Our Lady of Sorrows School, Hamilton, ushered in summer break with the last day of school June 13, but 10 days later, the campus was busy with students being dropped off and filing in the building.
Only this time, the students were from Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony’s religious education program, participating in their parish’s two-week Summer Intensive religious education program.
PHOTO ALBUM: Summer Religious Education program
Mariyam Francis, parish catechetical leader, explained that the program is designed for students in grades one through eight “to deepen their awareness of their Catholic identity, nurturing both knowledge and spiritual growth at every grade level.”
Francis explained the program uses age-appropriate lessons, prayer, interactive activities and community building that allow students to “explore the richness of our Catholic faith while developing a deeper connection to God and one another.”
“It’s perfect for families seeking a condensed, yet meaningful alternative to the traditional school-year program,” she said.
HANDING ON THE FAITH
Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish is one of at least two dozen parishes in the Diocese to offer a Summer Intensive program. Though the summer programs are offered in a different format from the traditional model, the content is the same. The goal is to “help each child grow in understanding and living out their Catholic faith,” Francis said.
This year’s 108 Our Lady of Sorrows- St. Anthony students learned many aspects about their Catholic faith, including how to pray the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross. They attended daily Mass and engaged in Christian service by collecting essential items for a young parishioner who is preparing to enter the military and donations to support the Holy Childhood Association. Francis said the students also learned about the Jubilee Year, Pilgrims of Hope.
“During our regular religious education program from September to May, we introduced the boys and girls to the meaning of the Jubilee by creating a symbolic Holy Door. Passing through this door represented a spiritual journey from darkness into light,” she said.
“We wanted to offer the same meaningful experience to the children in our Summer Intensive,” she said. “The Jubilee is a significant event in the life of the Catholic Church, and it is our joy and mission to help young hearts understand and participate in this sacred tradition.”
To make the idea of pilgrimage more meaningful, the students, on July 3, the last day of the program, walked from the school to the church and symbolically passed through the Holy Door (the church door). They then attended Mass celebrated by Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, pastor, followed by Eucharistic Adoration.
“This simple yet profound journey allowed them to reflect on God’s mercy and the joy of being part of the wider universal Catholic Church during this holy time,” Francis said.
HAPPY TO LEARN
Knowing that she will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time and her First Holy Communion in the upcoming year, second grader Gabi Oliano was happy to learn how to say the Act of Contrition and how to position her hands when she receives the Eucharist.
Seventh grader Nora Schulze found the Summer Intensive to be a “wonderful opportunity where we learn a lot.” She said she enjoyed being able to attend daily Mass, something that’s not done during the religious education program throughout the year, and she learned about the Creed, which outlines “everything we learn about our faith.”
Arthur Bellino said he was intrigued to learn about the Jubilee Year – how the Jubilee is rooted in the Bible, that it takes place every 25 years and how it is a time of renewal.
When asked about what the Jubilee Year means to him, Logan Flynn said he was most heartened to learn that “it is a year devoted to the journey of hope.”
July In Focus: Season of Faith