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1. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Parents can help teach the faith

"Growing Up Catholic: Coaching Parents for Sacramental Preparation," May 17, 10 a.m.

At this year's Spring Enrichment, faith formation director Victoria Giulianelli is eager to share a program that's blossomed at the parishes she serves, Assumption/St. Paul and St. Peter the Apostle parishes in Mechanicville and Stillwater.

Called "Growing Up Catholic," the program is designed to teach children, remind parents and make the connection between home life and the sacraments.

Ms. Giulianelli explained that the program brings parents into the classroom, lets them see what their children are learning and then aids in their formation in class and at home.

"As catechists, we often wonder, 'Are they getting this at home?' This takes that worry away," she said. "Here, the parents are seated next to their child: showing them the Bible, spending time with them and re-familiarizing themselves with their faith."

Ms. Giulianelli found the program on the internet last year when she was searching for a way to have parents take an active part in faith formation and interact with their children spiritually, not just leave it to catechists.

"Parents need to feel empowered," she explained. "They do this every day already and don't realize it. They're constantly forming and teaching their child - and now they can take that step to say, 'This is how your faith ties in.'"

After the program was a success at Assumption/St. Paul and St. Peter's, Ms. Giulianelli wanted to share it with other catechetical leaders.

"I'm not saying it's easy or that it wasn't tough to get the parents there or to work out schedules," she cautioned; "but, in the end, I had so many parents telling me that it was rewarding just to spend time with their children."

Ms. Giulianelli hopes that, through her workshop at Spring Enrichment, more catechists can learn about this formation model and implement it at their own parishes.

She summarized the program as "catechetical leaders coaching parents on how to teach their children to use their faith in their everyday life.


"And it is a great sight to behold," she added.


2. THEOLOGY WORKSHOP
'Knees should shake' when thinking of cross

"The Meaning of the Cross," May 16, 7:30 p.m.

"One of the most startling revelations to those who dig deep into their faith is that the heart of the Gospels is not the incarnation or the resurrection. It is the cross," said Michael Rivest.

A parishioner of St. Henry's Church in Averill Park and graduate of St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Albany, Mr. Rivest will present a workshop on "the meaning of the cross" at this year's Spring Enrichment.

He told The Evangelist he wanted to address misunderstandings about the cross, familiarize Catholics with the writings of Ss. Paul and Mark - whose work influences the theology of the cross - and show why the crucifixion is the center of the Christian faith.

"The God of the universe decided to participate fully in the suffering of humanity, even to the point of rejection and death. Our God is not above human suffering. That's the radical message of the Cross," said Mr. Rivest.

Quoting St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18, Mr. Rivest explained that "'the word of the Cross is the power of God.' That what is stunning about our faith: We have a God who participates in the pain of humanity. So, when people ask in grief, 'Where is God?', we can answer that He's right there with you in that pain."

Though some facts about Jesus' crucifixion are common knowledge to Christians, Mr. Rivest is excited to help attendees at his workshop see a new level to the Gospel message.

"Honestly, I want them to leave with their knees shaking," he remarked, "because that is what the true depth of the Gospel should do."


BE NOT AFRAID
Technology benefits Church

"High-Tech Faith," May 18, 2 p.m.

"Many people are apprehensive about new technology," said Rev. Tony Childs. "They think, 'If I touch it, I'll break it.'"

To calm those fears, the pastor of St. Michael the Archangel parish in South Glens Falls is presenting a workshop at this year's Spring Enrichment on the beneficial relationship between faith and technology.

The self-described "technology geek" will cover effective uses of laptop computers, Power Point presentations, certain websites, smart phones, Facebook, Twitter and other social media resources.

Father Childs plans to give a broad overview of these tools, the benefits and dangers of each, and the use of technology in the history of the Church.

"Technology is a beneficial tool for greater evangelization," he told The Evangelist. "It gives us new avenues to connect - and a failure to do so is to our detriment. We don't have to be afraid of technology; it is merely continuing the lines of communication starting in Jesus' time, when He was just talking."

Covering a timeline of history, he explained that the written Gospels, the use of the Gutenberg printing press to mass-produce Bibles, the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's use of radio and television, the EWTN television station, and now the Vatican's presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all show the how the newest technology can be seen as the newest way to spread the Gospel.

"Technology can be used to reach out to the faithful out there and especially to those who may not be there each week, picking up a weekly bulletin - those comfortable with standard communication, or younger people who are now only connecting through the cyber world," Father Childs observed. "This is a good thing."

(The 38th annual Spring Enrichment will be held May 16-19 at The College of Saint Rose in Albany. More than 150 courses, workshops and lectures are offered. Open to all, it includes certification courses for catechists and youth ministers, presentations on faith formation and on evangelization to tie into the Diocese's three-year "Amazing God" initiative, theological refreshers and more. The full schedule appeared in the March 17 issue of The Evangelist and is also at www.rcda.org. For information, call the diocesan Office of Evangelization, Catechesis and Family Life at 453-6630 or email [email protected].)[[In-content Ad]]

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