The proof is in the practical application

I received the following anonymous comment this week from someone who attended one of the workshops I gave at the "Living the Catholic Faith Conference" in Denver in February. I wanted to share it because it affirms what I've been saying when I take my little show on the road and talk about reaching out to "lost" adult Catholics. We have to reach parents through their children or we may never reach them at all. Here's what anonymous had to say about her experience:

"I just finished my first year of teaching 1st grade RE. I really like the idea of catechizing the parents through the children. I started making handouts for the kids each week for them to take home with the hope that it would 1) allow parents to reinforce what we taught and 2) teach the parents also. I did have a few of the parents tell me they were learning things they didn't know through it so felt it had some success. I also made a few pleas in the weekly note about setting a good example in the faith by taking their kids to Mass regularly, and seeing them receiving the sacraments, etc., as the kids would blurt out the fact that they weren't going to Mass.

"My strategy this year is to do the same in a little newsletter each week that also advertises opportunities for parents as well. Since I'm moving up to 2nd grade, which involves 1st communion/confession prep, I'm hoping to purchase materials like the little St. Joseph 1st Communion Catechism that the kids can keep and take home each week with a little assignment that can get the parents involved as well."

Thank you, anonymous, for the feedback. It helps tremendously to know that what I'm suggesting actually makes a difference when it's put into practice. I'll get to see how my ideas work on a practical level next fall when I start teaching fourth-grade faith formation.

To read more about my take on the "lost generation," read my earlier post by clicking HERE.