I know why Catholics don’t believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist anymore.
I got the First Communion prep materials from our parish the other day and I can’t find a mention of it anywhere, just a watered down, “Christ is present in the people, the words, and the bread.” Oh, but the bread is Christ!
I am so sad — and mad — I could cry.
If you don’t have it, buy the St. Joseph First Communion Catechism (just a few dollars), or better yet, use a good homeschool curriculum religion book. The materials the churches use are the saddest excuses for religious education. If that’s all our children have they will be lukewarm Catholics at best.
We use that catechism, and the Ignatius Press Faith and Life books, and a sweet little book called Jesus and I which is a companion to the St. Joseph catechism.
I’m not worried about us. I got the books only because the DRE insisted, so we’d all “be on the same page”. Now that I know what they’re doing, though, I have to say something. And when I’m done talking to the DRE, I’ll have to go speak to Father. I don’t like rocking the boat…but I think I have an obligation to now.
you are a brave woman; i will definitely say a prayer for your talk with them. It makes me so sad that not only do parishes purchase such garbage, but publishers that claim to be catholic MAKE them – who is imprimatering these things??
I don’t know about the imprimatur. It says that the work does not contradict Catholic teaching, but that doesn’t mean that the teachings are actually taught, I guess. If you leave out the fact that the bread and the wine are actually the Body and Blood of Christ, well, that’s not a contradiction. It’s just not an accurate representation.
Thanks for the prayers, though. I’ll deal with it next week.
Good luck (and I sincerely mean that). We’ve been down that road and we left that parish — irreconcilable differences on religious education. I’m very glad you don’t depend on your parish to educate your children properly.
Wow, just WOW!!! I am a Catholic School girl through and through and I can just imagine what my dear Sister Marilyn would say. I do think that some of the changes I’ve seen in the parish in my lifetime has been to the slow change of less nuns in local parishes. Many of them really were inspiring to me as a child and were true sticklers to the Truth of the faith. Your children are lucky that you read the materials so carefully and supplement them/correct them as needed. I would definitely feel the need to talk to the DRE and your Father to express your concern. I wonder how many children will just follow the provided book and not question the wording that seems to eliminate the Body of Christ. Good luck and please let us know what the outcomes of your conversations are.
Karen
That wording isn’t even in the children’s book, Karen. It’s in the catechist’s teaching manual.
Good luck with your dealings next week!!
Praying your discussions go well. I know sometimes DREs get defensive. I hope yours is openminded and willing to listen (as well as your priest).
I find it so hard to believe that with so many wonderful books out there (Faith and Life for one) that churches pick these awful books.
This is a totally new thought to me, but I do wish you well on your talk – I know it can’t be easy.
I was a CCD teacher at our parish for a few years and I can tell you first hand that the faith formation was very “watered down”. It is no wonder so many Catholics pick and choose what church teachings they follow and many more fall alway. They don’t even know what to believe. Sadly, this is the case in many parishes. The belame can be scattered around. As a teacher I felt the responsiblity to follow the magistrium so I didn’t use the parish’s bought curriculum, opting instead to use St. Joseph’s Baltimore Catechism and CHC 1st communion preparation course from their 2nd grade lesson plans. Luckily, our DRE was quite supportive. This is only her 2nd year as the DRE and has fought hard to bring good changes to the program. Unfortunately there are many older parishners (some of them CCD teachers) that are against “change”. It is so sad!
There are new seminarians, lots of prayer, good strong Catholics that are coming forward. I hope your meeting went well.
Elizabeth
CA
Uck. What series are they using? I’ve taught PSR off and on for years, and some series are really, really lousy.
I don’t think they’re using any series, Mel. From what I’m hearing from the catechists, all but the First Communion class are winging it.
Hi jenny,
You may not remember me but I was at Ft. STewart with you a few years back. My husband Dan was killed in Afghanistan. I’m remarried (10 kids) and have made Elizabethtown our home. Not sure which parish you are talking about but there are a couple good ones around here as well as Latin mass. We still homeschool but our parish using the Faith and Life series and is very orthodox.
Anne, I remember you very well. We were only there a few months before you and Dan moved, I know, but I cried for you when I heard about Dan, and I was thrilled for you when our mutual midwife told me you were remarrying. As for the parish, it’s ours, no matter what. The people here have taken us in and love us like one of their own. I feel more like we should be agents of positive change in our parish, instead of looking around for a “better” church. No parish is perfect, you know. We’re trying to live fully in our place, and that means we have to take the good with the bad.