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[chfriend]

Praying for Trigger....

I was distracted when I posted. It has been a year full of blessings....but very challenging extended family wise.... and on both sides.

More than I can pour out on a message board, I'm thinking. Right now I can use prayers for encouragement and safety.

We are going to homeschool catechesis this year. I have a 10 year old (5th grade; made her first Reconciliation and Eucharist this year) and a 7 year old with selective mutism who will do her firsts this year if we can figure out Reconciliation without becoming unable to speak.

I'd love recommendations of catechesis materials for these ages!

[kelly1827]

Hi there!

We homeschooled for RE last year (after doing K-3 in our parish classes) for several reasons. My ODD has sensory processing disorder, and we live 30-45min from our church (depending on the time of day), so it was really taking a toll on her to go to school all day, be pickedup at 3:30, rushed home to use the bathroom and grab a snack, then back ino the car for a 45min drive to RE. By the time she got there she was pretty fried, and often she would melt down in class. Not good for her, the catechist, or her classmates. To be fair to her, we hadn't started OT for her yet (she hadn't been "officially" dx'd). When I spoke with our Director fo RE and explained the situation he agreed to let us HS her, since it wasn't a sacramental year for her. He said our diocese actively discourages HSing for RE but ultimately it is at the parish RE Director's discretion, and he knows us well enough to know she would actually not only be taught the things she was supposed to learn, but that she would pray with us, read the Bible, do the projects, etc.

He gave me a Teacher's Edition of the book her class was using, and I submitted her "portfolio" at the end of the year (she was already halfway through). We use the Call to Faith Series at our parish: http://www.mycatholicbookstore.com/DisplayProduct.aspx?ProductID=CU1373. For fourth grade I thought it was a little babyish, but it has a Nihil Obstat designation and I liked that it introduced Social Justice issues.

That was our first year of HS for RE, so that's all the input I can give regarding materials, other than to say that taking a friend's suggestion to get Magnifikid http://www.magnificat.com/magnifikid/index.asp for our girls has made a big difference in how they approach Mass, and it has helped them behave better at Mass too. We are going to stay with our parish's program materials, because in sacramental years they will need to rejoin their age-level in class and it will make that transition easier.

One thing I will say about HSing RE is this: it has brought me closer to my girls on a spiritual level that I had not expected. I'm finding we're praying together more often, we're discussing theology more often, and I'm getting a good refresher in catechism myself. We're all looking forward to it next year, although Brigid (my 5yo) has asked to go to class "because then I don't have to go to Mass!"

HTH!

[Trigger]

I highly recommend Catechist magazine as a teaching tool and a valuable resource.  I used it all the time when I was teaching 5th grade faith formation.

My parish uses the Call to Faith series.  I don't like the workbook teaching model to begin with, and found them a bit "young" and kind of dumbed-down, but our other catechists like them.  When I taught 5th grade, and then when I was a youth minister, I used a variety of teaching materials and activities - there are a ton of great materials out there for Catholic faith formation!

I will try to dig up some publisher's websites for you.

[chfriend]

That Magnifikid looks fantastic! I'm going to poke around there a bit. I'll check out Call to Faith, maybe with hands-on supplements. My 10 year old is doing a bible study with dp...the name is escaping me right now....

We homeschooled RE until a couple of years ago.

I'd love any more tips y'all have for sacremental prep especially. My 7 year old has selective mutism, so we're not clear whether she can manage the Reconciliation this year.....

[chfriend]

I'm headed off on a trip to pick up some couches from my mom today. I'm taking my 10 year old. The younger one is staying home with dp since she's been sick with a cold and fevers this week. I went up for a night when my dad was dying, but this is the first time ever I've taken just one of them on a trip.

She's over the moon excited!

Please prayer for safe travels for us and for peace and ease with my family.

Please pray for dp's family that is going through an awful time (honestly, too much to share in a public forum). But good solid prayer needed here.

[Trigger]

Have a safe trip, chfriend.  Praying for you and your dp.

[chfriend]

Made it back. Tons and tons of traffic! Thank you all for your prayers.

My older one was so delighted to take communion with grandma and my sister! First time in a church beside our home parish.. She felt so good!

[Trigger]

We had a really wonderful Mass this morning.  Because of Hurricane Irene, and multiple advisories to stay off the roads if possible, a lot of churches cancelled services this morning.  Our parish decided to squeeze in the 8:30 AM service before things really kicked up, so B and I braved the rain to go.  I'm so glad we did.

There were not a lot of people there (maybe 40), so at the Liturgy of the Eucharist Fr. David invited everyone to come up on the Altar and surround it.  After the consecration, he and the EMs went down into the center aisle and faced the Altar, then he had us process from the Altar to receive Eucharist.

It was so intimate and lovely, a very special communion. I was having a lot of anxiety about what the storm would bring, so it was nice to spend some time feeling safe and secure inside the big stone church, reminding myself that God is in charge of it all.  We couldn't even hear the wind and rain.

[chfriend]

Mass was lovely here too! Irene hit us on Saturday, so it was hot and steamy today. Homily on the new missal...I love our priest..He celebrated his Jubilee last year, so wonderful to have his perspective on the Mass not changing, just the Missal. Beautiful music...I love Lead Kindly Light.then the annual ministry fairy.

I love how at home my children are after church, how much they "own" it.

When I was growing up, at daily Mass, Fr. Tom would sometimes have everyone surround the altar when attendence was sparse. So very moving to be right there.

So glad you could feel the Comforter close.

[chfriend]

That's hilarious...I just came back to this thread to post and saw that I said "ministry fairy"....That's ministry *fair*....no fairies were sighted!

My kid got the first sample of Magnifikid in the mail this week. We love it! Thanks for the suggestion upthread.

Happy 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time to you all.

[Trigger]

Having a rough week.

We've had two family deaths this week, including B's dad, and I'm terribly upset with our faith community right now.  I'm frustrated, angry, sad, overwhelmed.

Jesus was so much better at this forgiveness stuff than I am.

[lavatea]

Originally Posted by Trigger 

Having a rough week.

We've had two family deaths this week, including B's dad, and I'm terribly upset with our faith community right now.  I'm frustrated, angry, sad, overwhelmed.

Jesus was so much better at this forgiveness stuff than I am.

Are they not supporting you through the deaths? How come you're frustrated with them? Or do you mean the Church at large?

So sorry for your losses.

[JMJ]

Originally Posted by Trigger 

Having a rough week.

We've had two family deaths this week, including B's dad, and I'm terribly upset with our faith community right now.  I'm frustrated, angry, sad, overwhelmed.

Jesus was so much better at this forgiveness stuff than I am.

I'm so sorry to hear about you losses.  Hugs and peace as you mourn.  I was thinking the same thing about forgiveness during the gospel last Sunday, seeing how much I am like that servant, forgiven of such a huge debt but dwelling on the sins of others who do much lesser wrongs to me.  I'll keep your family in my prayers and say a couple extra for the grace to forgive for both of us.

[kelly1827]

Trigger, I'm so sorry to hear about your losses.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen. 

When I lost my father, we went to Mass the next morning, and the priest who married us delayed Mass for a few minutes to sit with and hold me while I cried, and console me. It was honestly the closest I've ever felt Jesus in another human being and I'm so sorry your family didn't feel that too...

[Trigger]

Originally Posted by lavatea 



Are they not supporting you through the deaths? How come you're frustrated with them? Or do you mean the Church at large?

So sorry for your losses.

My kids' great-grandmother's funeral Mass was last Monday morning. Afterward, I went to have lunch with B.  When I arrived, he was on the phone with his sister, getting the news that his dear dad had just passed away.  The next day, our pastor called me early in the morning to tell me that he is leaving the parish - basically, a small contingent of close-minded, hateful people have made it impossible for Fr. David to continue to shepherd our community.  B and I have become quite close to Fr. David in the past 13 months, and I am heartbroken and heartsick over this development.  I had to keep the news from B for over two days, at Fr. David's request, so that he could tell B himself.  On Friday night the three of us talked, imbibed, and cried a river of tears.  Fr. David made the official announcement at Mass yesterday afternoon, we cried some more, and then B had to leave shortly afterward to travel 12 hours with his DD for his dad's funeral.  I was unable to go, and I am missing him terribly.
 

It's just such a hard time right now.

[chfriend]

Trigger, that's so much to have happen all at once. Dp and I will hold you and yours in prayer. Praying the Fr. David's next appointment will bring the Holy Spirit to new places where light and truth is needed.

Here's a poem a friend shared with me when my dad died in December www.poetry-chaikhana.com/O/ODonohueJohn/OndeathofBel.htm 

[Trigger]

Our parish is falling apart.  People in key leadership positions are showing their true colors, and they are ugly.  Rumors - nasty, damaging, inflammatory LIES - are flying, and they seem to originate with one person in particular.  The evangelization initiatives that B and I worked so hard to implement have been wasted on a community that clings to "the old ways".  Nobody wants to take an active role in their faith - BUT when things don't go their way, they sure are quick and loud to complain.  The level of vitriol is unimaginable.  We had to cancel a planned "Day of Healing and Reflection" when only 8 people signed up ... and 5 of those people were on the planning committee.  We've also cancelled plans for an upcoming ministry day, as it has become clear that nobody is interested.  At a recent Mass, I had to ask SEVEN people to bring up the Eucharistic gifts, before I could get TWO to volunteer (and I had to fill infor the third) - you would think I was asking people to go before a damn firing squad!

The worst part, though, is the response from the Diocese.  At first, the Chancellor and the Bishop were wholly supportive ... Fr. David had made some tough-but-necessary decisions about key staffing personnel prior to his decision to leave, and he had also disbanded the newly-elected Pastoral Council (who were conspiring against him) when he discovered solid evidence that the election had been "fixed".  At first, the Diocese supported him and these decisions; however, they seem to have done an abrupt 180, and they reinstated everyone, across the board, last week.  Fr. David said it's the first time he's ever felt mistrustful of, and betrayed by, the Bishop - whom he has always been close to until this point.

We had initially believed that we could stick this out, and provide a vehicle to make it better, but now we are questioning the benefits of continuing to invest our time, talent, and energy in a parish community that just doesn't want to flourish.