For the fifth year, The Catholic High School Honor Roll, an independent project of the Acton Institute, an international research and educational organization, recently announced its best 50 secondary schools. This year nearly 300 of the approximately 1,300 Catholic high schools completed the three detailed surveys that measure a school's adherence to the Church's educational mission. Each school also receives an evaluation to see how it compares to other schools nationwide.The best schools demonstrate a balanced excellence, which includes an active Catholic culture, sound college preparation and integration of Church teaching in all departments. These schools also display sound moral, catechetical and civic formation that prepares students for vocations in the world as political, religious, scientific, and business leaders .Here is a list of the top fifty schools. Other category leaders in academics, Catholic identity, and civic education are were also named.The news of Catholic High Schools being chosen for this honor is circulating through local and national media. Here is one story from the Indianpolis Star on the success of St. Theodore Guerin High School in Nobelsville, Indiana. Please feel free to use the comment section below to link other news stories as they appear on schools in your area.Congratulations to all!ArkansasHoly Rosary AcademyCaliforniaJ. Serra Catholic High SchoolSaint Augustine AcademySaint Joseph AcademySaint Michael's Prepatory SchoolColoradoBishop Machebeuf Catholic High SchoolDelawareSaint Thomas More Preparatory SchoolSalesianum SchoolFloridaArchbishop Edward A. McCarthy High SchoolBelen Jesuit Preparatory SchoolChristopher Columbus Catholic High SchoolGeorgiaHoly Spirit Preparatory SchoolPinecrest AcademyIllinoisBrother Rice High SchoolNorthridge Preparatory School for BoysThe Willows AcademyIndianaSaint Joseph's High SchoolSaint Theodore Guerin High SchoolKentuckyHoly Angels AcademyMassachusettsTrivium SchoolMarylandMount de Sales AcademyMichiganCatholic Central High SchoolFather Gabriel Richard High SchoolLake Michigan Catholic High SchoolNotre Dame Preparatory SchoolSaint Francis High SchoolWest Catholic High SchoolMinnesotaProvidence AcademyMissouriGateway AcademyNotre Dame Regional High SchoolNorth CarolinaSaint Thomas More AcademyNew YorkAll Hallows High SchoolCathedral Preparatory SeminaryThe Montfort AcademyOhioCardinal Stritch High SchoolPennsylvaniaAquinas AcademySaint Joseph High SchoolSouth CarolinaSaint Joseph's Catholic SchoolSouth DakotaO'Gorman High SchoolTennesseeKnoxville Catholic High SchoolSaint Cecilia AcademyTexasAntonian College Preparatory High SchoolBishop Thomas K. Gorman Catholic SchoolSaint Thomas High SchoolStrake Jesuit College PreparatoryThe Atonement AcademyThe Highlands SchoolWisconsinAquinas High SchoolMcDonell Central Catholic High SchoolXavier High School
Last week's National Symposium on Adolescent Catechesis was a series of fruitful presentations and discussions on the topic with catechetical leaders from a variety of perspectives (e.g., bishops, diocesan, academics, schools, parish, parents, publishers). In his presentation "Adolescent Catechesis: Where Are We Now and Going" Dr. Thomas Groome presented a map for forging ahead in this area. A main focus of his presentation was the need for a both/and approach to catechesis. Among the points Groome made:
In sum, catechsis is constituted by "transmission of the Gospelmessage and experience of Christian life" (GDC #87). There is a need to receive, deepen, and apass on the Gospel faith andto experience Christian living. Both kerygmatic and experiential.
Literacy in Catholic faith should be both informative and performative. It requires both instruction and practice (especially of justice and compassion).
In pedagogy the Church also urges the both/and approaches. This means that pedagogies that are both inductive—from life to Faith and deductive—from Faith to life must be utilized.
A pedagogy that is both experiential and kerygmatic must promote "a correct correlation and interaction between profound human experiences and the revealed message" (GDC #153).
Groome summarized such pedagogy as "enabling people to bring their lives to their Faith and their Faith to their lives, with the intent of lived Catholic Faith; life to Faith to life.
Reflection
How does the "both/and" approach apply to your role in catechesis?
What opportunites are you offering your students that are both informative and performative?
How are the life experiences of your students incorporated to lessons of faith?
In the Fall Issue of the Engaging Mind, Hearts, and Hands newsletter, two articles were shared about the challenges of adolescent evangelization and catechesis especially in the venue of parish programs. Two perspectives are presented below.
By Bryan Reising Director of Religious Education and Adult Faith Formation Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota In 2007, 672,426 students attended Catholic high schools across the United States. In that same year, 732,917 public school students received religious education at some level. With 67,515,016 Catholics in the United States and around 20,000,000 more inactive Catholics, there are many more public school teens receiving no catechetical formation. How many receive no formation? According to the Census Bureau, there are about 33 million high school age students in the United States (public schools, charter schools, parochial schools, private schools, home schools, and dropouts). Catholics in general make up about 24% of the total population of the United States. This adds up to about 7.900,000 teens who are Catholic. According to this calculation, that means nearly 6,500,000 Catholic teens are receiving no faith formation at all! What can we do? How can we reach these teens and their parents? It is hopeful that in the years to come, more people will lend their expertise and creativity so that Catholic parishes can share the faith, invite more to the faith, and involve more with sharing the faith! In addition, parishes and dioceses need intentional planning for missionary outreach. In the meantime, here are some resources that may help: Evangelization Resources • Cultivation Ministries: This organization, headed by Frank Mercadante, helps to form youth ministry teams to reach out to more youth and to effectively minister to them. • Systematic Integral New Evangelization (SINE): This resource founded by the late Fr. Alfonso Navarro, MSpSC helps parishes and even entire dioceses to become more evangelizing. This is an excellent site to study ways to evangelize the Spanish-speaking teens. • LifeTeen: Life Teen is centered in the Eucharist. This popular program also features suggestions for catechetical sessions to be held after Sunday evening Mass. • TEC (Teens or Together Encounter Christ) is a weekend retreat experience for older adolescents and young adults designed to facilitate an experience Christ and his Paschal Mystery. • NET Ministries (National Evangelization Teams) is groups of young people who give retreats and portray the Gospel message through drama and music. They travel to many parishes and dioceses around the country. • RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adultis a process with roots in the early Church and made new again because of the Second Vatican Council. It is a process for those who are called to become Catholics culminating in the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. • Home Visitation: This is a ministry that more and more Catholic parishes are using to reach out to the lost, the Catholics we miss, and those without a church home. It also builds up ecumenical relations. The Diocese of Wheeling, West Virginia produced an excellent film: “Home Visitation: Building Relationships, Building the Kingdom” Don’t forget to use all of the media—print and otherwise—to get out the Word of God: newspapers, letters, mailings, phone calls, radio, billboards, television, the internet, text messaging, pod casting, and more ways in the future. Special mention in this area is directed to agencies that are providing beautiful and meaningful commercials to those Catholics we miss. The students in Catholic high schools usually receive five days a week of catechetical instruction. The public high school students receive catechetical formation from once a week during the school year to once a month if at all. There is real question about when and if publishers will provide materials that address the new doctrinal guidelines approved by the United States Bishops but that are also geared especially for teens in parish programs (see accompanying article). What can a parish do? The resources listed above are helpful and many publishers, including Ave Maria Press , do provide resources especially for the parish market. But we need more especially designed materials. I believe the potential for adolescent catechesis is great when considering those who do not go to Catholic high schools. For publishers, youth ministers, catechists, and parents, it takes a real commitment to ensure that the faith is being past on in an adequate manner. I believe there is a need to create curriculum that can be used in traditional and intergenerational religious education settings. I believe there is a need for catechist friendly manuals in order to help the catechist make the most out of teaching the faith. I believe parents need to have the tools for family activities to engage their teenage children with the faith. I believe community building and faith-building activities for and with youth can be useful when they are just hanging out. In addition, online resources and DVDs can be of service as more and more teens rely on technology for information. How about a Catholic Wikipedia? Let us continue the conversations and create new resources to reach out to our youth and provide good catechetical experiences!
What Publishers Can Do to Enhance Catechesis for Non Catholic School Teens
In various conversations throughout the course of the year, mainly with diocesan religious education leaders, we are often asked “what new catechetical programs we have in the pipeline for parish teens.” The question is a tricky one, especially with the inclusion of the word program in the question. In the mid 1990s Ave Maria Press published such a program, Developing Faith. It was intended as a catechetical centerpiece for parish youth ministry and a compliment to Confirmation preparation processes. It was created as twelve eight-week courses, complete with “Participant Books” for the teens and “Director’s Manuals” for the parish leaders. In the years Developing Faith was on the market, our research found fewer and fewer parishes that 1) employed trained youth ministers and 2) included a comprehensive catechetical component to their youth offerings. Many parishes had no youth program whatsoever. As Church leaders from many arenas (bishops, diocesan, scholarly, parish, publishers) undertake a serious discussion this coming week of the issue of Adolescent Catechesis, Ave Maria Press is committed to participating to the dialogue, assimilating the results, and readying to produce materials that will reach the many teens cited in the article by Bryan Reising. To this end, Ave Maria Press is publishing Catholic Essentials: An Overview of the Faith in 2009. It is outlined and written based on the Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework For the Development of Catechetical Materials For Young People pf High School Age produced and approved by the United States Catholic Bishops in 2007. Designed as a handbook for teens who attend both Catholic and non-Catholic high schools, it is accompanied by a manual with lessons for that also function for both schools and parish programs. Also, currently, on the Ave Maria Press website are specially designed lessons that distill current textbooks—all in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church—for use in parish programs. Many of these lessons include references to current issues and contemporary news articles that allow catechists and youth ministers to develop lessons that are both engaging and comprehensive. Visit the Ave Maria Press Religious Education website and search for “Parish Religious Education Adaptations” (for example) under the links for each subject area/text.
How well do you and your students know the history of the Sacrament of Matrimony? Use this True or False "test" from the Marriage and Holy Orders: Your Call to Love and Serve as a way to test yours and their knowledge. Answers follow at the bottom of this post.
A Brief History of MarriageMark each of the following statements T for true or F for false.• __ Marriage was never considered an institution established by God—that is, something natural and good on its own—until the second or third century AD.• Jesus restored the ideal of marriage—two people becoming one.• __ Christian marriage is modeled on the relationship between Christ and the Church.• From earliest days, the Church discouraged using the customs of local cultures—for example, exchange of rings, processions, bridal veils, dowries— in the celebration of Christian marriage.• __ In the fifth century, St. John Chrysostom taught that marriage is not an obstacle to salvation, that God established marriage for the procreation of children; and that marriage is a means of salvation for the couple.• According to St. Ambrose, marriage is good because God creates it and that it offers three good things: (1) the procreation of children; (2) the chastity of the couple and their mutual fidelity; (3) an indissoluble union.• __ By the Middle Ages the Christian wedding ceremony had become quite formal, requiring an exchange of vows, the presence of a priest and witnesses, and being performed in a church.• By the twelfth century, the Church formally recognized Marriage as a sacrament that endures until the death of a spouse .• __ The Second Vatican Council declared that the essential element of the sacrament is the exchange of rings.• __ In Christian marriage, a man and woman accept each other in permanent and exclusive union which is open to procreation.
For EnrichmentTo extend the discussion on marriage, share the following quote with the students. Have them write their responses and then share them with the large group.
Looking for love? Do you think you need to find your “soul mate” to have a good marriage? If that’s what you think, sorry, but you’re wrong. You’re never going to find your soul mate. Everyone you meet already has soul mates: a mom, a dad, a life-long friend. You get married, then, after years of loving, bearing and raising children, meeting challenges, you’ll have created your soul mate.
What do you think? do you agree or disagree with the above statement?"Test" Answers(1) F: Marriage was always (from the beginning of creation) deemed a divinely established state; (2) T; (3) T; (4) F: In fact, the Church generally encouraged employing the customs of local cultures in the celebration of Christian marriage; (5) T; (6) F: The teachings are from St. Augustine not St. Ambrose; (7) T; (8) T; (9) F: Vatican Council II declared that the essential element of the sacrament is the couple’s mutual consent; (10) T.
On October 11, Ave Maria Press hosted its Fourth Annual Teacher Enrichment Day at Notre Dame. The teachers in attendance participated in a lesson plan exchange. Periodically we will be highlighting some of those lessons on the Engaging Faith blog.
This lesson connects the content of Chapter 1 of Your Life in Christ to various themes found within the film Bruce Almighty. The students are assigned Chapter 1 before watching the film. They are asked to write responses to four of the seven questions that follow. They are also required to highlight in red type any quotations they use from the textbook. The film can be assigned to watch at home or all or parts of it can be shown in class
Questions
1. In the beginning of the film, Bruce blames God for his lousy life. On pp. 26-27 of Your Life in Christ the book offers eight tips for remembering what it means to be "human" (and not either God or a robot). Choose four of these "tips" and give examples from Bruce's life (at the beginning) as to how he was not accepting of those aspects of being human.
2. When Bruce's life starts falling apart, Grace tries to give him proper perspective. Using all you've learned about grace, how does the character Grace reflect God's grace? Use examples from throughout the whole movie. State at least five examples. (Grace is defined in the text as: "A free and unearned favor from God, infused into our souls at Baptism, that adopts us into God's family and helps us to live as God's children.")
3. There's a theological pun early on in the movie when Bruce comes to "Omni Presents." It is based on a major doctrine about how we experience God. See if you can figure out the play on words, and then explain the actual meaning of the theological term. (Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church 232–256).
4. In the film, Bruce grants everyone everything they as for and chaos ensues. Then, when Bruce asks God about how to answer prayers, God responds with another question: "Since when do people know what they REALLY want?" God is suggesting here that perhaps people ask for the wrong things in prayer. Read pages 39–40 of the text under the section "Humans Are Wounded by Sin." Using scenes from the movie as examples, answer: "Why is it a good thing that God does not grant us everything we ask for or want?"
5. Read the section on page 38, "The Social Nature of Humans." The quote on page 38 from Frederick Buechner—"The life that I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place and time my touch will be felt. Our lives are linked. No man is an island"—reflects a lesson that Bruce had to learn. Do you think that he learns this lesson by the end of the movie? If so, give examples. If not, move on to another question! Use words from the text such as community, common good and solidarity.
6. Read pages 33–35 of the text under the heading "Our Spirital Nature." This section exmphasizes how the God-given gifts of an ability to think and love, and use of our free will in a responsible way call us to good moral behavior. In the movie, Bruce says: "How do you make someone love you without effecting free will?" and God responds "Welcome to my life!" Give some examples from the film that illustrates this teaching. Be sure to state which points from the chapter you are focusing on in your answer.
7. Toward the end of the film, when Bruce is in heaven, God invites him to pray. Instead of praying that Grace will love him, he prays for something else. What part of the text in the section "Humans Are Made in the Divine Image" (pages 28-31) does this selflessness of Bruce reflect?
This lesson was submitted anonymously. If the teacher who created the lesson would send me an e-mail I will be glad to credit you and your school!
On October 11, Ave Maria Press hosted its Fourth Annual Teacher Enrichment Day at Notre Dame. The teachers in attendance participated in a lesson plan exchange. Periodically we will be highlighting some of those lessons on the Engaging Faith blog.
This lesson is for a Catholic Social Justice class. It features the article "Living and Dying on Death Row: An Eyewitness Account" by Joseph Ross, a former volunteer chapter at the Indiana State Prison.It is important that the students follow the directions listed below in order. Discussion of the issue of the death penalty can proceed and follow the reading of the article.
Directions
1. Before reading the article, answer the following question: "What are your ideas/feelings about the death penalty? Be as specific and thorough as possible.2. Now go ahead and read the article.3. Related to the death penalty, what is your reaction to the following statements: "Every person, without exception is redeemed by Christ." "The way we treat others reflects our relationship with God."4. Look up and read the following passages from the Gospel of Matthew. Write your reaction to each passage in relation to the article and the topic of the death penalty. Matthew 5:38-48 Matthew 6:7-15 Matthew 18: 12-22 Matthew 25:31-46
This lesson was shared by Elise Hilton of Muskegon Catholic High School, Muskegon Michigan.
Pope Benedict XVI began a "marathon of Bible reading" on live Italian television on Sunday, October 5, while encouraging people world-wide—Catholics, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and all others—to spend some time with this sacred book. The first night of reading ending with Academy Award winning actor Roberto Benigni concluding the Book of Genesis that the Pope had began.
Organizers of the event stressed that "the Bible belongs to everyone without any discrimination or cultural or ideological barrier." The marathon will end Saturday with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the secretary of State of the Vatican, reading the 22nd chapter of the Book of Revelation.
Can you parallel the event with your students this or another week in class? Perhaps you can encourage different readers of the Bible to read from start to finish as part of school-wide broadcast or even combined with a fundraiser for a good cause.
Or, you can simply encourage your students to begin a personal Bible reading plan. Here's are three ideas from Encountering Jesus in the New Testament.
1. Read the New Testament for ten minutes a day. Use one of the following techniques for prayer and study:
Study an individual book using a good commentary. The Collegeville Bible Commentaries are outstanding because they are simple and clear and include the text of the New American Bible. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary is also excellent. Additionally, the New American Bible offers commentary notes within the pages of the New Testament.
Study a particular New Testament theme by reading all the various passages that treat it. A concordance will help you locate all the places where the theme occurs. Some examples of major New Testament themes include Kingdom of God, faith, love, friendship, salvation, forgiveness, conversion, and witness.
Choose New Testament passages at random. Refer to biblical commentaries and dictionaries to get further background on what you have chosen for the day.
2. Pray for ten minutes each day using the New Testament. Select a favorite passage, for example, the parables or the miracles or the Sermon on the Mount. After calming down and putting yourself in the Lord’s presence, read the passage as though the Lord is speaking directly to you. Engage all your senses in the scene of the passage. Imagine that these verses are written specifically for you. Listen to what they are saying. Reflect on them as if the Lord is sitting next to you.
3.Form a Scripture study group with some friends in school or in your parish. Meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Study an entire book of the Bible together. Ask an interested teacher, parent, youth minister, or priest to guide you.
Our offices are just a few football fields away from where Coach Lou Holtz once patrolled the sidelines for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In May of this year Coach Holtz was named to the College Football Hall of Fame. Today he is a popular host on ESPN's Game Day college football program as well a master motivational speaker. Ave Maria Press is sponsoring a Student Essay Contest in his honor. Among Lou Holtz's famous quotations:A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.Don't be a spectator. Don't let life pass you by.I can't believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary.I can never learn anything by talking. I only learn things when I ask questions.If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today.If you are bored with life you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things—you don't have enough goals.It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test.No one has ever drowned in sweat.Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity.You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose.In A Teen’s Game Plan for Life Coach Holtz writes about how students can make their big dreams come true through a series of smaller daily choices. He names this his WIN formula—“what’s important now.” The message is a practical one for students with all types of interest. Coach Holtz writes:You want to graduate tops in your class, or be an All-American? Then ask yourself twenty-five times a day, “What’s important now?”You wake up in the morning—“What’s important now?” Get out of bed.You’re out of bed—“What’s important now?” Eat breakfast. You need your strength.“What’s important now?” Go to class.“What’s important now?” Sit in the front row. Be prepared.It’s time to practice. “What’s important now? Use the weight room. It’s there to help you get stronger. You don’t use it because someone’s looking, but because you know you’ve got to get stronger.When you’re out Saturday night and there’s opportunities for alcohol, or sex, or drugs? What’s important now? If your dream is to be outstanding in whatever field you’ve chosen, then “what’s important now” is to avoid these situations.
Student Writing ContestHave your students write a 300-word essay that answers the following questions:What dreams do your students have?What practical steps are they taking to achieve their dreams?How can they apply the WIN formula to their own goals? We will choose three winning essays and award the following prizes:• 3rd Place: 1 copy of A Teen’s Game Plan for Life by Lou Holtz• 2nd Place: 1 copy of A Teen’s Game Plan for Life and a 2008 Notre Dame “The Shirt”• 1st Place: 30 copies of A Teen’s Game Plan for Life for the entire class and a 2008 Notre Dame “The Shirt”Attach essays and send by e-mail to:Michael AmodeiDeadline is EXTENDED to Wednesday, October 8, 2008Prizes will be announced at the Ave Maria Press Teacher Enrichment Day on Saturday, October 11.
