Is "Gather Faithfully Together" Curriculum orthodox?

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Veritas41

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I wasn’t sure where to post this, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I just found out that the curriculum that’s going to be used for First Communion preparation in my daughter’s class is the “Gather Faithfully Together”. I went on the internet and found out that it’s based on a letter by Cardinal Roger Mahony, which isn’t reassuring to me at all. The Adoremus website had a critique of his letter, citing the theological deficiencies, but I couldn’t find anything about the curriculum itself. I’ve contacted one of my daughter’s teachers to find out if I can review the materials before they’re presented in class, but I would like to know if anyone has any personal experience with this curriculum or can refer me to any sources that can give me some information about it, especially if it’s not orthodox.

Thank you!
 
Veritas41 said:
I wasn’t sure where to post this, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I just found out that the curriculum that’s going to be used for First Communion preparation in my daughter’s class is the “Gather Faithfully Together”. I went on the internet and found out that it’s based on a letter by Cardinal Roger Mahony, which isn’t reassuring to me at all. The Adoremus website had a critique of his letter, citing the theological deficiencies, but I couldn’t find anything about the curriculum itself. I’ve contacted one of my daughter’s teachers to find out if I can review the materials before they’re presented in class, but I would like to know if anyone has any personal experience with this curriculum or can refer me to any sources that can give me some information about it, especially if it’s not orthodox.

Thank you!
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Are there books for this?
I was Googling and can’t find a thing on teaching children from it.

I’m sure you read what Mother Angelica wrote about it. This is a huge red flag for me.

Personally, I would get a copy of the second grade Faith and Life Catechism found here…
ignatius.com/Textbooks/Catechism-FaithAndLife.aspx?SID=1

And teach my child myself. They have actual CCC citations and really teach “Catholic” and not just Christian. They are not that expensive and my kids have even done the workbook pages that are not required. They are great!

When I was at the “Catholic Community” they were using books that lightly touched the Eucharist and pushed the Communal Meal. I got a copy of the Baltimore Catechism and went from there.

My thought was that it was really sad that these kids were not being taught the CCC but my job was to educate my own child. Fight the system after, when your kiddies are through confirmation.

But make sure that if you are required to send your children to class (which many parishes require) that you watch carefully what they are learning. Unteach them quickly anything that is on the fringe of the CCC.
 
we did use it one year for a catechesis of the entire family throughout the CCD program K-12 on the Mass and full, active participation. the program handouts are okay as far as they go, but they don’t go far enough. There are 6, one on each part of the Mass, by age group, English and Spanish.

The video is problematic because it is a teaching by Cardinal Mahoney for his diocese on the changes in the Mass he instituted in his diocese. Some of them are inconsequential–beginning the communion procession from the back of the church rather than the front, for instance. Some are not, standing throughout the consecration and Eucharistic prayer, for instance. There are many, better videos on the Mass that could be used. If you use their video (it does not come with the GFT handouts, you have to order it separately from another company) you have to explain away a lot of stuff.

bottom line: an expensive program for parish wide use whose goal–fostering understanding of and full active participation in the Mass–is worthy, but can be met more effectively by many other, much less expensive, programs.

rather than relying on expensive “handouts”, for children use the missals they usually receive for first communion or Magnifikids, or for adults and older children a real Missal, Magnificat or the missalette from the pew, and a reliable video.
 
netmil(name removed by moderator) said:
Are there books for this?
I was Googling and can’t find a thing on teaching children from it.

I’m sure you read what Mother Angelica wrote about it. This is a huge red flag for me.

Personally, I would get a copy of the second grade Faith and Life Catechism found here…
ignatius.com/Textbooks/Catechism-FaithAndLife.aspx?SID=1

And teach my child myself. They have actual CCC citations and really teach “Catholic” and not just Christian. They are not that expensive and my kids have even done the workbook pages that are not required. They are great!

When I was at the “Catholic Community” they were using books that lightly touched the Eucharist and pushed the Communal Meal. I got a copy of the Baltimore Catechism and went from there.

My thought was that it was really sad that these kids were not being taught the CCC but my job was to educate my own child. Fight the system after, when your kiddies are through confirmation.

But make sure that if you are required to send your children to class (which many parishes require) that you watch carefully what they are learning. Unteach them quickly anything that is on the fringe of the CCC.
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I’m good friends with one of my daughter’s teachers, and I know she’s committed to teaching the truth, so I think I"m going to bend her ear on this and see if we can at least get the offensive parts removed from the lessons. I’m not sure if there are books – it appears to be videos and handouts (all I have is a syllabus to go by)

I checked on the link in your post, and I am familiar with that curriculum because that’s the one they used at my sons’ Catholic school where we used to live. Do you use the teacher’s manual, or do you just teach from the book? I’ve been very disappointed at the faith formation at our parish (we’ve been there 2 1/2 years).and I may begin just teaching my kids at home. I teach the 7th and 8th graders, and I’ve had to heavily supplement the curriculum to get some doctrinal substance into their lessons. I was shocked Sunday when three of the kids in my class revealed they had no understanding of the Trinity-- none. I can understand if they have difficulty with it at their age, but they are completely clueless about it.

Can I find what Mother Angelica wrote about Gather Faithfully Together on the EWTN website?

Thanks for your reply!
 
puzzleannie said:
we did use it one year for a catechesis of the entire family throughout the CCD program K-12 on the Mass and full, active participation. the program handouts are okay as far as they go, but they don’t go far enough. There are 6, one on each part of the Mass, by age group, English and Spanish.

The video is problematic because it is a teaching by Cardinal Mahoney for his diocese on the changes in the Mass he instituted in his diocese. Some of them are inconsequential–beginning the communion procession from the back of the church rather than the front, for instance. Some are not, standing throughout the consecration and Eucharistic prayer, for instance. There are many, better videos on the Mass that could be used. If you use their video (it does not come with the GFT handouts, you have to order it separately from another company) you have to explain away a lot of stuff.

bottom line: an expensive program for parish wide use whose goal–fostering understanding of and full active participation in the Mass–is worthy, but can be met more effectively by many other, much less expensive, programs.

rather than relying on expensive “handouts”, for children use the missals they usually receive for first communion or Magnifikids, or for adults and older children a real Missal, Magnificat or the missalette from the pew, and a reliable video.
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How does Cardinal Mahony get away with directing people to violate the rubrics of the Mass (standing during the consecration, etc)? The information you have is very helpful --what are the names of/where can I find some of the better videos and programs you mentioned? Thanks so much!
That information is very helpful. What are some of the other programs that would be better?
 
Veritas41 said:
I’m good friends with one of my daughter’s teachers, and I know she’s committed to teaching the truth, so I think I"m going to bend her ear on this and see if we can at least get the offensive parts removed from the lessons. I’m not sure if there are books – it appears to be videos and handouts (all I have is a syllabus to go by)

I checked on the link in your post, and I am familiar with that curriculum because that’s the one they used at my sons’ Catholic school where we used to live. Do you use the teacher’s manual, or do you just teach from the book? I’ve been very disappointed at the faith formation at our parish (we’ve been there 2 1/2 years).and I may begin just teaching my kids at home. I teach the 7th and 8th graders, and I’ve had to heavily supplement the curriculum to get some doctrinal substance into their lessons. I was shocked Sunday when three of the kids in my class revealed they had no understanding of the Trinity-- none. I can understand if they have difficulty with it at their age, but they are completely clueless about it.

Can I find what Mother Angelica wrote about Gather Faithfully Together on the EWTN website?

Thanks for your reply!
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I’m not sure that it can be found on the EWTN website but you can read about it here…
findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_n6_v34/ai_20067461
Or in Raymond Arroyo’s book.

I don’t teach Catechism but I am good friends with two of the women who teach for our parish. In looking at what my children have learned from these books, I don’t really think you need a teacher’s guide.

To actually make First Communion in our parish, a child must be able to know the first 50 answers to the CCC. They are in the boxes at the end of each chapter. Also, they must be able to recite the Ten Commandments and the Act of Contrition. (they were required to know the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be in first grade) By starting each session with a decade of the Rosary and whatever prayer is required that year, the children pick it up easily.

Since your son used the curriculm, you know it is wonderful! My older daughter is now in Fourth Grade and carries a Bible to class. After learning the Sacraments for three years, they are now linking the Bible teaching to them. Since you are teaching yourself, maybe you could pick up the books as a guide for your older students. It sure would help you supplement! Our confirmation students have 200 questions that must be answered before the sacrament. It is the most intense program in the area and people are flocking to it.
(we have three 2nd grades + the homeschooled kids and another group from a city north of us, taught by a fellow CAF poster)

All the best!
 
every publisher of RE textbooks approved by the bishops as being in conformity with the Catechism also have videos on the Mass and other relevant topics, and have supplements for sacramental preparation. start there. your textbook publisher has a website which will direct you to other resources.

homeschoolers, before you spend a lot of money on videos, investigate your diocesan media library. if they won;t lend directly to parishioners, try going through your parish DRE or whoever oversees the homeschooling RE.
 
Veritas41 said:
I wasn’t sure where to post this, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I just found out that the curriculum that’s going to be used for First Communion preparation in my daughter’s class is the “Gather Faithfully Together”. I went on the internet and found out that it’s based on a letter by Cardinal Roger Mahony, which isn’t reassuring to me at all. !
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GFT is a program for parishes to use in encouraging full active informed participation in the Mass, it is not intended as a 1st Communion prep program. If that is all your parish is offering, the sacramental program is very deficient. I do firmly believe that every RE program should aim to educate children and families on the Mass and Eucharist, and encourage Mass participation. We did use GTF to jump start that goal and it was successful, but we do not use the video, the pastor or deacon actually describes the various parts of the Mass and what the congregation participation, postures, gestures and attitude should be. The handouts are fine, as long as they supplement an orthodox presentation, but too expensive for regular parish use, at least here.

repeat, this is not a 1st communion program
 
puzzleannie said:
GFT is a program for parishes to use in encouraging full active informed participation in the Mass,… I do firmly believe that every RE program should aim to educate children and families on the Mass and Eucharist, and encourage Mass participation. …, but we do not use the video, the pastor or deacon actually describes the various parts of the Mass and what the congregation participation, postures, gestures and attitude should be.
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And that is precisely where GFT fails.

What it talks about are physical actions and totally ignores what the Council meant by “full and active participation”

The primary actio (action) of each liturgy (of the Word and of the Eucharist) are what require our participation and it generally involves silence.

In the Liturgy of the Word, the actio is the Proclamation of the Word of God. Our participation is in our listening to that Word and taking it to heart.

In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the actio is the Sacrifice of the Unblemished Lamb by the priest. We fully participate in that by offering ourselves along with the Sacrifice of the priest.

In both cases, our active participation involves our silence and in each case, the Council Fathers recognized that the faithful were not participating, not by what they were not saying, but rather in what they were not listening to.

GTF propogates the misconception that “active participation” means that our hands or lips need to be doing something at Mass
 
Veritas41 said:
I wasn’t sure where to post this, so I apologize if it’s in the wrong place. I just found out that the curriculum that’s going to be used for First Communion preparation in my daughter’s class is the “Gather Faithfully Together”. I went on the internet and found out that it’s based on a letter by Cardinal Roger Mahony, which isn’t reassuring to me at all. The Adoremus website had a critique of his letter, citing the theological deficiencies, but I couldn’t find anything about the curriculum itself. I’ve contacted one of my daughter’s teachers to find out if I can review the materials before they’re presented in class, but I would like to know if anyone has any personal experience with this curriculum or can refer me to any sources that can give me some information about it, especially if it’s not orthodox.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
It is not the best tool that could be used at any level whatsoever… I’ll leave it at that. I would never have dreamed it could even be considered for use as first communion instruction at all.
 
the bishops have a list of elementary Religion textbook series in conformity, and each series has a statement on the title page of conformity if and when it was granted by the bishops committee on that topic (the same publisher may have series with different titles and copyright dates, so check carefully). your diocesan office of catechetics has that info, it is probably on the bishop’s website. I don’t know if they have made their judgement on high school and confirmation prep materials yet, it has been a long time coming.

your diocese also has a list of approved texts and if you are homeschooling and trying to get parish support, esp. for sacramental prep, you better stick to that list. In this diocese the approved series are Sadlier, Loyola Press and Silver Burdette, but I don’t have the dates and title series in front of me. If their textbooks are approved, so are the supplements for sacramental prep. We have a new list of approved confirmation programs but I don’t have it at hand either, check with your diocese.

our parish provides used textbooks for free to homeschoolers, so check before you spend money, they cost a lot when ordered individually, not in bulk.
 
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