Why no Sunday School

[robwar]

Getting to church on isolated weeknights for the adult classes is an organizational problem for me. I keep forgetting, but would really enjoy getting involved in more parish activities. An adult Sunday school class after Mass would really fit the ticket. It would also be valuable for recent graduates of RCIA, to keep them involved.

However, such a class would have to be run by qualified people, not just a volunteer who might have some unorthodox ideas. I just hate seeing such a thing being run by people who have one foot in Protestantism. Since we live in the real world, it is easy for that to happen. My membership here has helped me immensely, in shedding some of the weird ideas I picked up from my association with Mormons.

When I first joined this board, I was arguing the Virginity of Mary.

One of the best ways to get involved and will be very easy for you to do is to volunteer to do something at mass such as usher, Eucharistic minister, lector. Since you are going to mass anyway, stepping forward in one of these ministries will very much help. You would be amazed at how many people you met in the parish. There is little demand of your time outside mass and since you are there at mass why not? Going to a new parish, I decided to become a lector and I was very surprised at how fast I got to know others and feel apart of the new parish. Good Luck!

 

[sallybutler]

Catholics have Sunday School. It is called Mass. The mass consists of several parts, including the Homily. That is when the priest teaches the congregation about the Bible, Jesus & the Church.

 

[robwar]

Catholics have Sunday School. It is called Mass. The mass consists of several parts, including the Homily. That is when the priest teaches the congregation about the Bible, Jesus & the Church.

Hi,
if you have been a Catholic all you life, the dynamic of a Protestant church is different than the Catholic parish and what the op is asking is that why is there not a Sunday morning adult bible study in a small class like setting that often happen before the Sunday Am service in a number of Protestant churches. These type of “Sunday School” classes do offer a close look at the Bible as well as a chance for the members to get to know each other. While I totally agree with what you are saying, it is sometimes a struggle for new converts to adjust to the Catholic parish dynamics and can often miss some the closeness and fellowship that happen in a Protestant church. As Catholics (and I’m a convert), we need to be more understanding and helpful to new converts to help them adjust and feel apart of parish life.
peace

 

[Miriam1947]

I grew up Protestant. Sunday school is where you send the little kids while the grown-ups go to the service. The last church I attended before becoming Catholic the children had a little service with the pastor at the front of the church and then off to Sunday school they went.

In the Catholic parish I attend the babies attend Mass along with the toddlers, teens, parents, grandparents, etc.

 

[Jerusha]

Mass is and should be a family thing, except for the littlest of babies, and the children’s liturgy.

 

[hn160]

Catholics have Sunday School. It is called Mass. The mass consists of several parts, including the Homily. That is when the priest teaches the congregation about the Bible, Jesus & the Church.

Lutherans have the same thing in the Divine Service, the Divine Service consist of corporate confession and Absolution by the pastor, and several parts similar parts as the Mass including the Sermon (Law and Gospel) and Holy Communion, but we still have Adult Sunday School taught by the pastor.

 

[Barb3]

I have read many of these comments over the past week or so, but I must say that I just LOVE HN160’s comments – it is so TRUE to our Church!!!

 

[bcuster]

My first response to this is that we take our children to Mass with us. For us the Mass is the Wedding Banquet of Our Lord so we always include our children from the earliest age. That being said, I am the Coordinator of Children’s Faith Formation at my parish and I have religious education between the two Sunday Masses and I take the childen (ages 3 to 9) to a separate space for Children’s Liturgy of the Word during the 11 AM Mass. So I guess we do have Sunday School.

 

[zaffiroborant]

We would have a big parking problem if there was Sunday school after the 7:30 and 9:00 am Masses. It might be okay after the 10:30 and Twelve o’clock Masses, I’m not sure how many attend 12 o’clock.

 

[cthulhubryan]

Hi,
if you have been a Catholic all you life, the dynamic of a Protestant church is different than the Catholic parish and what the op is asking is that why is there not a Sunday morning adult bible study in a small class like setting that often happen before the Sunday Am service in a number of Protestant churches. These type of “Sunday School” classes do offer a close look at the Bible as well as a chance for the members to get to know each other. While I totally agree with what you are saying, it is sometimes a struggle for new converts to adjust to the Catholic parish dynamics and can often miss some the closeness and fellowship that happen in a Protestant church. As Catholics (and I’m a convert), we need to be more understanding and helpful to new converts to help them adjust and feel apart of parish life.
peace

This is a big part of what I was asking. It seems that unless you know someone before coming to Mass, you never get to know anyone.

 

[mommamia]

We do have CCD, but its expensive…and at our parish its a per child cost, not per family. Even as a cradle Catholic I see a problem with this. Same with youth group and almost all adult programs, they are just cost prohibitive for many families.

But, there are other ways to meet other Catholics. Volunteering at a Catholic charity is a good way, also as mentioned being an usher, or doing a reading, or eucharist minister.

And of course, each parish is different. Some do better at reaching out than others.

 

[Jerusha]

We do have CCD, but its expensive…and at our parish its a per child cost, not per family. Even as a cradle Catholic I see a problem with this. Same with youth group and almost all adult programs, they are just cost prohibitive for many families.

I thought CCD was free, except for textbooks!! It is usually staffed by volunteers. What is wrong here? Any family that cannot afford a parochial school education for their children should not have to be burdened with paying for CCD!! This is just wrong!

 

[Corki]

I thought CCD was free, except for textbooks!! It is usually staffed by volunteers. What is wrong here? Any family that cannot afford a parochial school education for their children should not have to be burdened with paying for CCD!! This is just wrong!

CCD isn’t free. It is expensive to run a good program even with volunteer teachers. The topic of cost comes up every fall here on CAF and seems to be between about $20 - $50 per child. That’s cheaper than any other activity that school age children do, I can just about guarantee you. CCD is not an optional activity, however. All school age children who are not in Catholic school are supposed to be in some religious education program. With that in mind, parishes are more than happy to work with any family that has trouble paying. In some years, around a third of our families have their tuition either waived outright or exchanged for volunteer hours.

 

[mommamia]

Well, the Church knows I lost my job and we had to take our kids out of the parish school. But when I showed up with my $95 the director informed me that was only for one child. When I pointed out we could barely afford that she told me I could pay the rest later. I haven’t paid yet, and I don’t know if I can.

We do still give our weekly contribution, and I try to volunteer. But my mother in law loved to throw it in my face that all of this would be free at her protestant church.

 

[Jerusha]

With that in mind, parishes are more than happy to work with any family that has trouble paying. In some years, around a third of our families have their tuition either waived outright or exchanged for volunteer hours.

Now that is reasonable.

 

[mommamia]

Yes, they certainly haven’t kicked my kids out. But I worry how many just don’t even bother. It’s hard to compete against all the bells and whistles handed out free by the protestants. And some days I just get tired of arguing with the in-laws about it…I’m human after all.

Of course, this would be less of a problem if we all supported our Church more through tithing.

 

[Jerusha]

Church more through tithing.

Selfishness and materialism are a problem in some parishes. Maybe something needs to be done about this. Is there a social justice committee in your parish?

 

[PaulDupre]

2,400? We have over 7,000 registered families.

Wow, I thought we were big! My parish (in Orange County, CA) has about 5,700 families. We have 7 masses every Saturday/Sunday in 3 languages (Vietnamese, Spanish and English) and they are all packed to the rafters (many parishioners end up in the foyer or outside where there are loudspeakers - it is best to arrive early). Our new church is only 10 years old and we have already outgrown it.

It’s a good problem to have, but it is a problem nonetheless.

BTW, we had 47 new convert baptisms/confirmations from RCIA this Easter vigil. That’s normal for this parish. I understand this is about average for all of the 56 parishes in the Diocese of Orange, CA. That’s 2,632 converts to Catholicism this year in this Diocese alone.

Paul

 

[RebeccaJ]

When I made the post, I was talking about FOR ADULTS. Other than RCIA, there is nothing.

Adults need fellowship, too

Adult RE, from what I gather about every parish, is short on people volunteering to lead/teach, and short on adults showing up.

If you are going to compare this to the Mormon experience, you have to remember that every adult is required to be at Mormon Sunday School. The leaders/teachers aren’t volunteering as you, a Catholic would, but rather view it as an obligation to which “no” is not a proper response.

Your priest isn’t going to call you into his office and ask you to teach adult RE. If this is something you have discerned God is calling you to, then talk to your pastor about it.

 

[zaffiroborant]

Getting to church on isolated weeknights for the adult classes is an organizational problem for me. I keep forgetting, but would really enjoy getting involved in more parish activities. An adult Sunday school class after Mass would really fit the ticket. It would also be valuable for recent graduates of RCIA, to keep them involved.

However, such a class would have to be run by qualified people, not just a volunteer who might have some unorthodox ideas. I just hate seeing such a thing being run by people who have one foot in Protestantism. Since we live in the real world, it is easy for that to happen. My membership here has helped me immensely, in shedding some of the weird ideas I picked up from my association with Mormons.

When I first joined this board, I was arguing the Virginity of Mary.

I am involved in those isolated weekday activities, at the beginning I made an effort to remember and make time, after a while it became something I couldn’t forget because I looked forward to it. After Mass would be great for you but it wouldn’t work at all for me and my family, and a number of families I know. It might also be difficult for my parish to come up with “qualified” people to run this on a Sunday, that maybe why these “isolated weekday” things are there. Why is it so important that fellowship and instruction are provided on Sunday? Just what is wrong with providing opportunities through out the week for these things? Is Sunday the only day one is willing to give for fellowship, learning and exploration of our faith? Are we all so busy that we want all this taken care of on Sunday because we are already at church it makes it more convenient to take care of it all at the same time? Why should it be that we only take the time to fellowship and learn/teach on Sunday?