We are pleased to premier our new high school textbooks. We invite you to read about each new text and watch a short introductory video. If you and/or your theology department would like to set up a Zoom meeting with me in the coming weeks to run through the features and elements in both the Student Texts and Teacher's Manual, please sign up here! I look forward to hearing from you! Michael Amodei Curriculum Manager Executive Editor
You may be on a team with the responsibility to offer direct service opportunities to your students. Use the summer months to collect a clearing house of ideas for direct service. For example: Training to become a liturgical minister Supporting homebound ministries Teaching religious education Offering free babysitting to parents in need Cleaning up a park Becoming a hospital helper Organizing a Thanksgiving dinner for those in need Volunteering at the public library Planning a hunger fast with donations Supporting a right to life event Participating in meal preparation at a homeless shelter Also, undertake personal reflection to help you with this effort. For example: Think about successful opportunities for direct service that you have provided in the past. What are some common elements of these success stories? Describe the attitudes of your teens towards direct service. What do you find difficult in teaching your students about a Christian’s call to service. Name some ways you can incorporate lessons on the Church’s social teaching within your programming. Read and reflect on John 13:1-20. Define for yourself what it means to be a servant leader. What are some other local parish and communities ministries and agencies with whom your school could partner to serve others.
Sr. Kieran Sawyer, S.S.N.D. shares information on how to promote meaningful dialogue in classroom discussions. Dialogue in a religion classroom is an important element of an effective lesson. The interaction between students, whether on a one-to-one basis, in small groups, or in a large classroom discussion is an important part of forming faith. As teacher, you are both a facilitator of discussions and sometimes a participant as well. Some dialogue is light and fun. When so, its purpose is to break down barriers and to build mutual understanding and enjoyment. It also carries over and makes serious dialogue possible. Serious dialogue, the heart of discussions in a religion course, helps students to share with one another topics revolving around their dreams and hopes, their questions and doubts, their values and goals, and their faith and prayer. The dialogue process is based on several assumptions: that faith is already present in each person, and that dialogue helps to surface, affirm, and strengthen that faith that each person is a source of truth and wisdom, and that the truth of each individual is meant for and needed by the all the students in class that all people, especially teenagers, want to open their hearts and share their deepest beliefs and doubts; all they need is listeners who care that talking about the deepest values in a person’s life helps to clarify and strengthen them for the speaker; a person understands better what he or she has tried to articulate to another; that the faith of the listener is also strengthened by the dialogue process; one of the most effective ways of alerting a person to the action of God in his or her own life is to hear about God’s action in the life of another that dialogue creates common meanings and values that enable those who participate in it to become a community of faith. Dialogue of the sort described here can only happen in an atmosphere of openness and trust. To establish such an atmosphere is to a large extent your responsibility as a teacher. But it is also true that dialogue itself can create such an atmosphere. Teenagers learn to share deeply with one another (and with adults) by dialoguing. Your role is to make it easy.
Bishop Robert Barron delivered the keynote lecture at the Cultures of Formation conference hosted by the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame. The lecture is just over one hour in length. It is worth your time to hear Bishop Barron address this important topic. Bishop Barron, the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, referenced a report by sociologist Christian Smith on the reasons youth and young adults are leaving the Catholic Church. Find the report here.
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
Juliane Stanz and Tom East offer thirteen practical principles to guide accompaniment of youth and young adults as part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops resources for Catechetical Sunday 2017. The full article introduces and expounds on the thirteen principles. Practical Principles to Guide Accompaniment of Youth and Young Adults Look broadly at the youth and young adult populations and develop targeted ministries for different segments. Some youth, and young adults are looking to go deeper and become more engaged in formation and service. Other young people need deeper prayer experiences. Some young people are anxious to come to weekly gatherings and join communities; others resist this kind of participation but are longing to have someone to talk to about their faith. We need a differentiated approach that begins with the variety of young people in mind. Engage families and see parents as part of our ministry. Parents need to be inspired and equipped to take the lead in the spiritual formation of their children. This looks different when children are youth and young adults. We can help families make this transition. What can we do to strengthen and support families as they share faith across the generations? For families that are struggling with faith and active practice in the community, our work with youth can be a spark that evangelizes the whole community. Families with young adults often face different challenges. We can support parents as they continue to foster the faith life of emerging adults. Look broadly at our community and engage lots of disciples who are willing to spend time with youth and young adults. Notice we didn't say "recruit more ministry leaders." Discipleship is about developing the practices of being a disciple of Jesus which is something we learn in community and in relationship with other disciples. Who are the youth and adults in your community from whom you want young people to "catch" faith? Focus on spiritual growth and attend to youth and young adults in a comprehensive way. Youth and young adults are more than just a family member or learner. Our ministry responses and faith formation need to address and engage each young person and assist them in taking the next step in their journey. It is especially important to invest time in helping youth and young adults who are evangelized to take the deeper steps toward accountability, witness, and engagement in mission. Help young people do what disciples do and get good at it! Our ministries could focus less on participation and learning information and more on the skills and practices of being a disciple. When youth and young adults are good at praying on their own, reading the Bible, participating in Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, engaging in service, and witnessing to their faith, they will continue to do these things and seek communities and relationships that support them in being disciples. Touch their hearts and make it personal. Young people yearn to belong and to relate to people who care about them and value them as individuals. To build this relationship, we need to learn names, know youth and young adults, and provide ministries that move, inspire, and engage. Provide multiple contact points. Youth and young adults grow in commitment through a variety of relationships. They benefit from hearing different voices that provide an echo of faith. Listen and include the youth, young adults, families, and leaders from among the diverse cultures within the community. Dioceses and parishes are learning new ways to come to know and include the needs and gifts of people from various cultures in developing authentic and inclusive ministry responses. The Bishops of the United States are calling ministry leaders to develop intercultural competencies so that we have the capacity to listen, welcome, include, and be formed by people of many cultures. These resources are an important part of our accompaniment of young people. See http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/intercultural-competencies/ Go where the youth and young adults are, including online. The roots of youth ministry are to go to the corners where youth hang out. Young adult ministry has a similar history. To do this today, we should be proficient in social media, and use technology as a means to draw them towards gathered participation with the faith community. Engage youth and young adults in ministries that help them belong, believe, and share their gifts. These elements address fundamental human needs that profoundly shape the youth and young adult years. Ministry that addresses these elements develops the commitment and identity that are foundational to formation as growing young disciples. Don't treat young adults like youth. A starting place for any young adult ministry is to treat them as adults, not post-high school youth. For example, don't list them under parents' names in the church directory. Give them their own listing. Another important point to remember is that most ministry with young adults will be conducted by young adults themselves, in a peer-to-peer manner.[vi] Empower them to make a difference. Young people welcome and value opportunities that empower them to make a difference in the world. To put individuals in situations where their involvement truly affects another person is at the heart of faith. Ensure that ample opportunities are given to perform service and ministry that directly impacts the life of another. Be action oriented. Young people value instant communication, respond quickly to action, and are adept at multitasking. They would rather participate in service than talk about it. If you decide to invite a young person to a parish committee, make sure that your committee is action oriented. Youth and young adults do not respond well to sitting around talking about ministry; they prefer to make a difference now. Long, drawn out meetings without a clear focus are certain to make your committee a youth-and-young-adult-free zone!
An interesting piece of information you may wish to share with your students is Walt Disney's inclusion of Schubert's classic Ave Maria in the full-length animated motion picture Fantasia. The idea of a popular, secular film containing explicitly religious music may seem foreign to their sensibilities today. However, as this article explains, Disney's decision to use the Ave Maria was not without some controversy when it was released in 1940.
Small group and full classroom discussions encourage sharing among your students. Though each lesson and activity uses slightly different dialogue techniques, some general methodological principles apply to all of them. The following principles, adapted from the work of Sr. Kieran Saywer, SSND. Pre-response Give everyone a chance to record his or her response in some way before asking any individual to respond orally. The pre-response might be written, drawn, shown with hand signals, or indicated by body positions. Make the pre-response easy by asking a very specific question with a concrete answer, by providing a sentence-starter to be completed, by giving a spread of answers to choose from. This technique gets everyone involved in answering the question, makes it clear that there is a spread of opinion on the answer rather than the one “right” response, and creates the need for an individual to examine a position contrary to other ideas being presented. Dialogue Starter Make it easy to get the dialogue started by designated the first speaker, often in a humorous way; for example, the person with the curliest hair, the person with the next birthday, the person wearing the brightest clothing. Each person (in a small group) will then take a turn sharing. The starter designation usually creates a burst of laughter, thus further relaxing the group. Pass Option Tell the students that the sharing must always be done freely. If at any time, a student is asked a question he or she doesn’t know how to answer, nor does not want to answer in public, the student simply says “pass.” If students choose to respond, however, their answers should be as honest as possible. The pass option is, perhaps, the single most powerful technique in creating an atmosphere where open dialogue can happen. Given the choice of either answering honestly or passing, young people almost always want to answer. But the pass is always there as a safe and easy way out when thing get uncomfortable. It is imperative that the pass option be respected by the teacher and by all the students. Gradual Deepening Move the dialogue gradually from light, easy topics to more serious ones. The easier sharing teaches the technique and warms the students, thus facilitating deeper sharing. Listening Help your group see the important role of the listener in the dialogue process. A person is encouraged to share by sensing that someone is really listening. Everyone in the class or small group shares in the listening role. It is important for all the students to pay direct attention to the speaker, to respond facially to what is said, and to ask follow-up questions. The teacher should be especially present to each speaker; at the same time the teacher will need to be careful not to become the focus toward which all questions, answers, and comments are directed.
