CIRCLE OF GRACE

Program in Diocese educates and empowers children and young people to actively participate in a safe environment

The Circle of Grace program was created and piloted in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Since 2007, more than 68 dioceses have successfully implemented the program. Circle of Grace is the program presently being used in every parish and school in the Albany Diocese.

The Diocese of Albany has a wonderful tool available for educators and families to teach children and young people about safety in the context of faith.

The U.S Bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children & Young People” mandates that safe environment training be provided for children and young people in our faith-formation programs and Catholic schools.

In the Albany Diocese we really wanted to find a program that included and supported parents and families as well as providing a faith-based curriculum that would not just be an “add-on” to fulfill the bishop’s mandate. Rather we wanted something that would truly make a difference. We wanted a program that would show parents and children that their “church family” cares about them and most importantly that God cares for them and wants to be in relationship with them.

A task force was formed in 2019 to look for this special kind of program and “Circle of Grace” was found. It was created and piloted in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Since 2007, more than 68 dioceses have successfully implemented the program. Circle of Grace is the program presently being used in every parish and school in the Albany Diocese.

What is a Circle of Grace? It is a metaphor for God’s love and goodness that surrounds us and all others. It is the recognition that God is always that close to us. The curriculum teaches that your Circle of Grace holds your very essence in body, mind, heart, soul and sexuality. The meditation below is used as a visual way to teach the concept and is put to song for younger children. It is very simple but profound.

Raise your hands above your head and then bring your outstretched arms slowly down.

Extend your arms in front of you and then behind you.

Embrace all of the space around you then slowly reach down to your feet.

Knowing that God is in this space with you.

This is your Circle of Grace.

You are in it.

Circle of Grace is a beautiful Catholic faith-based program. It has received both the imprimatur and nihil obstat. The team who developed the program in the Archdiocese of Omaha spent much time in prayer as they built the program, and they give credit to the Holy Spirit for its success. The lessons take what can be a difficult topic and fit them naturally into a faith formation or school classroom setting.

The goal of the curriculum is to educate and empower children and young people to actively participate in a safe environment for themselves and others. As adults we know that we cannot always be with our children as we send them out into the world — to school, to friends’ houses, to sports practice and other activities. It is comforting to know that we are teaching them to have a voice and to know what to do if they feel confused or uncomfortable.

The curriculum lets us put God into the picture of a safe environment. It teaches children that God loves them and wants them to be safe. It teaches that we are all made in His image and likeness and that we are sacred. It is never too early to help children and young people to understand how special they are and to teach them to protect the special person that they are.

They learn what belongs in their Circle of Grace and what does not belong, allowing them to identify healthy boundaries for themselves and others. This realization also helps with issues of bullying and respecting ourselves and others. They are taught to recognize the unsettled feeling they have when they feel unsafe. It is really, in a way, learning about discernment — to recognize and pay attention to promptings of the Holy Spirit. They learn a vocabulary or common language which allows them to speak and share their concerns. With their parents they identify trusted adults in their life and how to reach those adults if they need to talk.

We also love the program because it has great resources to help parents speak about safety, sacredness and sexuality at home. Parents are actively involved through informative letters, lesson handouts, educational materials and parent newsletters. There is also a curriculum called “Family, Faith and Circle of Grace” which presents the lessons in a family, faith-formation program or an evening including Catholic school parents. Families gather first, then children/youth and parents receive formation on safety separately. It is a wonderful way to include parents.

Our hope is that Circle of Grace will become a part of the Catholic culture of our parishes and schools. We teach children about safety because it is the right thing to do. The Diocese has a deep commitment to sustain and strengthen a safe environment within the Church for our children and young people and the Circle of Grace program is a beautiful tool to help us to do that.

Erin Muir is the associate director for Administration and Planning for the diocesan Office for Discipleship Formation.