The family that prays together stays together. Pope Saint John Paul II, Apostolic Letter - Rosarium Virginis Mariae, paragraph 41

Religious Education Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for inquiring about the St. Scholastica Religious Education Program!  Following are answers to some frequently asked questions.   Click on one of the links below to either learn more about the overall program or to jump a specific question.  More information can be found on the following link of the Parish website – https://www.stscholasticaerie.org/ministries/religious-education/

Can I teach my child at home?

What is the overarching goal of the St. Scholastica RE program?

I already understand the Catholic faith, don’t just my children need to attend classes?

I am already socializing with other Catholic families, why should I attend A Family of Faith?

What does practicing the faith in my home entail?

Can I teach my child at home?

Simple answer yes. What makes it work best is when:

  • The parent’s are actively following the precepts of the Catholic Church (CCC 2041 – 2043)
  • The parent’s witness their faith to their children in word and example
  • The parent’s intentionally practice the virtues and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in their home

 

Learning about the Catholic faith entails learning and practicing content and  forming healthy relationships with Jesus, Mary, St. Joseph and all the saints, and angels.  In order to practice the faith, children must incorporate it into their day-to-day behaviors.  Teaching this aspect is something that parents do best as it’s a 24 hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week endeavor.

One hour of religious education a week with a trained educator still cannot replace a loving parent leading their child to the faith through both example and instruction.

What is the overarching goal of the St. Scholastica RE program?

The overarching goal of the St. Scholastica RE Program is to fulfill Jesus’ command “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28-19). Grounded in the eternal love of the Most Holy Trinity, we evangelize the people of Erie, Colorado, by revealing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven!

I already understand the Catholic faith, don’t just my children need to attend classes?

Since the goal is to for you and your family members to be disciples, bringing the kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven, it is important that you share common prayers, study, and discussions centered around that goal.   Since you already understand your faith, you will make the perfect teacher for your child!   If your family were all travelling to Florida and were all traveling separately, the chance that all arrive safely decreases.  It is the same with our journey to eternity.  We acknowledge when we pray the Our Father that it is one will, God’s will that is done in Heaven.  It stands to reason that you must be perfectly conformed to God’s will to enter Heaven.  It is one thing to understand and to “know” the faith, it is another to conform your will to God’s will. This is a life-long practice and journey which involves the sacraments, prayer, study, adoration, discussion, and participation.

Traditionally, the Catholic faith has been passed from one generation to another through the consistent Magisterial interpretation of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture.[1]  Prior to the 1970s, the faith had been successfully passed from one generation to the next within families. [2]   Recently studies have been commissioned showing that families with parents that remained married have a much higher rate of transmitting the faith to the next generation, [3] and that a father’s active participation in church greatly impacts whether his children will practice the faith as adults.[4]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the Sacrament of Marriage, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring[5]. Further, in paragraph 1666 it states that The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason, the family home is rightly called “the domestic church,” a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.[6]

I am already socializing with other Catholic families, why should I attend A Family of Faith?

While social connections are encouraged, the primary goal of the Family of Faith class is that families will practice their faith in their homes on a regular basis and practice being disciples.

What does practicing the faith in my home entail?

Following are some aspects of the Catholic faith that will benefit your journey to eternity if you practice them at home:

  1. Liturgical year – throughout the year the Catholic Church celebrates saints on different days and celebrates seasons such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time. In your home, your domestic church, you can follow the same calendar by decorating your home for the seasons and having “saint parties” that celebrate the virtues of a saint on their particular day. Celebrate your family’s baptism and confirmation anniversaries.
  2. Prayer – daily praying together as a family with devotional prayers such as the Chaplet of the Infant Jesus of Prague, the Rosary, Grace Before Meals, or others. Keeping a family prayer journal with your daily intentions and sharing the answers to those intentions with the family. Parents bless your children at least once-a-day.  Family members intentionally thank God for the gifts and the goodness that you see in each other, at least once-a-week, if not every day!
  3. Study – read the daily Mass readings, the lives of the saints, the writings of the saints, the doctors of the church; attend courses offered by biblical school, catechetical school, or In Ipso; listen or watch content from Catholic streaming services such as Formed, Catholic Radio, or Catholic publishers.
  4. Adoration – offer acts of adoration such as the Angel of Fatima pardon prayer “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee. I beg pardon for all those that do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee. Amen.”; spend time as a family in Eucharistic Adoration.
  5. Discussion – discuss the days’ readings; ask how a bible story applies to a family situation; talk about the virtue of a saint; share where you saw Christ in your day.
  6. Practice – the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, Beatitudes, Theological and Cardinal Virtues, The 10 Commandments, The Precepts of the Church, avoid sin, daily renew your baptismal promises to God, daily renew your wedding vows to each other and God.

[1] http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s1c2a2.htm#84

[2] https://crcc.usc.edu/families-and-faith-how-religion-is-passed-down-across-generations/

[3] https://communio.org/facts/

[4] https://catholicexchange.com/kids-stay-in-church-if-dad-goes-to-church/

[5] http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c3a7.htm

[6] http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c3a7.htm see paragraph 1666