Please don’t get me wrong I wasn’t suggesting anything like homeschoolers turning in service sheets - I was talking about an actual project with a beginning and end to bring some of these young people together and get them used to working in community with each other and getting their legs under them so to speak. For instance one thing we were kicking around this year for a service project was helping some Parish members who are in that “short sale” status fix up their places so that they can sell and get out from under these debts especially with the economy in Florida the way it is right now. That was before things started happening and my dh needed counseling and I needed to take time off to support him which was more important- but that is another thread.
Thank you for sharing that - I think I was getting the wrong idea from of the some of the other posters.
How do you what you teach at home is more in depth of even correct?
CCD and CYO are the main way our children interact with others of thier own faith, that they interact and become part of the Catholic community. Without theat interaction, and development of friendships in the parish, they can’t fully engage in the Catholic Christian experince which is a very important part of formation.
Intersting post, but some corrections are needed. What the priest said is not neccessarily in error. All those who have been canonized were because they did thier job as called by God. A firefighter that dies in the course of his job is a saint, he sacraficed his life for others. A person who provides and sacrafices for his family his entire life, lives his faith is a saint. We denote the prefix of saint to those who peformed extraodinary acts of faith of love in thier lives, that doesn’t mean others who sacrafice are not saints, they just haven’t recieved the title.
As I said, the materials must have an imprimatur. The Catechism itself is of course correct. Any questions that arise regarding authoritative teachings simply require a little research or asking a local priest.
Your generalization is misguided. Not taking part in a parish youth program or Parish committee does not make you more prepared for Sacramental reception. Most of the Parish youth programs are not very Christian oriented and offer very few opportunities for children to build upon and expand the Catholic Culture they receive at home. Homeschoolers do and so they do tend to gather where orthodoxy can be found. Realizing that their children’s formation is fragile, placing children in the middle of a dispute about orthodoxy does not help their formation that is being cultivated at home. So most will move on to where they can find it for the sake of their children’s Catholic formation
Perhaps you are beginning to see why homeschoolers stick together. It is because of the very thing you are complaining about. Finding outlets for their Christian faith is important. This family by your own admission, is a contributing part of a parish community. Mass attendance, confession and sacramental reception are the basis for all Catholic endeavors. It is unfortunate that families cannot find this at ALL parishes and are forced to go somewhere else.
I’m not sure I understand this part. Do you htink that children who are taught by their parents are not involved in “community?” We all have life and community involvement outside of Church.:
But if you’re talking specifically about working with other children from the church, then , these children are already involved in activities with other children in the church. Such as fund raising events, among Mass, Rosary etc. But again, lets not get sidetracked. Participating in a community or service project cannot be required to recieve a sacrament. If families have the time and wish to do so, then that’s their decision.joandarc2008;5796582:
I thank God for the opportunity that He gave me thorugh my children to learn my faith by teaching my children.
I am not saying that all parents who teach their children are like how I was. But I do want to emphasize that even though I did not know my faith, (and thought I did) I, as do other parents, use a “religion program” with an imprimatur. Therefore, we teach in a format what the Church teaches.
I* would say that Cradle Catholics are the result of Parish Programs*. Do the parish catechists take the time and actually have one on one time with their students the way a parent does with their child? I doubt it, not enough time to do it.
Does a parish catechist truly know for sure that each and everyone of their candidates understands the teachings? Doubt it, they do not have individual interviews, the way they make parent taught candidates go through interviews.
A parent knows when their child is understanding the discussion and when their child is not. A parent can take the time to go over material. A parent has daily opportunity to explain the sacraments. A parish catechist has to wait for the next class, and most certainly what wasn;t understood won’t be rediscussed. And any questions a candidate had will most likely be forgotten by the time they have the next class.
Therefore, not all children, but there will be some children, like me, who will “fall through the cracks” in a parish program, just as they do in a public school system.
That is my testimony on how God saved me through my children and how He brought me out of being a Cradle Catholic to a Catholic who loves, and now knows, Him in the Eucharist, and knows and loves the faith. I am on fire to teach it to my children, and you know what? I have that God given right to do so.
I read through the whole thread, waited till the end to comment…and then here was all I had in my head! Thanks for helping me keep my typing to a minimum
Funny thing is this, I just had a very long and educational discussion with my associate pastor on this same subject. I have a friend who’s granddaughter is 7 years old. In the Diocese where she lives the children are being prepared, by the parent, for confirmation on the day she will receive her first Eucharist. My friend had many questions about this and so asked me to find answers to his concerns. There is much debate in this country over this. Mostly Theological vs. pastoral. Can children, of such an age retain this information. Will our children ,who have been confirmed at an early age, continue with religious education? CAN we trust in God? I think the trusting part is the hardest of all. I know that I was not properly catechised, catholic school and all. Confirmation was my graduation from church, see ya.(confirmed at age 18) I am trustin in the fact, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, bestowed upon us during confirmation will literally transform our church, when given at an earlier age. Now to the OP, it IS our duty to teach our children. So many of us are under the false impression that it is somebody elses job. In teaching our children, we teach ourselves and maybe just maybe, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will all become stronger in our faiths and more able to spread the Good News to all peoples. We will have to trust and see what happens. I think this might just be what the good Lord has in mind.
This post and the last just sound like you don’t want to assciate with fellow Catholics. How does that follow Jesus command of love thy neighbor?
It is odd to speaking of rights in this context. One of the biggest issues in the church is that Adults do not know thier faith. For proof, just look at voting paterns of the faithful.I believe that the Lord wants the **Rights of Candidates **addressed as now they are being violated. We need to unite and reform this situation without getting peoples “opinions” involved. I will stand up for the rights of my children to receive their sacraments and will do so not only for my children but for the rights of all children in the Catholic Church. Perhaps a group organization, Association or better yet an Apostolate with chapters in each diocese dedicated to protecting the of rights of candidates needs to be formed. Who will answer the call? My guess…parents.