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sarahb
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| Posted: Aug 15 2008 at 8:51am | IP Logged
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If this isnt the appropriate forum please move it. 
My son is 8 and in 3rd grade. he didnt make his First Communion last year for a variety of reasons. We moved mid year, he was only recently baptized, his brother was completing RCIA and joined the church, our family had to travel for that then and wouldnt have come again, and ultimately, he was not ready anyway.
So when I spoke with the DRE she really was trying to get me to put him in RCIC (as she calls it.) Its really RCIA for kids and its ok but its not in depth or at all enough IMO. Its led by a wonderful teacher however.
I pretty much demanded he be in the regular CCD class and she grudgingly said ok.
But I dont understand in any case why she would suggest RCIC unless a child needs baptism or is considerably older, do you? Does that seem appropriate at all?
I know you all are more on top of these things so thought you might shed some light on this.
Also, she flat out refused to allow homeschooling catechism in sacrament years.
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MaryM
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| Posted: Aug 15 2008 at 12:29pm | IP Logged
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sarahb wrote:
| But I dont understand in any case why she would suggest RCIC unless a child needs baptism or is considerably older, do you? Does that seem appropriate at all? |
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That is the way I see it also. Everywhere we have been if the child was only a year or so older, he or she did preparation with the regular 1st communion class.
It might be helpful to find out if your Diocese has guidelines for the whole diocese (or has a pastoral handbook). Our diocese pastroal handbook makes it very clear that parents can choose to do home sacramental preparation.
This is from a publication called the National Directory for Catechesis – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005. Basically it reafirms parents in their right to do home catechesis and sacramental prep, but does specify use of approved materials, involvement with the chuch community in other prep activities, cooperation between parent/priest/DRE-catechist leader. This is what bishops and diocese should be allowing in the US. So hope it helps.
As the primary educators of their children, parents have the right and the duty to choose the kind of educational environment that they determine best suits their children’s needs. Therefore, home schooling is a viable option for the general education of children.
If Catholic parents chose to provide catechesis for their children in their home, that catechesis must be both complete and authentic. The bishop of the diocese, the pastor of the parish, the parents, and the children all have God-given responsibilities that must be respected in considering home-based catechesis. The home-based catechesis of children is a cooperative effort between the children, their parents, parish leadership, and diocesan bishop. Parents who chose to be not only the primary educators of their children but also their catechists must adhere to all guidelines for catechists as outlined by diocesan bishop.
Parents who chose to catechize their children at home should not feel alone in this task. They are part of the parish’s total catechetical effort and should be welcomed in all parish catechetical program activities. Pastors in collaboration with parish catechetical leaders should provide the support, encouragement, and direction that parents need in order to ensure that they teach their children what the Church intends to be taught by providing parents with copies of appropriate sections of the diocesan curriculum. Parents who would like to provide catechesis at home should make themselves known to the local pastor and consult with him or his delegate to ensure that the catechesis provide in the home is the catechesis of the Church. Dialogue between the pastor and the parents is essential to complete an authentic catechesis of children in their homes.
All parents have an obligation to involve their children in the life and mission of the Church. Since their children are being initiated into the life of the Church, which is fundamentally realized in the local parish, parents who provide catechesis for their children in their homes should participate fully in the life of the local parish. They should celebrate the Sunday Eucharist in the local parish, involve themselves in its charitable works, and attend appropriate training and formation sessions the parish or diocese provides. Since the celebration of the sacraments continually integrates children into the Body of Christ, preparing children for reception of the sacraments should always be undertaken in collaboration with the local pastor and catechetical leader. These children should be encouraged to participate in non-instructional, preparatory activities of the parish peer group preparing for the sacrament. Parents who provide catechesis for their children in their homes can use those catechetical materials that have been approved by the diocesan bishop. (pp. 259-260)
This topic has been discussed in the past, too. So if you search the archives under something like "Mandatory CCD" you'll find some suggestions and experiences. Hope that helps.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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sarahb
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| Posted: Aug 15 2008 at 12:43pm | IP Logged
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I have actually written to the bishop who sent me a letter and their policy on home catechesis and it is allowed but I dont really see the point in going 7 rounds with the DRE when I want to get to know people in the parish anyway, kwim?
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LeeAnn
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As the coordinator of RE for my parish, enrolling a baptized Catholic 3rd grader in RCIC seems inappropriate. At my parish, children in grades 2-5 may enroll in Sacramental Prep. Children in middle school and high school should be enrolled in RCIC, baptized or not, since presumably their families are not active Catholics and are in need of basic catechesis.
What can I say? Some DREs just have rigid notions of how each child should be pigeonholed.
As an aside, I have offered a home catechesis option to families who were "too busy" to participate in RE/Sacramental prep. Not one of them has followed through yet, but maybe as word gets around it will happen. I would have no problem with a motivated family preparing their child for First Communion, but maybe we're just more laid back here and a smaller community (250ish families).
I hope it works out for your child! May God bless your family as you prepare for that wonderful day!
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my four children are 17, 15, 11 & 8 - all now attend public school - we read many 4Real recommended books at home
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Angi
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I taught RCIC one year to 2 children, 5th and 6th grades. It was a joke! I threw out the lessons and focused on just the basics to prepare them for sacraments. After that year they entered regular RCIC for their age.
BTW- they did learn about reconciliation and Eucharist, but not much else. They had NO religious ed background.
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CatholicMommy
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I suppose it could vary by diocese, but definitely it is most appropriate to have him with the regular sacramental preparation children, if he's going to be involved in a parish program... I was just hired as DRE for two small parishes and I have a meeting later this week with the priest specifically about how to handle homeschooling situations (I'm all for it and he is too, but we still have to discuss details). Wish I were your DRE - there wouldn't be an issue at all!
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Religious ed versus RCIC
