Philosophy
Parents are the first educators of their children. They remain the most important ones, no matter how long a child goes to school. The role of the parish is to support parents in this responsibility. They received this duty at their child's baptism when they promised that they would raise their child in the Catholic faith and accepted "the responsibility of training him (or her) in the practice of the faith." (Rite of Baptism)
As a faith community rooted in the teachings and saving actions of Jesus Christ, Saint Pascal Parish has committed itself to assisting families in fulfilling their duties. We have chosen to do this through our Family-Centered Catechesis Program during which parents and children explore the Catholic faith through prayer, discussion, Scripture, and activities.
Through our program, we hope that families will come to a fuller and richer experience of the Presence of God in their lives and grow in their mission of being Christ's disciples in our world.
Curriculum
Each year of the Family-Centered Catechesis Program focuses on a particular theme of our Catholic faith . The theme for the 2010-2011 school year is "The Saints - Our Friends in Faith." During each month of the program, the families will learn about various men and women who have been declared saints in the Church or who are in the canonization process and how their lives reflected the love God has for us.
The outline for the
2009-2010 school year is as follows:
September: New Beginnings: Founders of Religious
Orders
October:
Wise Voices and Leaders: Doctors and Monarchs
November:
Good Shepherds: Popes and Bishops
December:
In Service of Others: Friends of the Poor
January:
Brave Heroes: Martyrs
February:
Go and Make Disciples of All Nations: Missionaries
March:
Eyewitness News: The Apostles
April:
Eucharistic People: Saints in Our Church Building
May:
Local People Done Good: American Saints
Below is a video debuting our 2010-2011 year
Each month consists of a family session on either a Monday evening or a Saturday morning. During the session, the families gather for prayer and a brief introduction to the session. Following prayer, the families go to their small groups for their lesson. Parents with children in grades kindergarten through fifth grade remain with their children during the session while parents with children in grades six through eight gather for a session together with Deacon Tom Stubstad. The students in sixth through eighth grades meet with their catechists and explore the topic together. The session ends with a closing prayer and instructions for the family materials for the month.
To continue to explore the topic and to deepen their faith lives, the families use the rest of the month to complete two to three family lessons related to the topic of the month. These lessons include opportunities for families to pray, reflect upon Scripture and Church doctrine, and complete activities based upon the monthly focus.
Along with these monthly meetings, families with children preparing for the reception of the sacraments of Reconciliation (Confession), Eucharist (Communion), and Confirmation, attend meetings throughout the program year to help prepare their children for these important milestone moments in their faith lives.