Our Parish Community Reli Looking
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he family is the first place where children learn the faith. After all, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church calls the family the “domestic church.” In turn, the U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops lays out a number of ways to build a “domestic church,” such as always attending Sunday Mass, praying a Rosary as a family, and inviting priests, deacons and sisters into your home, to name a few. The Families in Faith Religious Education programs seek to also teach children the faith, outside the home. All three programs will kick off a new year around the beginning of the school year. Sacred Heart and St. Michael’s continued classes through the COVID-19 pandemic with the students wearing masks, while St. Theresa moved classes to an at-home model. The three Directors of Religious Education for our parishes — Jerilee Wright at St. Theresa, Holly Carraher at St. Michael, and Angie Pfeifer at Sacred Heart — all look forward to more normalcy in the upcoming school year. Holly had been teaching religion for many years, and she began serving as St. Michael’s DRE three years ago. Last year, the class timing was altered for the younger students and the location of all classes moved from the school to the par-
ish hall at St. Michael. The first to sixth-grade students met from 4 to 5 p.m., and the seventhgrade to senior students meet from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays. The younger students previously met from 7 to 8 p.m., but parents thought it might be too late for the younger ones. This also helped to have fewer people gathered at once. Although some things were changed or canceled due to the pandemic, Holly says it was still a special year. In place of the First Communion Retreat, Holly sent home the ingredients for the bread that is normally made and the students made their banners for the church pews at home. Holly really appreciates all the current volunteers and teachers — without their efforts, our parish students wouldn’t have a chance to learn the faith together, outside of the home. “It’s really important that the students have a chance to grow in faith,” Holly says. “We want to set them up with a strong foundation for their futures.” Angie has served as the Sacred Heart DRE for nine years. Thanks to donors who have covered upkeep, classes are held at the former Sacred Heart School. This past year, Wednesday class times were altered for an earlier class time for the younger students. The first to sixth-grade students meet from
First Communion at St. Michael, 2021
Confirmation at St. Michael, 2021
