]

I wonder if your pastor has the same concerns about you and your homeschooling?

What are his assurances that you are to be trusted, particularly when you question the sacramental preparation process at his parish?

This is one of the more shocking comments I have seen on this thread, and that’s saying alot considering some of the other posts.

Let’s look at what someone else has said about whether or not parents can be trusted to teach their own children. In his Letter to Families, Pope John Paul II wrote:

“Parents are the first and the most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents.”

Does that answer your question?

 

[CDNowak]

Sure, the pastor must acquiesce and provide the sacrament upon demand. After all, homeschoolers all have the highest standards and the purest motives. You must live in Lake Wobegon where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.

jpjd, you are attempting to extend a restriction on the rights and responsibilities of a significant portion of the lay faithful. It is not the homeschoolers who are setting themselves apart from the Body of Christ, as they are following the teachings of the Church and passing them on (often more faithfully than the established educational program, see grandfather’s posts). As Marci’s priest said: “Sacraments are not meant to be held over one’s head as prizes for jumping through certain hoops.”

Certainly the pastor, even through the DRE (if necessary), can examine whether the children are prepared to receive. That is his responsibility. The responsibility for preparing them, however, is properly the parents’: not the bishop, priest, or DRE.

 

[Learning123]

I did fear the thread would spin out like it has, but I do value both sides of the arguement. Tonight I did find on our school’s website several pieces to read over, but the first skim through reinforces our initial idea to keep with our home study preparations. I am interested in what specific events they might offer that we might like to participate in.

God bless you all. May you enjoy peace and blessings.

 

[ASD]

I got the idea from Fr. Andrew Greeley, generally a very liberal guy, that this kind of policy is an abuse of power, what he calls a new clericalism.

Think about it. A parish Priest has the power to deny sacraments to Catholics in good standing because they don’t jump through bureaucratic hoops?

Ironic. I would like to conduct a study: How many parish Priests

• Force faithful Catholics to send their kids to highly questionable “Faith Formation” classes to obtain sacraments, but also
• Happily administer Communion to scandalous pro-abortion politicians

ASD​

Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar

 

[ASD]

… particularly when you question the sacramental preparation process at his parish?

In all honesty now, no snark: What exactly is wrong with questioning the sacramental preparation process at “his” parish?

In my experience, the only thing “wrong” with it is that it doesn’t accomplish anything. Hence, IMHO, several steps are necessary:

1. 
   *]Do not send the kids to questionable faith formation classes.
   *]Do no attend or offer envelops at innovative or gimmicky Masses. Go elsewhere.
   *]Take over one of the faith formation classes. Volunteers are usually needed in the new bureaucracy. So, volunteer and teach the kids without any nonsense.
   

   ASD​

   Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar

 

[grandfather]

In all honesty now, no snark: What exactly is wrong with questioning the sacramental preparation process at “his” parish?

In my experience, the only thing “wrong” with it is that it doesn’t accomplish anything. Hence, IMHO, several steps are necessary:

1. 
   *]Do not send the kids to questionable faith formation classes.
   *]Do no attend or offer envelops at innovative or gimmicky Masses. Go elsewhere.
   *]Take over one of the faith formation classes. Volunteers are usually needed in the new bureaucracy. So, volunteer and teach the kids without any nonsense.
   

   ASD​

   Traditional Latin Mass: Translation and Grammar

 

[puzzleannie]

Puzzleannie, I do not understand why you would say that it is the home schoolers that are being confrontational, while you and others make negative sweeping generalizations about home schoolers. Interesting.

I am not making a sweeping generalization, as I stated I am referring only to those homeschoolers who approach their pastors in a confrontational, obstructive stance, not to all homeschoolers, I thought I had been pre-emptive about that in my previous post. If you as a homeschooling parent adopt that stance, my observation is that you will only escalate the conflict you are having with your parish, and will not resolve anything to your satisfaction.

The pastors and DREs are not your enemy, we are there to help you navigate the diocesan requirements with the best possible outcome for your child and the parish. REpeat, you are NOT preparing your child for sacraments in isolation from your parish and dioceses, he is in the process of completing initiation into the universal church, not in completing an academic exercise under your supervision.

I will also repeat, if you are dissatisfied with catechesis in your parish, and you since you are homeschooling your child obviously are qualified as a catechist, yet you refuse to do anything in your own parish to alter the situation, you are part of the problem. I urge you to prayerfully discern if these events are part of the Holy Spirit calling you to serve your parish, and assist children whose families are less able than your own to direct their faith formation.

Repeat: NObody is forbidding you to teach faith formation to your child at home. In fact we expect every family to be doing this (we live in la la land sometimes) and we further expect that certainly children who spend only 1.5 hours a week in CCD or get at most 3 hours religious instruction in their Catholic school, will still get 90% of their formation at home.

What we are expecting is that when it comes to brining your child to the parish for sacraments you follow the same protocol set by the bishop for every child in the diocese.

I will also add that the format of the parent-sponsor meetings for sacramental prep, as I have seen them laid out in various diocesan guidelines, and by catechetical professionals, is designed precisely to give parents what the knowledge and resources they need to conduct their child’s formation at home. Not every family can afford the cost of a complete HS curriculum. Whether in practice the parish succeeds in doing that is certainly debatable, but when the parish offers you a gift, and you choose to regard it instead as an obligation, that is your attitude, not the parish leadership, causing a problem.

Please by the way home-schoolers should ask your parish for free books and other resources, to borrow videos, catechist guides etc., if you are homeschooling, buying these on your own is a huge investment. In this parish you will be given a free book and welcome to borrow any resource we have.

 

[mlchance]

Originally Posted by CDNowak to point out certain errors:

That is not what is contained in canon law or taught by Familaris Consotio or Lumen Gentium. Nor does it follow from rulings on canon law by the CDW, that canon law means what is says in that " Sacred ministers cannot deny the sacraments to those who seek them at appropriate times, are properly disposed, and are not prohibited by law from receiving them."

The response:

Sure, the pastor must acquiesce and provide the sacrament upon demand. After all, homeschoolers all have the highest standards and the purest motives. You must live in Lake Wobegon where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.

It’s amazing how quick some who insist on obedience to the Church too often resort to sarcasm when confronted with Church teaching that contradicts their opinion.

What we are expecting is that when it comes to brining your child to the parish for sacraments you follow the same protocol set by the bishop for every child in the diocese.

CCD attendance is not mandatory, nor is it a prerequisite for receiving any sacrament.

– Mark L. Chance.

 

[CDNowak]

Please by the way home-schoolers should ask your parish for free books and other resources, to borrow videos, catechist guides etc., if you are homeschooling, buying these on your own is a huge investment. In this parish you will be given a free book and welcome to borrow any resource we have.

The typical RE books are a significant portion of the problem. Homeschoolers invest in deeper programs (ie, Faith & Life) or build their own around and age appropriate Catechism (Baltimore > CCC). Don’t get me wrong, that your parish offers this much support is wonderful. Most don’t distinguish from helpful aids for parents and hoops to receive the sacraments. Many parishes treat homeschoolers in the same way public schools do, as competition. Many dioceses, as a matter of policy, take a confrontational, obstructive stance.

The shift in homeschoolers establishing that they are operating within their rights over the last thirty years has come from people willing to make a stand. I was homeschooled, among the first Catholics in SJ to do so, because my parents went out on a limb. They were opposed the school district, the Protestant homeschool group (initially), family, and the parish. We reached a compromise with the pastor and DRE that has been honored for 20 years, because we did participate in parish life, but only existed because my parents took a firm stand.

Many homeschooling parents have as much interest in trying to run a classroom as the children have in sitting in it, that is to say none at all. The genius of homeschooling, why it works so well, is the one-on-one involvement. Perhaps if the CCD/PSR model were allowed to be bent (a certain number of tutoring spots, instead of the classroom) there would be more participation by homeschoolers in the parish process.

 

[Brendan]

I
What we are expecting is that when it comes to brining your child to the parish for sacraments you follow the same protocol set by the bishop for every child in the diocese.

As long as that is simply an expectation, and not a requirement, you would be in compliance with the Vatican on the subject.

Otherwise, you would not be.