Religious educator's book aimed at youth

Therefore, in her new textbook, "Sacraments: A Way of Life," the associate director of elementary and adolescent catechesis for the diocesan Office of Religious Education tries to provide educators with ways to surprise youth.

"I try to bring something from their real experience," she explained. "When you lead them through these experiences, they discover a lot."

Cultural references

Using modern culture in religious education not only gets young people's attention, but also gives them a new way to see Church life and their role in it, Mrs. Solimini said.

In her book, which is part of the "Developing Faith" mini-course series for teens produced by Ave Maria Press, Mrs. Solimini hopes to provide young people with facts and to help them see their role in the Church.

Connections to life

That is done through the references to modern culture, as well as real-life stories, such as the one about Alex, a college student raised in the foster care system who spends the holidays with a friend's family and experiences for the first time a family meal and celebration; or the story of Elaine, a young girl who is dying but is still able to reach out to her family.

Those stories help young people see the sacraments of the Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick in the context of family life -- and then relate them to Church life.

Connecting to youth

This age group in particular does not respond well when information is simply provided by an individual. Young people often sense that as confrontational, Mrs. Solimini reported.

"Anything they see as authority they challenge," she said. "They see the Church in that kind of role. We can't use an authoritarian approach."

Core information

The emphasis placed on those areas is an effort to refine the way religious education is presented to young people. Mrs. Solimini explained that after the Second Vatican Council, the Church placed an emphasis on the process of education rather than the content. Rather than teaching young people by having them memorize text, as previous generations had done using the Baltimore Catechism, educators used song and discussion, with less emphasis on doctrine.

"Prior to Vatican II, there was an emphasis on content without the process," she said. "The pendulum swung and process became more important. There is now a move to bring the pendulum back to the center."

The goal now is to have young people know their Catholic identity in a way that encourages them to participate in the larger Church community, she said.

Good for adults

While the book offers this flexibility, Mrs. Solimini said it was definitely written for young people, who are her first love. "I've always been drawn to that age," she said. "They are a people of hope. They never give up. They are the most authentic people on earth."

Her goal as a religious educator is to welcome teens to membership in the Church. "They've got spirituality; we've got to show them how to connect," she said.

Challenging task

Like many working parents Mrs. Solimini found it difficult to find time to devote to her interests. "The biggest challenge was balancing everything in my life," she said. Not only is she a wife, mother of two and full-time diocesan employee, she is also pursuing a master's degree in theology at St. Bernard's Institute.

"Many times, I said to God, `Help me through this,'" she said. "But my family was supportive and understanding, and the staff were wonderful cheerleaders."

("Sacraments: A Way of Life" is one of six mini-courses for adolescents offered by Ave Maria Press. It may be purchased by calling 800-282-1865.)

(11-28-96)

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