| Dear Parents or Guardians, Thanks for all that you do! Being a parent requires tons of self-sacrifice. Most of what you do for your child is seen by no one, and not even appreciated by your child in every case! But THANK YOU. On behalf of the faith community to which you belong, the Catholic Church, thank you! Because of you - and only because of you - your child will grow up Catholic. In times past, parents often believed that it was the job of the parish to "teach their child about religion." But today we know that if a child has any chance at all of growing up with faith, then it's because of the parents. Even then, children grow up and become their own people, don't they? You can only do what you can do, and the rest is a bit of a guessing game. Still - helping your child grow up Catholic is part of the great work of being a Catholic parent - or being married to one! If you glance down the columns to your left & to your right, you'll find a series of helpful resources with which you can
you to buy them.) We know that you have many things going in your life since you became a parent. If you're a single parent, you have even more to do! And if you're a couple, but one of you is not Catholic, then the "Catholic part" of all this is a little foreign (and possibly even a little strange in some cases). You've got a household to run, a job or two to keep up with, your own parents and family to keep track of, a couple of TV shows you like to watch, not to mention keeping groceries in the house and taking out the trash and recycling! So when the parish calls with a request (or sometimes a demand) that you take part in your child's program, we understand if you consider it a low priority. And yet - this is a time of tremendous bonding between you and your child. Think of this as a real chance to grow together. Having faith and growing in your faith brings some wonderful happiness to your life: forgiveness, generosity, hospitality, a sense of hope, and most of all, a closeness to God. My friends, this will last a lifetime! Don't skip this process or cut it short because you're too busy now. All too soon, the time will pass and your children will be beyond your reach. With Christian love and gratitude for ALL that you do, Leisa Anslinger Director of Growing Up Catholic |
| Resources to help you guide your child to grow up Catholic Click on the items below to find more information Catholic Prayers with which every child should know by heart - or at least be familiar! Catholic Words An illustrated glossary which you can share with your child or use on your own. Catholic Teaching about the Sacrament of Eucharist. The Catholic Catechism in plain English You have to buy this, but it's worth the investment so you can be fully confident and able to teach your child well. Daily Faith Sharing A guide to how to do it based on the readings from each week's Sunday Mass Resources galore! We've chosen a few resources we think every Catholic home should have in it. Use this as your check list. Some of these things you have to buy. Others are free. |
| Resources to help you guide your child to grow up Catholic Click on the items below to find more information Parents who are not Catholic Some suggestions about how you can take part in all this Household Bible Study Here is an easy-to-use, downloadable Household Bible Study. 18 sessions in all. Each has a 5-page worksheet that you all can share. All you need is your own Bible. The cost of this is 99¢ per worksheet. Get them all in a handy zip file. Just Living Simply. Sustainably. In solidarity with the Poor. This is a 14 step process on the web site which walks you through a series of household exercises leading to a life more in keeping with Gospel values. Exciting but challenging! |
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