Letter to Parents

This year I will be teaching grade two catechism again. In our archdiocese grade two is the year children make their First Confession and First Communion.

Catechism starts up again this coming Wednesday and so I've been getting myself organized. I spent some time this afternoon drafting a letter to send home on the first day of Catechism.

Last year I found that it was really difficult at times to prepare the children for the sacraments without what was being taught in class being reinforced in the home. It seemed as if many parents had forgotten that raising their children in the Catholic Faith doesn't mean merely sending them to catechism class for an hour and fifteen minutes each week. There's only so much I can do as a catechist.

Here are some excerpts from my letter:

"My name is ***** and I'll be teaching your child's PREP* class this coming year. This is my second year of teaching grade two PREP and I am very excited to play a role in the faith formation of your child as they prepare to encounter Jesus Christ for the first time in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. I feel truly blessed to embark on this journey with your child!"

"My role as a catechist is not to substitute you as principal and first educators of your child but rather to support you in your parental responsibility of educating your child in the Catholic Faith . This coming year I will be working alongside your family in sharing the Faith with your child. As they prepare to receive their First Reconciliation and First Communion, with the grace of God, we will be helping the children to discover the joy of a life founded on the love of Christ and embrace the perfect gift of Himself He offers us in the Eucharist."

I also included the following quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Paragraph 2226):

"Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God.”

*PREP stands for Parish Religious Education Program.