"Sunday school" before mass?

[Ron_in_minden]

Hi all, I’m a member of our RCIA team at our parish and we have been discussing the possibility of starting a Sunday school type class before mass just basically going over the readings for the day. We are a very small parish(one priest shared between 3 churches)so I’m looking for advice on how it should be conducted like a formula or program or something. I’m the type of person if you show me the steps like a,b,c,d, on how to do something that’s what I will do and follow. Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks.

 

[Catholic1954]

Hi all, I’m a member of our RCIA team at our parish and we have been discussing the possibility of starting a Sunday school type class before mass just basically going over the readings for the day. We are a very small parish(one priest shared between 3 churches)so I’m looking for advice on how it should be conducted like a formula or program or something. I’m the type of person if you show me the steps like a,b,c,d, on how to do something that’s what I will do and follow. Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks.

Something like that is usually run like a Bible Study class. It is extremely helpful for the moderator to have a good understanding of the history of the time.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Are you thinking of this in place of breaking open the word during Mass? Is this something that would be in addition to some kind of session during the week? It’s an interesting idea, I’m just trying to understand what you have I mind.

 

[tafan]

I would like to say, based on experience, this is not a good idea. Our parish has some of their CCD classes meet on Sunday. I have taught those classes, middle school kids. They either go to mass for an hour and then sit in class for 1.5 hours or vice versa. Its too much. All it does is make the kids learn to dread sunday mornings. On top of that, it really messes up Sunday morning family time. Do you faith formation some other time, leave Sunday mornings for mass and family.
I feel pretty strongly about this, its a really bad idea. Our parish still does it, but its a mistake.

 

[1ke]

Hi all, I’m a member of our RCIA team at our parish and we have been discussing the possibility of starting a Sunday school type class before mass just basically going over the readings for the day. We are a very small parish(one priest shared between 3 churches)so I’m looking for advice on how it should be conducted like a formula or program or something. I’m the type of person if you show me the steps like a,b,c,d, on how to do something that’s what I will do and follow. Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks.

There are a few structured programs out there:

paulistpress.com/Products/4471-6/breaking-open-the-lectionary.aspx (there are separate book for A, B, and C years)

scriptureschool.org/startlectionary.aspx

emmausjourney.org/sundays_reading.php#

 

[jmcrae]

Hi all, I’m a member of our RCIA team at our parish and we have been discussing the possibility of starting a Sunday school type class before mass just basically going over the readings for the day. We are a very small parish(one priest shared between 3 churches)so I’m looking for advice on how it should be conducted like a formula or program or something. I’m the type of person if you show me the steps like a,b,c,d, on how to do something that’s what I will do and follow. Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks.

Is this in place of “Breaking Open the Word”? Or why not simply do “Breaking Open the Word” with your RCIA group?

If you examine the Rite, you’ll see that it calls for “Breaking Open the Word” to take place during Mass time, after the homily. There is a special Dismissal Rite each Sunday to dismiss the Catechumens with their Catechist to go out and do this.

There are also some good study guides for this - I happen to like “Foundations in Faith,” which also has matching weekday sessions to follow up during the week after each session of “Breaking Open the Word”.

 

[1ke]

Is this in place of “Breaking Open the Word”? Or why not simply do “Breaking Open the Word” with your RCIA group?

I suspect it is because there is only 1 mass per weekend at that parish. The OP said they share a priest among 3 parishes and they are small. In my own parish we share a priest with two other parishes, and we have 1 mass at each parish per weekend.

When I have RCIA inquirers/catechumens (which isn’t all the time b/c we are small) I do not do BOTW during Mass because I, as the catechist, don’t have another mass to go to without extreme inconvenience to my family and a pretty long drive.

When you are in a rural area, sharing a priest with other parish, and have limited mass choices, it’s not really a matter of “simply” doing anything. it’s a real logistical challenge. I can see doing the BOTW before mass in that scenario.

 

[jmcrae]

I suspect it is because there is only 1 mass per weekend at that parish. The OP said they share a priest among 3 parishes and they are small. In my own parish we share a priest with two other parishes, and we have 1 mass at each parish per weekend.

When I have RCIA inquirers/catechumens (which isn’t all the time b/c we are small) I do not do BOTW during Mass because I, as the catechist, don’t have another mass to go to without extreme inconvenience to my family and a pretty long drive.

When you are in a rural area, sharing a priest with other parish, and have limited mass choices, it’s not really a matter of “simply” doing anything. it’s a real logistical challenge. I can see doing the BOTW before mass in that scenario.

That makes sense - thanks!

 

[Ron_in_minden]

I suspect it is because there is only 1 mass per weekend at that parish. The OP said they share a priest among 3 parishes and they are small. In my own parish we share a priest with two other parishes, and we have 1 mass at each parish per weekend.

When I have RCIA inquirers/catechumens (which isn’t all the time b/c we are small) I do not do BOTW during Mass because I, as the catechist, don’t have another mass to go to without extreme inconvenience to my family and a pretty long drive.

When you are in a rural area, sharing a priest with other parish, and have limited mass choices, it’s not really a matter of “simply” doing anything. it’s a real logistical challenge. I can see doing the BOTW before mass in that scenario.

Thanks for the responses, this is similar to our case. We really don’t have all that many RCIA inquiries here in the buckle of the bible belt. I just thought it might be nice to talk about things with like minded people and maybe help our community become a little more tight knit.

 

[phil19034]

I would suggest keeping it simple by using “Opening the Word” on FORMED.org

You don’t even have to subscribe to FORMED.org in order to watch the current week’s video.