Catechetical professional day is a time for introductions
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Dorothy K. LaMantia | Correspondent
In anticipation of the new school year, directors and coordinators of religious education representing 74 parishes across the diocese assembled Aug. 17 for a professional day where they were introduced to both a revised curriculum, and to the new vicar for Catholic Education, Father Douglas A. Freer.
With the theme, “Same Destination—New Course,” the day was sponsored by the newly merged Office of Catechesis and Evangelization and held in St. William the Abbot Parish, Howell.
Dr. Linda Dix, a master catechist of the diocese, and director of religious education at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown, discussed the curriculum, which is 90 percent completed and still in draft form.
The result of 18 months of collaboration, the new curriculum complies with the Vatican’s 1997 General Directory for Catechesis and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2005 National Directory for Catechesis, and will be the standard for all religious education programs in the diocese.
Dr. Dix described how a committee of religious educators researched model programs in New York; Orlando, Fla.; Wilmington, Del.; Pittsburgh, and Washington. “We saw good stuff and tailored it to our needs. It is an outcome-based program, having specific goals and objectives for each grade level. What we had before was only an outline,” she said.
Martin Arsenault, recognized as the architect of the curriculum, explained, “People in the field asked for more guidance with the outline form curriculum. For example, it provided a list of topics like the Beatitudes, but that was all it said. The new curriculum provides tools, examples and resources. With its outcome base, this curriculum tells the catechist where to start and where to end up with the teaching of the Beatitudes.”
Arsenault, director of religious education and pastoral associate, St. Paul Parish, Princeton, who formerly served as diocesan director, Office of Catechesis, noted that the curriculum shows two new objectives: education for community life and missionary initiation, a new focus on teaching children to sharing their faith.
The program will emphasize basic Bible stories, lives of saints, and Catholic vocabulary; areas neglected by the old curriculum. Family Life guidelines will be included to address sexuality issues with teenagers, Arsenault explained.
Catechists will also attend workshops related to modifying and adapting the new curriculum for special needs children and, also, integrating the use of technology into the religious education classroom.
“It is a winner,” said Dr. Dix, “It is not just for kids, but for adults. When parents have a question about teachings, we have a document that the bishop has approved. It is a solid foundation for catechists that reflects what’s happening currently in the Church.”
Dottie Guerrasio, director of religious education in St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood, welcomed the revised curriculum, commenting, “Catechists now have a standard making it clear what children need to know.”
Mary Anne Dempkowski, director of religious education in St. John Parish, Lakehurst, looked forward to working with the curriculum, noting, “I see how much our students need and crave learning moral traditions and the basics of Catholic faith especially when their families may not be familiar with them.”
The program is expected to be distributed in two months.
Following the presentation on the curriculum, Father Freer, posed the question, “What exactly is a vicar of Catholic education?”
He then explained, “Bishop O’Connell has a commitment to education and a great love of youth. Our bishop wanted a representative for both Catholic schools and parish education programs to be sure that we are teaching the same content.”
Referring to a time when Catholic school students and parish religious education students were taught different versions of the Act of Contrition, Father Freer seeks a single standard for teaching prayers and doctrine.
We need to have families engaged in the life of the Church.” He urged DREs and catechists to make their students and families aware of events in parish life.As for the new curriculum, the new vicar commented, “We need objective ways of measuring how we are passing along the content of the faith. We have looked at what we do to do it better.”
In discussing the new translation of the Roman Missal which will be implemented on the first Sunday of Advent, Father Freer expects “the new Missal will take the rote aspects out of the Mass and make priests and people pay attention – and make us more intentional.”
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By Dorothy K. LaMantia | Correspondent
In anticipation of the new school year, directors and coordinators of religious education representing 74 parishes across the diocese assembled Aug. 17 for a professional day where they were introduced to both a revised curriculum, and to the new vicar for Catholic Education, Father Douglas A. Freer.
With the theme, “Same Destination—New Course,” the day was sponsored by the newly merged Office of Catechesis and Evangelization and held in St. William the Abbot Parish, Howell.
Dr. Linda Dix, a master catechist of the diocese, and director of religious education at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown, discussed the curriculum, which is 90 percent completed and still in draft form.
The result of 18 months of collaboration, the new curriculum complies with the Vatican’s 1997 General Directory for Catechesis and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2005 National Directory for Catechesis, and will be the standard for all religious education programs in the diocese.
Dr. Dix described how a committee of religious educators researched model programs in New York; Orlando, Fla.; Wilmington, Del.; Pittsburgh, and Washington. “We saw good stuff and tailored it to our needs. It is an outcome-based program, having specific goals and objectives for each grade level. What we had before was only an outline,” she said.
Martin Arsenault, recognized as the architect of the curriculum, explained, “People in the field asked for more guidance with the outline form curriculum. For example, it provided a list of topics like the Beatitudes, but that was all it said. The new curriculum provides tools, examples and resources. With its outcome base, this curriculum tells the catechist where to start and where to end up with the teaching of the Beatitudes.”
Arsenault, director of religious education and pastoral associate, St. Paul Parish, Princeton, who formerly served as diocesan director, Office of Catechesis, noted that the curriculum shows two new objectives: education for community life and missionary initiation, a new focus on teaching children to sharing their faith.
The program will emphasize basic Bible stories, lives of saints, and Catholic vocabulary; areas neglected by the old curriculum. Family Life guidelines will be included to address sexuality issues with teenagers, Arsenault explained.
Catechists will also attend workshops related to modifying and adapting the new curriculum for special needs children and, also, integrating the use of technology into the religious education classroom.
“It is a winner,” said Dr. Dix, “It is not just for kids, but for adults. When parents have a question about teachings, we have a document that the bishop has approved. It is a solid foundation for catechists that reflects what’s happening currently in the Church.”
Dottie Guerrasio, director of religious education in St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood, welcomed the revised curriculum, commenting, “Catechists now have a standard making it clear what children need to know.”
Mary Anne Dempkowski, director of religious education in St. John Parish, Lakehurst, looked forward to working with the curriculum, noting, “I see how much our students need and crave learning moral traditions and the basics of Catholic faith especially when their families may not be familiar with them.”
The program is expected to be distributed in two months.
Following the presentation on the curriculum, Father Freer, posed the question, “What exactly is a vicar of Catholic education?”
He then explained, “Bishop O’Connell has a commitment to education and a great love of youth. Our bishop wanted a representative for both Catholic schools and parish education programs to be sure that we are teaching the same content.”
Referring to a time when Catholic school students and parish religious education students were taught different versions of the Act of Contrition, Father Freer seeks a single standard for teaching prayers and doctrine.
We need to have families engaged in the life of the Church.” He urged DREs and catechists to make their students and families aware of events in parish life.As for the new curriculum, the new vicar commented, “We need objective ways of measuring how we are passing along the content of the faith. We have looked at what we do to do it better.”
In discussing the new translation of the Roman Missal which will be implemented on the first Sunday of Advent, Father Freer expects “the new Missal will take the rote aspects out of the Mass and make priests and people pay attention – and make us more intentional.”
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