All summer, the parish staff has been going back and forth about what to do about PSR classes. A great deal of thought, prayer, and discussion went in to this decision. We consulted the Health Department, the Diocese of Toledo, and other catechetical leaders from our deanery.
So, what will religious education at our parish look like this year? Here is a quick overview. We will have more information in the PSR newsletter that families will receive in a few weeks.
LITURGY OF THE WORD FOR CHILDREN (Grades K – 1 at the 10:30 Mass)
Because we need to use the church basement for overflow, we will not be offering Liturgy of the Word for Children this fall. We will reevaluate the ability to hold this program when the need for physical distancing at Mass is no longer needed and our overflow spaces are free again.
PARISH SCHOOL OF RELIGION (Grades K – 8)
We will not have in person PSR classes at least until after Christmas. At the end of November we will reevaluate the coronavirus situation and make a decision about the spring semester.
There will be two options for families to choose from.
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- Families can choose to do the traditional homeschool option – taking the student book home and working through a chapter a week. This option will work very well for families who have one or maybe two students in the program or for families who do not have a good internet connection. It will also be a good option for families who are “zoomed out” and tired of everything being online.
- A second option will be family catechesis. Families will learn about some aspect of the faith together through video lessons. This will include some questions to answer for understanding and some discussion questions for the family. We will also include a worksheet or additional reading for the middle school grade children and some guidance on praying together as a family at the end of each lesson. These lessons will be short . . . about 30-40 min total each week. This option will be good for families who want something easy and manageable with their schedules, families with multiple children in grades K – 8, or families who are unsure about how to share their faith with their children.
Both of these options will have routine ways of reporting progress to the parish. Students who do not participate in any religious education this year will not be promoted to the next grade level and will not be eligible for sacramental preparation (First Communion or Confirmation) for the 2021-2022 school year.
Registration information will come out with the newsletter. An online registration and payment option will also be available this year.
FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST COMMUNION PREP (Grade 2 +)
We WILL have in-person classes once or twice a month for our First Communion students with a parent present. These classes will be offered on a Sunday morning in Paulding and repeated on a Wednesday evening in Antwerp. Families can attend either session each month depending on their schedule. Families will be doing some book work at home.
As always, families have the option to prepare for sacraments entirely at home. Please contact Theresa Conley if you would like to pursue this option.
HIGH SCHOOL YDISCIPLE (grades 9 – 12)
At this time, our high school YDisciple groups are planning to meet in person. All groups will be working on the ability to hold virtual meetings if schools should need to shut down again, and all groups will have a plan in place for any families who do not feel comfortable sending their high school student to an in-person group (such as the student watching the video content on their own and then calling in during the group discussion).
Our YDisciple once-a-month large group activities are going to look very different as well. We are still trying to figure out some options will work for this unusual year.
Please don’t hesitate to Theresa Conley reach out to me with concerns or questions.
