Two parishes tailor efforts in religious ed

From preschoolers to high school-aged youth, the young parishioners at St. Cecilia's Church in Warrensburg are well known by the parish's catechists.

"The children get individual attention," said Phyllis Welsch, pastoral associate for faith formation. "We average about 60 children [in classes], so we're not dealing with masses; we're dealing with individuals."

How the parish responds to the needs of young Catholics depends on their age.

For littlest

The parish offers children's Liturgy of the Word for youngsters between the ages of three and six every Sunday during the 9 a.m. Mass. The children are taken out of the church so the day's readings are presented in a way that they can understand.

After Mass, the older children of the parish meet for religious ed classes. The children gather together for prayer and an activity, with the older children assisting the younger.

"We do special projects," Ms. Welsch explained. "We've baked bread for the shut-ins and gone caroling at the county hospital. The kids really enjoy it. They love the messy projects."

Theme for year

Each year, the religious ed program has a theme that links all of the lessons. This year's is the Good Samaritan. The parish gleans ideas for the theme from many sources.

"We draw from a lot of things," Ms. Welsch said. "We pull together resources from our catechists and the Diocese, and then adapt them to our parish's needs."

That's necessary because the children in this Adirondack parish bring different experiences to the religious ed program than do their urban or suburban peers, Ms. Welsch said.

Another style

Like St. Cecilia's, the children at Christ the King parish in Westmere also have the opportunity to gather for prayer and participate in service opportunities. While these two programs have similar components, the offerings are different in order to meet the needs of the families living in two different parts of the Diocese.

Christ the King's religious education program serves children and youth who attend public schools in Guilderland, Voorheesville and outlying areas of Albany County as well as local private schools, said Nancy Paino, pastoral associate for faith formation.

On the elementary school level, the parish offers religious ed both on Sundays and Tuesdays in order to meet the needs of families from a variety of school districts.

From cradle

Long before families are thinking about their little ones attending school, the parish has already begun its efforts to assist families in raising their children in the Church. During the 10:30 Mass on Sundays, for example, three- and four-year-olds gather to listen to religious stories and learn songs.

When children are school-aged, they participate in a comprehensive program designed to help them learn about the Church -- and experience it as well.

"We pay attention to the liturgical seasons," Mrs. Paino said. For example, during Advent, the youngest children help pack a bag for the Blessed Mother by bringing in baby items. The items were then donated to Community Maternity Services, the Catholic Charities program for pregnant women in need.

Seasoning

The children also gather for seasonal celebrations, such as Lenten and Advent prayer services. During these, the children have the opportunity to take on leadership roles.

"The fifth graders serve as greeters and lead the liturgical gestures," Mrs. Paino explained.

As the children age, they take on even more responsibilities. Once they are in middle school, the parish offers a comprehensive youth ministry program that entails service projects: They prepare Thanksgiving baskets for families in need, make cards for patients at Albany Medical Center, and host a dance for senior citizens living in a local nursing home.

Connected

One of the goals of the parish's youth ministry efforts is to help the young people see how the Church is connected to their lives.

"We want to show them that we're concerned about all aspects of their life," Mrs. Paino said.

One way of doing that is by offering social events, such as Friday evening socials for middle schoolers and regular coffee houses for high schoolers. The older youth learn about liturgy by planning prayer services for the middle school students and by participating in Sunday worship. Retreats are also offered each year for the youth.

Studying faith

In addition to the retreats, liturgies, social activities and service projects, the youth also hit the books. There are mini-courses, independent study and home-study opportunities.

Although Christ the King Church offers many different faith formation opportunities for the children and youth, parish leaders are always on the look-out for new ideas. A youth ministry team made up of adults and youth plan activities, and Mrs. Paino said that the parish also has a faith formation board that guides the parish's religious ed efforts.

"One of the hallmarks of Christ the King as a parish is that all are encouraged to share," said Mrs. Paino.

(10-11-01)