Damien High School (Pomona, CA) theology teacher Gary Sullivan has compiled a valuable and sizable collection of resources including worksheets, videos, , slide presentations, vocabulary lists and much more around core courses and topics in a high school theology curriculum. These catechetical resources can be found at Apex Catechetics (searh: http://apexcatechetics.com/) .
Gary also has written many thought-provoking religiously-themed articles at Catholic365. Check out this months article, “The Biblical Meaning of Blood.”
Also, Gary’s collection of videos have been paired with Ave Maria Press’s high school textbooks and can be viewed by registered Catholic high school theology teachers* by clicking on any book on our Classroom Resource page.
*To register for full catalog of Classroom Resources, please email your name and school information to Heather Glenn at hglenn@nd.edu.
Here's a Catholic quiz courtesy of the National Catholic Register. With 32 total questions, you might wish to divide the questions into groups of four or eight and use them to as seat work, extra credit, or as a class icebreaker. The answers to the questions and the complete quiz and credit can be found at this link.
What Pope declared himself a prisoner of the Vatican?
What two symbolic pieces of heraldic regalia are found in all basilicas?
Who was the first non-martyr to be named a saint (pace Mary, St. John the Evangelist and of course, St. Joseph)?
In Italy, which saint is so famous she is simply known as “THE Saint”?
What were (are) the four “minor orders”?
What was the name of the cave David took shelter in?
During the singing of the Exultet at the Easter Vigil, what insect is extolled?
During his papal installation, Pope Benedict wore what garment in an Eastern Catholic tradition?
What two 20th-century British authors, both of whom were converts to Catholicism, soured on the liturgical changes of the Second Vatican Council?
A crosier with two horizontal bars on it is called what kind of cross?
Leon Bloy wrote a famous work on which Marian apparition?
What cardinal died suddenly and immediately before the conclave of 1958?
An atheist does not believe in God. An agnostic is unsure. But what is the technical term for someone who actively hates God?
Which 20th-century saint wrote an autobiography entitled Journal of a Soul?
What Doctor of the Church is literally named “Golden-Word”?
What Renaissance artist practiced the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola?
What epic English poet not only served in World War I, but went on to decorate many churches with his engravings and paintings?
In a church what are bobaches used for?
Who is the patron saint of editors?
In the West, what are the tradition names given to the Magi (the “three kings”)?
A priest with “O.A.R.” for a suffix belongs to which religious order?
The “Miraculous Medal” was manifested to which saint?
During the Sacrament of Baptism, the priest asks the godparent or the catechumen “What do you ask of The Church of God?” What is the answer?
Who is “The Second Apostle to Germany” (the first being St. Boniface)?
There are two arch-abbeys in the United States: what are their names and where are they located?
Although he is always depicted in art as being shot through with many arrows, St. Sebastian did not die from arrow wounds: how was he finally martyred?
What famous Lebanese-American actor had a public and strong devotion to St. Jude?
Most tourists think that the Cathedral of Venice has always been the famed St. Mark’s Basilica—but from 1450 to 1805 the Cathedral of Venice was which other church?
What are four different names for the Sunday following Easter?
What Catholic writer and painter also invented—according to his own history—color and underwater photography (though he died broken and penniless in Venice)?
What famous philosopher wrote books taking titles from the New Testament such as The Sickness Unto Death and Fear and Trembling?
On the Feast of Saint Agnes, lambs are blest then shorn to fashion what ecclesiastical garment?
Coming soon from Ave Maria Press is Called to Pray: Daily Prayers for Catholic Schools, a collection of prayers complied by Bishop McNamara High School teacher Justin McClain for teachers or their designated student leaders to read during a class period or over a school intercom system. The prayers are organized by school events, feast days, and solemnities over an academic year calendar.
Here are three sample prayers for Called to Pray for you to share with your students during the month of May.
Prayer for the Solemnity of Pentecost
Father God, today we ask the Holy Spirit to descend upon this Catholic school community, just as he did in the Upper Room at Pentecost, and to remain with us, not only now and throughout the conclusion of this school year, but throughout our lives. Please fill the hearts of the students in this school, so that they can spread Christ’s Good News no matter where they find themselves, whether within this school or beyond. We ask this in the name of the same Christ the Lord. Amen.
Prayer before Prom
Dear Lord, as we approach the end of this academic year, we prepare for the festivities that come with it. May the time spent together at prom be an occasion not just for fun, but also for reflection on all for which we are grateful within our school community. Help our students to make good decisions and to act only according to Christian principles, thus representing our community well. We ask this, as we do all things, in your holy name. Amen.
Prayer for Memorial Day
Heavenly Father, we take the time today to remember those men and women in uniform who have gone before us. We express our deepest gratitude for their bravery and sacrifice. Encourage us to remain thankful, and please inspire the students of this Catholic school community to work for peace around the world, especially in the midst of armed conflicts and other types of discord. We ask this in the name of Christ the Lord. Amen.
Make sure to order a copy of Called to Pray: Daily Prayers for Catholic Schools, so your copy arrives just in time for the fall term.
Catholic adolescents are no different than Catholic adults: Both groups of Catholics often find it difficult to tell their own personal stories of faiths. Leonard DeLorenzo has taught thousands of teens and young adults to think about and share their moments of grace from their personal lives in a way that is compelling, convincing, and free of clichés and vague generalizations. In Witness: Learning to Tell the Stories of Grace That Illumine Our Lives, DeLorenzo shares seven guiding principles for doing so. They are:
Tell it as a story
Begin with what happened
Express it in style
Modify it for your audience
Ensure there is sufficient closure
Embrace natural emotions and
Pray and practice
How might the approach offered in Witness be applied first-hand to a Catholic high school theology course? Eric Buell, religious studies chairperson at Presentation High School in San Jose, California, has attempted the process within coverage of a typical course curriculum. He offers some reflections here:
Imagine seeing your life full of grace. What is needed however is the correct lens to parse through the triumphs, the challenges, and the mundane to discover this light. The first introduction I had to the concept of “stories of grace” was my junior year at the University of Notre Dame as a part of the Notre Dame Vision program. If you have had the opportunity to spend some time at this program or have spent some time with Dr. DeLorenzo’s book, the concept is at once familiar yet unique. Personal narratives have taken center stage in online news and entertainment media. This text provides a practical guideline of how to tap into this type of personal narrative, not as a therapeutic catharsis, but as a way to understand the movement of God’s grace in a person’s life and, the ultimate goal, to come to see ourselves in the light of and through the eyes of God. This text provides practical steps and serves as a good supplemental resource for teachers wishing to bring their students into a more personal, narrative driven reflection that digs past the clichés that a secondary theology teacher can often encounter.
Over the past decade teaching high school, I have sought for ways to bring my students into a deeper engagement with the course material (most of which is now outlined by the USCCB Doctrinal Elements for Curriculum). In the context of my course on prayer and spirituality we have developed what I call “Chapel Fridays.” No matter where we are in the course curriculum, the class moves to the chapel whenever we happen to have class that day (this is normally between 7-9 times a semester). Using chapter 2 (“Bending Light”) as a guide, students use a variety of the seven principles laid out by DeLorenzo to open up the course material (primarily focused on sacrifice, grace, redemption, and sin) to bridge the gap between the academic and the formative. Allowing students the freedom to choose which of her their stories to engage with is a tremendous opportunity to discover what is important to them, what has formed them into the person they are today, and how they grapple with understanding the presence of God in their lives.
The most challenging academic concept I have had to teach throughout my high school’s curriculum is grace. It is easy to memorize the definition, fill in the blanks, or apply it to the seven sacraments; but how can students be given the opportunity to hang on to a more concrete notion of grace? The stories that my students have been able to produce in a variety of media (poetry, film, essay) have been inspiring. Allowing students to share their stories (after a semester’s worth of editing, adapting, and discussing) is the most meaningful experience of the semester. Instead of hearing about “grace” from the teacher, students encounter the variety of ways God has been present to their peers; this type of witness is what is needed to evangelize students in the classroom.
This text is most useful for the upper division classroom that has room in the curriculum to carve out space for storytelling. If schools are providing a sacraments course in the Junior year, there is a prime opportunity to develop a secondary track of looking at the stages of a student’s life in terms of where they have been initiated, healed, or in the context of service, and have them develop a way of looking at these various experiences in the context of God’s grace. In this respect, teachers can focus on the primary stages of sacramental theology while also developing student narratives that correspond to the respective stage. This type of essay could serve as a capstone assessment for the course in conjunction with a semester review; students could share their personal stories of grace alongside the review of material. There is opportunity to make a more formal essay alongside this story by having the students use sacramental imagery or a thoughtful understanding of symbol within their personal narrative.
This text might also serve as a great resource for teachers engaged in Catholic Morality, Social Justice, or Vocations courses. Having the students use DeLorenzo’s seven steps while developing thoughtful reflections in these previous areas provides a more robust experience with the curriculum. If schools require service hours with these courses, there is an opportunity to engage students in more thoughtful theological and Christological reflection by allowing class time to consider the people they were serving and how God not only provided an experience for them to reflect on the dignity of the human person in the context of direct service, but how they see grace emanating and illuminating the organization or person they served. If your school is requiring service hours, carve out some space for students to think seriously about the presence of God in their local community. This text will provide a concrete and practical overview of how to structure a meaningful theological reflection for your students.
Eric Buell
MA Theology, University of Notre Dame
MA Educational Leadership, Santa Clara University
If you are interested in a copy of Witness: Learning to Tell the Stories of Grace That Illumine Our Lives, ordering information is available here. If you would like more information or to dialogue on how to use this book in a high school theology course you may contact Eric Buell at ebuell@presentationhs.org
In coordination with Respect Life month, the United States Catholic bishops are asking Catholics to participate in a week of prayer and action for migrants and refugees from October 7 to 13 sponsored by Catholic Relief Services. Several resources to facilitate participation by students both in Catholic schools and parish programs are available here. Note, especially, the sections titled "In Schools and Religious Education" and "On Campus."
Examine, also, the full Share the Journey website.
Adoption: A Choice worth Making is a five-day mini-unit to support any course in a Catholic high school theology curriculum. It is also appropriate for parish youth ministry. The purpose of the mini-course is to acknowledge the value of human life and provide teenagers information on a much underreported option for single women who are pregnant: adoption.
This mini-unit provides a synopsis of the adoption process as well as various perspectives from actual birth mothers, adoptive parents, and from teens who were adopted as infants. Written in conjunction with the Holy Family Adoption Agency, an agency dedicated to placing children with Catholic adoptive parents, teenagers will learn about a very positive effort taking place in the United States and in the Church to place children with adoptive parents.
Adoption: A Choice worth Making provides complete lesson outlines, including video links and student handouts. The lessons are designed for five consecutive 50 minute periods or over the course of one day for five consecutive weeks.
To view Adoption: A Choice worth Making click here.
Theology teacher Charles Beach from Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis keeps complies and excellent thorough newsletter of religious education resources that are appropriate and helpful to enhance a high-school theology curriculum. You can view this the September 2017 newsletter here. Go to the bottom of the page for a link to information to subscribing to the newsletter on a monthly basis.
Pope Francis is being joined by bishops across the U.S. and around the world in launching a global campaign to support our brothers and sisters who have fled their homes seeking a decent and safe life for their families. This historic campaign, “Share the Journey,” will respond to some of the most desperate of God’s children and your leadership and inspiration is needed.
You can help your diocese, parish, school or other organization participate in the “Share the Journey” campaign along with Pope Francis, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA, and the Church’s global charitable network, Caritas Internationalis. Through prayers and acts of compassion and support, you can help shape conversations and actions to answer the Gospel call to love our neighbors.
September 27: The official launch in Rome by Pope Francis
October 7-13: Week of Prayer and Action across the U.S.
A website with resources for parishes, schools, universities, national organizations and other groups will go live the week of September 5.
