June 1, 2024
This is the first time I have added a date to a blog post because I believe that the subject of this post relates heavily to our current history within the life of the Catholic Church. For decades, those involved in religious education of children and youth have struggled to find the magic program that would once again restore Christendom, bring back our fallen away Catholics, and set a fire of faith in the hearts of the kids growing up.
Despite the countless hours of dedicated service given to religious educators in schools and parishes, it has become evidently clear that our Religious Education Modality of “Parents, give us your kids and we will educate them in the faith”, isn’t working anymore.
It’s time to draw a line in the sand and say “no more!” It is no longer acceptable for parents to send their kids to Catholic Schools or Parish Religious Education Programs without taking on their role as the primary educators of their children’s faith. Why? Because the youth are growing up and following the model their parents are LIVING!
We have decades worth of results that show the failure of our current modality of religious education. How have we responded to the failure? By trying to evangelize to the faithless adults we formed in our programs, all the while continuing to form new future adults to not have faith.
If the Catholic Church were producing a physical product, no one would buy it! It doesn’t work!
The vast majority of our youth getting confirmed are leaving the Catholic Church after Confirmation which is more accurately viewed by them as a graduation. Like their High Schools, they are getting their diploma (Confirmation certificate) and never returning. Their belief is they have all they need.
Those youth that are actively engaged in their faith post Confirmation come from families where the parents, particularly the FATHERS, are actively walking with Christ at home and in the world. These parents are living a model that enables their children to grow up and witness Jesus’ present in the hearts of their parents.
My home parish (St. Patrick, Hutto, TX) just completed a year of prayer where we asked the Holy Spirit to tell us what He wants us to do to become effective at leading families into a viable relationship with Jesus Christ, through the activated indwelling presence of the Spirit in their hearts. We postponed all entrance sacraments until we got our marching orders.
The first instruction we received in prayer was that it was no longer acceptable for kids to come to religious education without their parents. Thus, we made it mandatory that kids can only be a part of our religious education program if their parents participate. So, we established small groups for parents that take place while their youth are also getting formed.
The second instruction was that all parents seeking to have their kids in the religious education program, must go through a one day evangelistic retreat BEFORE they can register their child for R.E.. This retreat was a game changer for our parents. Not only did they come to understand what the Kerygma (Gospel) is, but why we need it.
Our focus for this year has been on the five points of the Gospel that we (NEM) have been using in our new evangelization training process. The entire Gospel encapsulated in five words what must become the “good news” (Gospel) of every parishioner at St. Patrick. To give you a taste of how impactful this process has been, after the program ended for the summer break, all our parent groups wanted to keep meting during the summer. When is the last time you saw that happen in your parish?
As you can see, when a Pastor and his staff pray and take the leap of faith to wait upon the Lord and do what he says, people will want more of God. I exhort you to gather with your staff and discuss with each other the ramifications of doing something like this for your parish. As you do, watch out for the spirit of Fear, who will attempt to deceive you into believing that you will lose your parents.
By the way, we did lose some of the parents who only wanted to drop off their kids. But families that stayed are now growing together in their faith. Do not be afraid.
Jesus is not for sale, He is freely given and freely received!
All praise to the King of Kings! Thanks for sharing, Brother.
That was one of the best ideas inspired by Holy Spirit! God has put in each of us a hunger that only He can satisfy. Thank you for sharing this!
Bravo!! Now watch. The parents who wouldn’t participate may just find the time this year to get their kids into the R.E. program. Young parents are dealing with a lot more evil, pornography, drugs and alcohol, in this world than we had to when our children were growing up. I learned one of our daughters listened to their public school friends instead of what was being taught. She told me that the Eucharist was only a commemoration of the Last Supper and I realized she was teaching her children this. We are in the process of correcting her misbeliefs and getting her to mass with us and her children. Our Bible study group of 14 years continues praying the Chaplet on Zoom.
Sorry for your struggles but not surprised. The enemy is hunting us and parents can no longer just pass on the teaching of our faith to church volunteers. We must become more intentional in leading our kids, family members to Jesus.
Deacon Ralph, You are right! As a former RE director, a current RCIA director, and longtime catechist, I’ve seen our Church invest heavily on RE programs for children who go home to parents who do not know Christ. I would love to read the history of this model and how it started. No doubt it was in a time when parents were deeply in the faith, working and the Church took on this duty.
I’ve dabbled with family catechesis, bringing whole families together. One recent situation was a mom coming into the church, whose children were already sacramentalized. They sat with her at all the rituals of RCIA because she was the only catechumen, and they all came to watch her get baptized. That family is now very active helping in the church, with RE, VBS, etc. She also had a great sponsor from the church who walked with and kept up with her. It is quite amazing when the whole family experiences God together, and not just at mass.
I’m planning to go the July 27 family retreat in July. Hoping to increase the faith life of my family AND steal some ideas I can use back home in the two parishes I serve.
Blessings.
Thank you for the updated information. It’s invaluable and God willing our parish will begin to reach out in successful ways to encourage more spiritual growth and parishioner involvement. God bless!