Pilot project: Kids teach kids to pray

A Catholic family kneeling together to pray the Rosary in the evenings was a common sight in living rooms across America in the 1950s. But when TVs, VCRs and video games came along, the family "pray room" often became the family "play room."

It's a trend that Carol Pickel, mission projects director for The Family Rosary in Albany, hopes to reverse by encouraging members of the younger generation to "Think Good Thoughts" -- about prayer, that is.

Ms. Pickel is convinced that the motto decreeing "The Family That Prays Together Stays Together" is every bit as relevant today as it was a half-century ago when it was coined by Father Patrick Peyton, the Holy Cross priest who founded the Family Prayer movement.

Family prayer

Ms. Pickel is the catalyst behind an innovative pilot project aimed at making prayer a part of family life long into the 21st Century. Aptly titled "Think Good Thoughts," the new program uses a peer ministry approach that links older students with those in the elementary grades.

The results to date have been -- well -- the answer to a prayer, she says.

"What we're finding," said Ms. Pickel, "is that, by and large, the students have a great personal relationship with God and pray naturally. Watching the young people involved in the pilot project has been amazing. It's exciting to see their enthusiasm, their dedication and how they picture themselves in terms of their relationship with God. One thing they've expressed very well is just how much they feel that God loves them."

Piloting in Diocese

The pilot project was recently tested at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School in Schenectady, St. Stanislaus School in Amsterdam and Holy Cross School in Albany.

In Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, "we tried having fifth graders serve as peer ministers to third graders," she explained. At St. Stanislaus, "we used eighth graders with first graders. At Holy Cross, we paired seventh graders with fourth graders."

Organizers ultimately concluded that the Holy Cross model would be used for future programs, which are scheduled to begin throughout the U.S. in the fall.

"We felt that worked the best because the participants were close enough in age that they could relate as peers and yet the senior students were old enough to be looked upon as role models," explained Ms. Pickel. "The eighth graders were excellent facilitators, but we felt the age difference was just too great. They were viewed too much like adults by the younger students."

Carrying on tradition

Planning for the pilot project began roughly two years ago after Ms. Pickel spent time contemplating ways that might renew and enhance the prayer lives of families across the nation. The history of The Family Rosary dates back to 1947 when the late Father Peyton created an organization to promote prayer in the home.

"Father Peyton had a tremendous devotion to Mary and decided the best prayer for a family to pray together was the Rosary," Ms. Pickel explained. "He used mass media and his charismatic personality to bring the family Rosary into homes all over the world."

After Father Peyton's death in 1992, the Congregation of Holy Cross, the community to which he belonged, decided to continue his work. The Family Rosary in Albany and the Family Theater production company in Hollywood are dedicated to evangelizing culture and encouraging prayer -- especially in the home.

Rosary key

The Rosary is incorporated into the "Think Good Thoughts" program because "it's always a good starting-off point for prayer."

Since the Rosary revolves around the life of Christ, she believes that getting baby boomers to dust off their old beads would be "a real boost for 21st Century families."

Aware that many of today's parents may be rusty when it comes to saying the Rosary, Ms. Pickel has made "The Rosary Game" an integral part of "Think Good Thoughts." It's a board game that teaches children how to pray the Rosary.

"Fourth graders take the board game home and are asked to do activities surrounding prayer with family members," explained Ms. Pickel. "In all, they report back to the seventh graders 15 times -- once for each mystery of the Rosary."

New approaches

"It was because of Father Peyton's influence that so many families got down on their knees and prayed the Rosary together in the evenings back in the 1950s," reflected Ms. Pickel. "But times change and methods change, and so the Holy Cross community called upon its members and professional lay persons to develop new methods that would renew and enhance the prayer lives of all. 'Think Good Thoughts' is one of these methods."

"Think Good Thoughts" invites older students to present a prepared lesson to younger children on the history of prayer in the Church. The program uses the Rosary as its concrete example.

"It is hoped that as the program develops in the school," she noted. "The children involved will have an opportunity to share their new knowledge and skills with their families, other schools or parishes in their region. This would provide junior high school students the opportunity to see how their ministry is passed on. It will also give families a concrete way to pray together at home."

(Those wishing more information about the "Think Good Thoughts" program should contact The Family Rosary, 4 Pine West Plaza, Albany, NY 12205-5520. Call 452-3082; fax 452-3956.)

(06-12-97) [[In-content Ad]]