Dear Parishioners, +JMJ
We had our second Divine Mercy High School Core Team meeting a week-and-a-half ago. The Core High School Events this semester (which supplement, i.e., are in addition to, the three YDisciple small group meetings happening each month in parishioner homes) will be:
-A hayride, bonfire, food & fellowship at the Sinn Family farm, Saturday, October 10th, 7pm.
–Bean Bag Catholic Movie Night (always with food & fellowship) at the Paulding K of C Hall, Saturday, November 14th, 7pm. [Will include a food donation for the poor to get in the door.]
–High School Theology on Tap at the Pasttime Restaurant, Wednesday, December 16th, 7pm. [Only soft drinks in the tap! Food & Fellowship. Q & A time with the pastor. Morality theme? Help with the Angel Giving Tree if there are remaining angels.]
These events will always include some prayer as well. We brainstormed for some more activity ideas for the next semester. We definitely want to include a service project or two as the year progresses.
The YDisciple Kick-off night happened Wednesday, September 2nd. The meeting opened with food & fellowship, then an ice-breaker, then an overview of the YDisciple program, with questions and answers. Finally, group leaders, students and parents separated into their respective groups to handle practicals for their first gatherings.
Please pray that our new high school program serve our Lord’s purposes, helping our awesome high school men and women to serve Him with greater knowledge and love. The high school activities – YDisciple and whole-parish events – are listed in a syllabus that is now posted under the “Religious Education” tab of our website. Take a look!
On another note, I thought I should let you know that I have been thinking more about the Antwerp moisture project. I am going to discuss with the Finance Council the possibility – if we actually cannot raise the full amount for the repair – of dipping into our parish savings to cover the remaining balance. I think we should be able to raise the total amount…. but just in case, I want to broach the topic with the Finance Council. Is this something we have to dip into savings to cover?
Our Divine Mercy School is off to a great start. I have been in the classrooms a couple times now. Our new teachers seem to be fitting in and doing a fine job! As usual for my classroom visits, I will cover some papal news (or some other interesting Church news) each time. I make PDF slides that can be put up onto the school’s projector/white-board system, so the students have pictures to help cover the news. Then I plan on covering morality throughout the year: Natural and moral evil; the beautiful design of the human person, created for love; intellect/will/passion-emotions; the nature/parts of a human act; the goodness or evilness of moral acts; object/intention/circumstance for determining goodness/evilness; virtue and vice; the cardinal virtues – prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance; the gifts of the Holy Spirit; the fruits of the Holy Spirit; etc. It’s a good exercise to have to transmit some of this at each grade level, considering we are talking about grades K-6. (I know the kindergarten kids won’t do well with the Greek alphabet as we get to the ancient names for these morality parts… but the first-graders I think should be able to catch on! 🙂 It’s a bit of a snapshot of what you parents have to do over the years in a more drawn-out way, teaching morality age-appropriately.
Have a blessed week!
In cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Poggemeyer
